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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Rating

Director

Peter Jackson

Screenplay

Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson (Novel: J.R.R. Tolkien)

Length

2h 58m

Starring

Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis

MPAA Rating

PG-13

Review

There are few novels that are more revered than those of J.R.R. Tolkien and his fanciful world of Middle-Earth. “The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” is the first in a trilogy of films based on the author’s critically adored novels following the adventures of a Hobbit on a quest to destroy a ring.

The film opens with a montage displaying the origins and history of a magic ring crafted by an evil sorcerer named Sauron. Fashioned to rule the world, the ring had passed out of memory for centuries before a pitiful creature named Gollum discovered his “precious” and lost it to a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm).

On the day of his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo passes the ring to his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) who, with the help of family friend and wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), decides the ring must not be taken by the evil minions that pursue him.

His quest begins with friends Samwise “Sam” Gamgee (Sean Astin), Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan) and Peregrin “Pippin” Took (Billy Boyd), who are forced to accompany him through circumstance.

Their journeys take them through the mysterious Mines of Moria, the tranquil forest of Lothlorien and the slopes of Amon Hen. After Frodo is nearly killed by the Ringwraiths, wise elf Elrond (Hugo Weaving) forms a fellowship of nine to take up on the quest to destroy the ring Frodo possess in the fires of Mount Doom. Along with the four hobbits and Gandalf, four others take on the task: humans Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Boromir (Sean Bean), the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies).

Having great source material to study for their characters have each actor develops an amazing performance as each of Tolkien’s brilliant creatures. Some of the more notable include Cate Blanchett as the elf-queen Galadriel and others. Blanchett is reserved, kind and gentle, but with a necessary power. Astin and Wood their respective hobbits. Astin was loveable, reserved and determined while Wood was curious, passionate and equally determined, a quality most hobbits of any note possess. Then there’s Christopher Lee as the white wizard, Saruman whose intentions are made quite clear when Gandalf arrives for his council. Lee uses his past experiences in British horror to bring a great, malicious presence to his cruel wizard.

However, the two truly best performances in the film came from the most experienced actors. Holm is a veteran of the screen and an actor who’s given two of the best performances this year (the other in “From Hell”) and his Bilbo has much to do, setting in place a back story necessary to completely understand parts of the film. He takes a character that had an entire book to develop in the written word and brings it fully to the screen without need for an earlier film. McKellen, similarly, had an entire first book to develop, but also manages to wrap himself around a part that is better known than most in the novel. Gandalf is a very sympathetic character and has far more story to convey than our friend Bilbo. McKellen’s mere presence on the screen exhilarates and encapsulates an aged, flawed, yet magnificent wizard.

On the technical side, the film is virtually flawless. Everything from the sets and costumes to the sound, music and visual effects succinctly envelops the world of Tolkien. Some purists would say that the film takes too many liberties with the script, but they can’t say that the visuals aren’t breathtaking and magnificent. The detailed to-scale crafting of houses in The Shire, the filthy streets of the city Bree and the flowing gables and terraces of Rivendell would make any designer weep. It’s not hard to see most of Tolkien’s novel visualized in this film and even if you’ve spent time imaging what it should look like, you’ll agree that “Fellowship of the Ring” fits.

Director Peter Jackson has directed the greatest fantasy epic of all-time. While the script takes freedom over the books, including developing the relationship of Aragorn and Elrond’s daughter Arwen (Liv Tyler) more fully than in the book and inventing the Uruk-hai leader Lurtz, it sticks to the spirit of the novels and makes the film more suitable for a visual, story arc medium. Jackson, using forced perspectives, makes hobbits and men stand together as they should and keeps the entire reality of the film from breaking down like other filmmakers could have.

Not even “Star Wars” was able to capture the sweep and grandeur that this project carries. Its blissful melodies by composer Howard Shore and songstress Enya flow through every fiber of the film harking back to the epics of the 1930s and ’40s where nearly every seen is scored to give it the utmost intensity.

“The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” is an instant classic. It is easily the greatest fantasy adventure of all time and even one of the finest examples of film style and substance imaginable. The film will look time in the face and show itself to be one of the greatest moving pictures of this or any decade.

Awards Prospects

Nomination possibilities include Picture, Supporting Actor: Ian McKellen, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Original Song: May It Be, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound, Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects. Wins are likely in Art Direction, Visual Effects, Original Score, Original Song and possibly more if the Academy falls behind it.

Review Written

December 22, 2001