No. 5a - LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Legend Comes To Life

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance-age 13) for battle sequences and scary scenes

Director: Peter Jackson; Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens; based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien

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

Movie Introduction: My children will not require this introduction (as I insured they watched this epic trilogy). But, for the rest of you… The future of Middle Earth rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has reappeared after being lost for centuries. Powerfully evil forces are unrelenting in their search for it. Fate has placed it in the hands of a young Hobbit named Frodo Baggins, and only the wizard Gandalf The Gray knows of its power and danger. A daunting task lies ahead for Frodo as the ring bearer must take the ring Mount Doom where it can be destroyed. He and fellow Hobbits Sam, Merry and Pippen begin their perilous journey under the protection of Gandalf, the ranger Aragorn, elf Legolas, kingdom heir Boromir and feisty dwarf Gimli.

Defining Moment: the mines of Moria

The Fellowship, en route to return the ring to Mount Doom, is forced to take the road through the Mines of Moria. There they encounter a healthy population of goblins and cave trolls.  They fight their way to escape, only to encounter the mine's greatest threat, the fiery Bel-Rog. Galdalf, sensing that the others need more time to escape, wheels around to bar the enormous Bel Rog crossing passage's the final rock bridge. The wizard slams his staff into the center of the rock span, facing the hell-spawn beast, and declares, "You shall not pass!" (watch the scene on YouTube) 

Something subtle you might have missed:  nature vs. the unnatural

The theme of "nature vs. the unnatural" is present throughout this film trilogy. No one is more in tune with this than Gandalf the Gray. When he is trapped atop the tower at Isengard, he communicates with a small silk moth, who insures this rescue upon the wings of one of the great eagles. He can also create smoke, fire and lightning, all natural elements.

Conversely, Sarumon, with complete disdain for nature, calls upon his minions to rip the ancient trees out by their roots and burns their wood to fire the furnaces and create his weapons of war. Additionally, his army is comprised of unnatural beings: goblins, orcs and the horrible spawn of breeding those two together - the vicious Uruk-Hai.

Memorable Quotes:

"They are the Nazgaul, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you." - Aragorn

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work, Frodo, than the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring. In which case you also were meant to have it, and that is an encouraging thought." - Gandalf The Gray

"Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed." - Gimli

Dad's Review:

From the films first few minutes, I could tell that director Peter Jackson loved this story and presented it with respect. By the film's end, I felt this was his magnum opus - something he will never top. I'm not much of a reader and haven't read a word from the Middle Earth stories by J. R. R. Tolkien. However, I am confident that this film trilogy is the best fantasy adventure ever put on film. It truly transports the viewer to Middle Earth. It richly develops the characters. It takes its time. This heightens the audience's emotional investment, and makes this film's impact larger than its genre. It is a universal story for everyone. 

How do I know this? My lovely wife does not like fantasy or war films. Yet, she loves this trilogy, which is loaded with fantastical creatures and epic battles. She will gleefully watch Lord of the Rings anytime. When a director takes the time to establish a film's characters, the viewer is compelled to stick with them on their perilous journey – the viewer truly cares about the story and how it will end.

Fellowship of the Ring serves two principal functions in the film trilogy. First, it does the necessary world-building so critical to its audience. We are educated on the lands, villages and cities that exist and constitute "Middle Earth". We are also shown its rich history, long-dead civilizations, colorful legends and past battles. We visit the peaceful Shire, the ethereal Rivendell, the dark Mines of Moria, the forested-dwellings of Lothlorien.

Second, we are introduced to our main characters, most members of the fellowship itself, consisting of an elderly wizard, a cave dwarf, an elf, two men and four tiny hobbits. Going in, I was very apprehensive about the hobbits (would they appear funny or cartoonish?). But there was not reason for my worries - they won me over almost immediately. To this day, one of my favorite heroic characters remains Samwise Gamgee, the brave. You also cannot help but love Gandalf. Ian McKellen's portrayal of the wise elder statesman warms my heart.

We are also introduced to the film's villains: the ever-searching Eye of Sauron, and its minion, in human form, the wizard Saruman the White (played deliciously by veteran British actor Christopher Lee). These two evil presences, and their army of goblins and demons more than provide an alarming threat for our heroic Fellowship.

This three-part masterpiece is essentially the story of good vs. evil. Evil will always rise up and strive to dominate. In our real world, it takes the form of greed and unchecked power. It really is terrifying because evil can win and often does. But it can be stopped when good people make a stand, and fight against it. This certainly the plot of the original LOTR stories, which were written on the eve of World War II.

Good and evil still battles today.

Onto No. 5b... The Dual Citadels