Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the ring- analysis

LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (4 oscar wins)

Cast: Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Elijah Woods, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys Davies, sean Bean, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving

Direction by: Peter Jackson

Review by: Zulfiqar (4.5/5)

            If I mention ‘fellowship of the ring’ while speaking, I should also mention ‘Harry Potter’s philosopher’s stone’. If the latter thought all the best was happening with it, it probably didn’t foresee what was happening with ‘LOTR: fellowship ….’. Both movies released in 2001. ‘Philosopher’s stone’ written by the creative gem and master storyteller, JK Rowling, had Chris Columbus, who couldn’t be more perfect directing the movie. He had the lightheartedness of a kid, applying the book’s thrilling sequences with his vibrant vision, novel approach and a lot and lot of right help from the VFX. But what the production houses or anybody in the bloody world didn’t calculate as to how the epic of LOTR was going to be presented on the screens.

            Written by JRR Tolkien in 1950s, which till then had already had so much of inspiration from the earlier part of the century and its important happenings, LOTR is a story, which will probably surpass even the old Greek mythology or any other epic. When I read LOTR retrospectively (ten to eleven years back) after 4 years of the first episode’s release, I was swept by the usage of Tolkien’s language and his vivacious imagination of a world, with which he was in so much of awe and love. His love for botany and the description of flora reeks of earthy smell while you read this middle earth’s saga. He has this fascination with not only the supernatural but also the very natural like dew, fog, oaks, shrubbery, woods, countryside, dells, fords, ravines and whatnot. At the start of the book, his lighthearted hobbits have so much tranquility in their heart at home with their natural environs. And then he slowly talks about wizards, and then about elves and then about orcs, and then about giant palaces, woods, tall towers for wizards, wights, wargs, barrows and so on. Though the novel slowly turns dark, his placid journey with nature never stops. He sings gloomily while he speaks of the orcs’ destruction of foliage to make demons out of it. These are Tolkien’s woes and commentary at the effect of industrialization. But the whole volume of lord of the rings has such a perfect, unwavering and finely structured prose, which had the promise that it will defy any age. Probably because Tolkien wrote not for ends, but for just the happiness of writing. His story, he even supported by sheafs and sheafs of background work on not only characters, but places, periods, genealogies, houses and a lot of comprehensive theory. Furthermore he created the syntax and grammar as support for the languages of middle earth. His epic had so much real footing that he could easily live in it. Probably that’s what he wanted too. But the offshoot was that millions and millions of his readers started to live in his imaginary world. One such person was Peter Jackson.

            It surely is a play of fortune that Jackson was involved with LOTR. He had earlier been involved with movies having dark, horror and gothic genres. His creative flair was for a new way of using VFX for monsters. His monsters weren’t just for flashy terror. There was this creepiness and edge to his visual imagery. But while he made LOTR, it was clearly evident that Peter Jackson had the same comprehensive mind of Tolkien. You could see how he never tried to obliterate any of the fine elements of middle earth. He defined the holes of hobbits, elven valleys, wizards’ gigantic towers, Sauron’s dark world, Galadriel’s neon lighted forest and many others. There was this clinical precision with which he designed the battle between elves and men with dark forces in one of the earliest shots. You could see the armors of the contrasting armies from the same side. Look at the weapons of Sauron. Look at the battle ranks of the Elves. Jackson just nailed everything. If you ask a hobbit fan if he missed anything of significance compared to the books, I don’t think many would complain. (I would say Tom Bombadill and I am not an easy person to satisfy)

            ‘Fellowship …’ changed the game for Hollywood certainly. It had taken the CGI and VFX to completely another level. We can see how conveniently the camera works when it shows John Rhys Davis’ Gimli as a dwarf, while he was over 6 feet in his real life. The contrast between the hobbits, dwarves and the men of middle earth will not even in a single scene be compromised. The orcs look gruesome and various. They are not like crows but like the varied faces of humans. The cascading buildings in action sequences are dizzying. Even though in 2001, the version was that of 2D with no IMAX presentation, there were many such sequences which will add to an acrophobe’s discomfiture. The monsters of middle earth don’t look repetitive but look exhaustingly creative.

            The plot isn’t something this review is educate the audience with as it is already widely known. It starts with an unlikely person out of various races of middle earth is thrust upon the carrying duty of a ring. The person is Frodo Baggins, hobbit of Shire. He gets this mysterious ring from his uncle, Bilbo Baggins, after the latter goes on a permanent holiday. His closest friend, Gandalf the grey, in a mysterious whisper warns him about the ring. But Gandalf is of the Wise and Frodo heeds his word. The wizard returns to him one day suddenly with the worst tidings that the ring is in fact the property of dark lord, Sauron. Sauron was defeated 300 years back by Isildur but is not dead. His ring will seek him out till he regains his strength. To thwart this, the ring must be destroyed and it can only be done by casting it into the fires of mount Doom, from whence it came. The journey from thereon is the travel of Frodo to Rivendell, where the Elven king Elrond and other bigwigs of middle earth form a band of brothers called fellowship of the ring to help Frodo in his mission of destroying the ring.

            Jackson stays so close to the dream of Tolkien whole through this initial journey. He depicts the Nazgul with such a mark of mystery and horror. He uses the landscapes of New Zealand so well while transforming them from Shire to that of Rivendell. Shire is quiet while Rivendell is beautiful. When the action sequences spring in between these two places, you could see the waterbodies and underside of the roots of trees used so well for action set pieces. The misty mountains are shown like majestic havocs of nature with embedded voices of Christopher Lee and Ian McKellen with the snowstorms. Mines of Moria are the perfect relics of the dwarves and their fascination with metallurgy. Orthanc is another top class imaginative work with ever soaring climb and the interiors of it, showing the mysterious mind of Saruman. Galdriel’s forest is radiant with splendor and her tranquil voice, a healing balm for the toiling Frodo.

            About the psychology of the ring, what does it do? It only works on its longevity by making the owner glued to it by making him greedier. Bilbo wasn’t able to let it go easily. Gandalf doesn’t touch it lest he feels the same. Saruman without even touching it feels for its possession. But Gollum explains the best. He lives more years than for the age of his species. It is because he is consumed with acquiring it rather than his health and the ring too finds a perfect owner in him. Though Smeagol is small and weak, he will provide the security till it reaches its master. That’s why it makes him defy age.

            Peter Jackson shot the whole trilogy in a span lasting less than a year. But you could see till the last episode that the whole crew’s energy is fresh and vigorous. Christopher Lee was the first person to be cast for the movie. He was the only cast member to have met JRR Tolkien and had even been endorsed by the latter to play Gandalf if ever something materializes. But Ian McKellen scored the coveted part and Lee was happy for McKellen. But personally I feel both the actors go on par on being wizards. Lee’s baritone commanding voice while he works on top of orthanc to disturb the precipices of Misty Mountains is a terrific scene. And also the wizard scuffle brings out a novel episode. Ian McKellen scores in being kind and resourceful. He looks both weary and wise, which probably is his forte. His scene with Balarog is probably the best in the movie. Elijah Woods’ Frodo shows a lot of depth and layers to his acting. But he becomes more arresting with the advent of the episodes. Viggo Mortenson and Sean Bean look the perfect warriors, while Orlando Bloom’s Legolas made him a big star. Gimli’s John Rhys Davis is unidentifiable behind all the makeup stuff but his belligerent tone defines the funny side of him. Gollum’s eyes make an appearance giving us a window’s view of what lies ahead.

            Cate Blanchett’s narration sounds otherworldly and has a feeling of final say. The recitation of the story of all the rings and that of Gollum is an excellent prologue episode I had ever seen. LOTR’s technical strength however overshadows everything. When I watched the movie on the first day back in 2001, I was transported back to a completely different world and the final scene really irked me. I didn’t know at that time that it was just the first episode of the whole trilogy and I had to wait another year for the next sequel. And I didn’t know about JRR Tolkien, I didn’t know about the sweet voice of Enya, I didn’t know about the lightfootedness and suresightedness of Elves, and I didn’t know that Alan Lee and John Howe made a cameo.