Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Plot Summary: In the lands of Middle-earth, Frodo Baggins discovers a ring that is more powerful than he could imagine. It is the One Ring, made by the Dark Lord, Sauron, who has returned to Middle-earth and is looking for the Ring so he can cover Middle-earth in darkness. With the help of the wizard, Gandalf the Grey, Frodo embarks with his hobbit companions to the Elven city of Rivendell. There, Frodo joins a fellowship of nine who set out on a journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.
The Lord of the Rings is a true essence of my childhood nostalgia. I was 8 when The Fellowship of the Ring came out and I was blown away by it. Never before had I seen an adventure of this magnitude told on-screen. It's been over a decade now and my appreciation for the trilogy grows deeper with each repeated viewing. Through DVD documentaries, extended cuts of the films, and reading J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, I am supplied with the resources that a true fan of the story and a true fan of filmmaking would need in order to appreciate this film franchise. With so much to say about all three movies, I decided to pick different elements to focus on in all three reviews in order to make each review stand out and avoid feeling repetitious. The Fellowship of the Ring serves as a film that not only gets the trilogy started, but also as a film that introduces newer audiences to the world Tolkien created in his books over 50 years ago, like it did with me.
Frodo Baggins, played by Elijah Wood, is the ring bearer who must journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. As the main character, Frodo is the used as the first person point of view for the audience, especially in The Fellowship of the Ring. Wood is able to play Frodo with a type of innocence that feels genuine and captures the easygoing nature of the hobbits. Some Tolkien enthusiasts have complained that Frodo is not as adventurous in the film as he is in the books, but I have no problems with this. I feel Frodo's journey in the films, as well as his character development, has more impact when we can actually see that the Ring has an effect on Frodo. I don't think the other members of the Fellowship would be able to stand out in action scenes if the main character is able to keep up with them. Frodo's main objective is to carry the Ring and the Fellowship is there to protect him.
Gandalf the Grey, played by Sir Ian McKellen, is a wizard who serves as the guide for the Fellowship. Gandalf is introduced by arriving in the Shire, and the effect his presence has on the Shire lets the audience know that Gandalf is a legendary figure in Middle-earth. McKellen plays Gandalf with a deep appreciation of what Tolkien envisioned for the character, including trying to sound like Tolkien when giving Gandalf his voice. Gandalf the Grey is also a well-rounded character, and not just a wizard stereotype. While he does have the look of a wizard, I notice that Gandalf's magic is not overused or even an obvious brand of magic. Gandalf never abuses his magic and only uses it in times when it is necessary. I actually think Gandalf's biggest strength is in wisdom and knowledge of Middle-earth, which McKellen is able to capture while also giving him a warm and classy demeanor that allows the character of Gandalf to come alive on-screen.The rest of the members of the Fellowship are not really developed in The Fellowship of the Ring, but are more or less introduced to us so we can follow their journey in the next two films, with the exception of Boromir, played by Sean Bean. Boromir is one of the true standout characters in the first installment and I credit it to Sean Bean's excellent portrayal of the character. In fact, seeing him on Game of Thrones makes me realize that Sean Bean is best in roles where he plays a chivalrous knight-like character. Boromir is chivalrous to a point, but is also very flawed. Amongst the Fellowship, he is the one who is corrupted by the Ring's power, making him a threat for everyone in the group. But through his antagonistic actions, Bean is still able to make Boromir likable, a difficult task for any character, through his motivations for why he is on the quest and why he would like to have the Ring, to protect his people. Because Boromir has justified reasons for his actions, the audience is able to feel remorse when the One Ring is able to take control of this noble warrior.
The film as an absolute cinematic spectacular to behold, and part of that is thanks to the amazing filming location of New Zealand. Director Peter Jackson knew that if he wanted to create Middle-earth properly, he would have to film it in an environment that seemed the most preserved and natural. New Zealand is full of green farmlands, snowy mountains and lush forest to create numerous realms of land in Middle-earth. Jackson also uses newer technology to enhance the scenery and make it feel like it is actually Middle-earth, instead of New Zealand. Among his methods, he used digital color grading to give each realm a color filter to enhance the area, such as greens used specifically for the Shire, as well as shooting at different locations and piecing them together in the final cut of the film to create a unique environment that you could not trace back to a specific New Zealand location.
Jackson wanted to create the best music for the films, and he is able to do so through the use of Howard Shore and his orchestra. Shore is able to create the perfect type of music for the film, used to not only heighten the right moment on film, but to also create the perfect emotional response from the crowd. The music is at its finest when it accompanies a panning shot of the beautiful scenery. The music is able to give each setting and character a unique sound of its own. You can hear music used in the Shire and say "That's the right kind of sound I'd envision when picturing the Shire." Howard Shore is able to create, in my opinion, the greatest movie soundtrack of all time, while also being able to create music to accompany the true spirit of Tolkien's masterpiece adapted on film.Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Of the three movies, The Fellowship of the Ring is my personal favorite because it is a movie that serves as a part of my childhood nostalgia by introducing me to the world of The Lord of the Rings. An easy recommendation to see and own the first part of this epic trilogy.
Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and movie images are copyrighted by New Line Cinema
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