Great Film: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Embrace the magic
It is with no surprise that Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring
film
has received such mixed critics. Many viewers refer to it as being
childish,
boring and uninteresting. Seems to me that it is bound to the same fate
of
Tolkien's books, destined to be a target for the same type of
misunderstandings that keep attacking this literary masterpiece many
decades
after it's first publication.
Having read the books several years ago, I went to see this `impossible'
film when it came out with many doubts on my mind. I really liked it, but
left the theater with as many doubts as I had before. Was it perfect?
Well,
maybe not, but what an achievement.
After watching it a few times on DVD, and thinking about it for some time
now, I find myself loving this film more and more. Let me tell you
why...
The Lord of the Rings is a fairy-tale of myth and fantasy. Peter Jackson
directed a film that was considered, for a very long time, impossible to
make, and not only for technical reasons. The narrative roots are
incredibly
long and detailed, and the storyline is deeply connected with the
creation
of a fantastic continent from a time unknown called `Middle Earth'. It's
author, Tolkien, dedicated a considerable part of his life developing
this
continent's background, it's mythology and origins, it's different kinds
of
people, cultures and languages, and therefore it's geographic references
are
determinant to the unfolding of the story of the One Ring.
Peter Jackson went out to achieve the impossible and came out with a
recreation of the original that is pure and true to the story in every
detail. The first time the four hobbits meet a black rider on the road,
for
example, is absolutely faithful to the feeling of the book. The assault
of
the riders at Weathertop is another great example, and it captures that
feeling of danger, density and atmosphere that are the main
characteristics
of the tale.
Jackson also took some liberties with the story, and made some right
choices
along the way. If the so called `purists' may not approve the removal of
Tom
Bombadil altogether, it should be comprehensible that the travel from
Hobbiton to Rivendel is a very long and detailed one and could easily
make a
movie on it's own. I felt more uneasy with how short the Council of
Elrond
was. In the book, the council is where the whole story of the rings is
first
explained, and many passages from the past ages of Middle Earth are
unveiled. It is a fascinating moment of the story, that had to be
shortened
for obvious reasons. Still, after some consideration, I now agree with
the
options made by Peter Jackson, and think that the movie prologue narrated
by
Galadriel was the wisest choice.
The magic is all there when Gandalf shuts his eyes the moment Frodo
stands
in the council and says `I will take the ring'. It is there at Moria's
Gate,
and at the fall of Boromir. It is a powerful film that doesn't fit the
rhythm of the standard Hollywood action movie. It is a film that breeds,
that takes time to unfold, it's tale branching in every
direction.
I could go on and on, talking about all the different elements that bring
this film close to perfection, but I'll end saying that deep down, this
is
not about action, beards and big monsters. The greatest thing about this
film, to me, is that it brought me back to a time when I was in love with
a
different world where everything was possible. Reading The Lord of the
Rings
night after night, I came to understand what this thing of `mankind'
really
was all about. The corruption of absolute power, the importance and value
of
friendship, the inevitability of growing up, the strength of hope... That
this film could capture that magic, and be a new bearer to it's message
of
humanism, is a statement to it's greatness. Gandalf's words, that even
the
smallest person may change the course of the world, and have a part to
play
in the destiny of all, are immortal.
In the end, this is a wonderful film, but that doesn't mean you are going
to
like it. I cannot tell you what it is like to see this film if you don't
know or love the book. But I hope it may plant a seed on your heart to
discover a great world of fantasy, beauty and humanity. I believe Tolkien
would have liked that.
Cast
- Sam Gamgee played by Sean Astin
- Saruman played by Christopher Lee
- Lurtz played by Lawrence Makoare
- Legolas Greenleaf played by Orlando Bloom
- Boromir played by Sean Bean
- Bilbo Baggins played by Ian Holm
- Galadriel played by Cate Blanchett
