The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring STARRING: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett |
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Steven Snyder |
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| Grandeur is a word often overused. In my mind, it is the pinnacle of beauty, style, craft, and awe. While watching “Lord of the Rings” in the theater, with the lights down low and the sound turned up, I had the feeling of watching something grand, something that elevates one’s consciousness, one that takes a person’s mind on a truly emotional journey, not only for its running length but for days to come. Other films this year have done that, but in different ways. “A.I.” boasted intelligence, “Moulin Rouge” was emotion, “Waking Life” is introspection, and “Memento” is an intellectual challenge. “Lord of the Rings,” however, does something subtly different. “Lord of the Rings” was all about imagination. I have not read the book, so I must admit that my observations cannot be used to contrast the film and the novel. However, in a healthy mix of mediums, “Lord of the Rings” exudes the beauty of film and the fantasy of the printed word in every frame. There are grandiose landscapes that deserve their place as framed works of art. There are characters so richly crafted that terms such as “character development,” “motivation,” and “backstory” are ridiculous—they exist as real beings. There are moments of dread, love, fear, and remorse so palpable that I feared the darkness, fell in love with a pure heart, feared for the bold travelers and sadly acknowledged man’s zeal for power. The story, in a nutshell for those who haven’t already been told, is of the fight for all of Earth’s existence. Rings have been made that contain all the power of good and evil in the world. And the bad ring belonged to a powerful force that was finally vanquished just as the fate of mankind was on the brink. A human, amongst species of elves, dwarfs, hobbits, and others, has the chance to destroy the ring forever, but keeps it in a selfish and disastrous quest for power. This ring descends through the generations, and finally ends up with a peaceful hobbit. This hobbit leaves it for his nephew (or son, I forget which), Frodo, who knows nothing of this ring’s terrible secret until his friend Gandalf the Wizard tells him of the ring’s power and the legions of evil-doers who are now on the chase to return it to the darkness. He sends Frodo away that very night, on a mission to return the ring to the center of the dark world, closely pursued by the faceless army of darkness, to the only place where it can be destroyed—a volcano. Along the way, he meets several others that form the fellowship of the ring, which is also the title of this, the first in a trilogy, and this fellowship is determined to destroy this evil once and for all. I’m not sure how much I can talk about without giving away the gold that lies beneath the surface. Even to reduce the story to a synopsis denies its dominating magic. This film has a story, but it’s a greater metaphor for the human struggle. It has characters, but these characters do not feel like fictional creations. The settings sometimes are obviously CG, but the story and the characters are so profound that the audience simply doesn’t care. The best comparison may be “Star Wars.” There are moments that are silly, fake, elementary, but the adventure is there. And, this new generation of “Lara Croft” and “Jurassic Park 3” have embraced reality and ignored the imaginative adventure, with disastrous results. As Frodo and his band confront a troll, which is obviously fake, we still want to know what happens. These character’s lives are in doubt—their fate is uncertain. There is no Julia Roberts whom we know will survive, but an epic quest without an ounce of pretentiousness. So, rather than picking at individual aspects of the film, I will attempt to look at the whole picture: The acting is fabulous, directing layered with grandeur, and an epic story that, love it or hate it, will draw you in for the ride. I think I gave this film the best compliment possible as the credits started to roll. I sneered. I was pissed. Not because the film was bad, but because I realized the ride was over. My need for closure was unsatisfied. I was going to have to wait another year until the second installment is released. And then, I thought of how many times I would likely see this before it left the theaters. While I’ve seen many movies multiple times, that thought has not occurred to me while still in the theater. I’ve heard of “Star Wars,” and how people walked out of the theater, bought another ticket and went right back in. I would have done the same for “Lord of the Rings.” Comments by David Johnson
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