The Lord of the Rings: A Look Back

The Lord of the Rings: A Look Back

It’s a fantasy trilogy which has resonated with millions of fans all around the world. Based on the literary works of J.R.R Tolkien, director Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies have won both critical acclaim and enough awards to fill up five bungalows.

More than a decade after The Fellowship of the Ring’s release, and with prequel movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey finally in production and set for debut in December, a stroll down memory lane is in order to remind ourselves just why The Lord of the Rings is still mountains above even the latest releases.

Lets assume for a moment that you haven’t heard of The Lord of the Rings (LOTR). It’s ridiculous I know, but bare with me. Set in the fictional land of Middle Earth, LOTR tells the story of the ‘One Ring’ of power, created by the dark lord Sauron with the intention of enslaving all races. Men and Elves resist, and after a huge war, Sauron is defeated and the ring is taken from his broken body. The king of men now has the opportunity to destroy the ring once and for all, ensuring Sauron’s spirit never finds its way back into the world; however, the potential power of the ring becomes far too tempting for him, and he opts to keep it for himself. 

 

Smeagol becomes the creature Gollum

Thousands of years later, the ring is found by the hobbit Smeagol, who becomes obsessed with it, even killing his own brother to keep it. Banished from his homeland, Smeagol creeps into the mountains and for 500 years the ring torments his mind and his body, transforming him into a disgusting, insane creature who becomes known as ‘Gollum’. Whilst searching for treasure, Bilbo Baggins, another hobbit, stumbles into Gollum’s cave and finds the ring. Deciding to keep it for himself, Bilbo escapes Gollum’s clutches and returns home to The Shire with his new prize. His nephew Frodo Baggins inherits the ring and, learning Sauron could return if it is seized by the enemy, sets out to destroy it. Accompanied by elves, dwarves, men, hobbits and Gandalf “You shall not pass!” Grey, Frodo learns that the ring can only be unmade in Mordor, the evil land where the spirit of Sauron still lurks. To defeat the dark forces, Frodo must rely on secrecy and venture into evil itself.

When New Line Cinema announced in 1999 that a movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings was underway, scepticism was paramount. Not only were the books such a literary classic that many believed should be left untouched, but New Line had also assigned a somewhat inexperienced director to undertake the task. A Lord of the Rings movie had also been attempted before, which unfortunately ceased production after the first instalment due to financial issues (by which I mean nobody liked it and they weren’t given a budget to do another). In short, the vast majority of Tolkien fans thought the movie would suck.

Oh, how wrong they were.

"Even the smallest person can change the future."

Fans were pleased to hear that director Peter Jackson chose to divide the Lord of the Rings into three parts in order to stay faithful to the books: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Excitement was further raised when a portion of the A-List cast was announced. British acting legends Ian Mckellen and Christopher Lee were signed up, as well as Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, John-Rhys Davies and Sean Bean. The majority of the rest, however, were relative unknowns who exploded into the spotlight. Elijah Wood was cast as our hero, Frodo Baggins, initially raising many eyebrows but ultimately delivering a superbly sympathetic yet inspiring character.

Viggo Mortensen brings rugged warrior Aragorn to life

Other notable cast members include Lost’s Dominic Monaghan as Merry the hobbit, The Road’s Viggo Mortensen as conflicted would-be king Aragorn and Pirates of the Caribbean’s Orlando Bloom as elf archer Legolas (believe it or not, LOTR was Bloom’s FIRST professional acting role after leaving university!).

One actor in particular, however, must be given never-ending praise for his portrayal of Gollum. Using (at the time) groundbreaking motion-capture technology, British actor Andy Serkis performs the voice, the movement and the harsh, selfish, addicted nature of Gollum as he schemes to take back the ring he believes is rightfully his. Constantly shocking and never trustworthy, Gollum is one of the most recognisable characters in fictional history. And we haven’t seen the last of him, either…

New Zealand: AKA Middle Earth

LOTR has to be congratulated for its special effects, amongst many other things. Watch Fellowship of the Ring again and focus on the CGI. These are top notch graphics - despite being filmed in 2001, LOTR could still pass as a movie filmed on a trillion dollar budget this year. The technology in the film is astronomical, as are the costumes and locations. Filmed in New Zealand, LOTR’s Middle Earth is nothing short of beautiful. From the rolling hills and countryside meadows of The Shire to the enormous city Minas Tirith, and even inside the deathly, rocky terrain of Mordor, the sets are one hundred percent believable and are actually, for the most part, real places. With The Hobbit also filming in New Zealand, mostly on the same sets, I’ve no doubt it will be equally pleasing to the eye. Wondering how they managed to find so many extras? The New Zealand Army provided LOTR with hundreds of able bodied soldiers ready to form a mass of evil forces to take on our heroes.

Yet, the real draw of The Lord of the Rings isn’t the special effects or the action packed fight scenes. It’s the story and the incredible journey that these characters go on. As Frodo learns, even the most seemingly insignificant person can change the entire course of history.

If you haven’t seen the Lord of the Rings, I truly implore you to do so. Yes, at 3 hours each (at least 3 and a half if you’re watching the extended editions), LOTR is a long story, and it makes no apologies for that. Quite rightly so, too. Your emotional investment in the characters is essential to the storytelling and I assure you, before long you will already have your favourite character and will be dying to experience what happens next. There’s just never a dull moment. You and your other half can enjoy a chilled out movie weekend with this epic trilogy as its focus. The story is nothing short of epic, tear jerking, heart warming and uplifting, and the movies will keep you guessing right up to the end. I’m very much looking forward to The Hobbit and I’m hugely confident that Peter Jackson can pull off yet another legendary cinematic masterpiece.

Bilbo Baggins is about to embark on an Unexpected Journey

The Lord of the Rings: The Extended Editions are now available on DVD and Blu-Ray
The Hobbit Part One: An Unexpected Journey will be released on 14th December 2012
The Hobbit Part Two: There and Back Again will be released on 13th December 2013

By Dean Johnstone


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Email me: dean.james.johnstone@hotmail.com