| And in the darkened theatre bind them
REVIEW
LORD OF THE RINGS:
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
Starring Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood
Directed by Peter Jackson
Now showing
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J.R.R. Tolkien may have passed away in 1973, but his creative legacy of Middle-Earth lives on.
Now, almost 50 years after it was penned, the first tale in his Lord of the Rings trilogy has been brought to life on the big screen, a monumental task for director Peter Jackson, and a challenge to sci-fi fantasy nerds everywhere to re-read the written works and approach this film armed with all their knowledge and skepticism. As an avid fan of the books, I have to admit that the characters and places depicted in the film appear much as they did in my own mind’s eye, from the lush green comfort of the Hobbit’s shire, to the unspeakable horrors of Mordor, to the ancient elegance of the Elven abode at Rivendell, where the fellowship of the nine is formed and dispatched.
Jackson’s attention to the finest detail in costume and architecture is pure eye candy, although these same nuances tend to become blurred as the action whisks us from one plot development to the next. Like Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Fellowship of the Ring opens with a massive battle scene that veritably flies by from a mid-melee perspective – this scene alone is well worth the price of admission.
To set the tone for the tale, a recap of the forging, loss and rediscovery of The One Ring is provided, as told in The Hobbit. The devoted may say that Jackson strayed from the true path for the sake of cinematic effect – he trumps up one of the few female roles in order to enhance the element of romantic involvement between Arwen the Evenstar (Liv Tyler) and Aragorn/Strider (Viggo Mortensen), and literally cuts to the chase as Frodo (Elijah Wood) and his amiably British Hobbit companions flee their beloved Shire pursued by the evil Ringwraiths. Throughout the three-hour movie it's apparent that we are viewing one man’s interpretation of the novels, and at times that vision seems a bit narrow. Still, we couldn’t have wished for a better Gandalf than the Shire-weed loving Ian McKellen, or a more graceful bows man than Legolas as portrayed by the dashing Orlando Bloom.
While the soundtrack goes all but unnoticed, the actual dialogue rarely strays from the original text, with the exception of the odd jibe thrown in for comic relief. I am happy to report that this is defiantly not a show for the kiddies – take them to see the Harry Potter movie instead. Even if you haven’t read the books as an adult (Read them! Read them now!), you are bound to be swept up by this gorgeous epic. In addition to brilliant casting, this work strikes a beautiful balance between the panoramic grandeur of nature, and cutting-edge special effects hotter than the fires of Mount Orodruin. |
