***The Following is a Review of the 208-minute Extended Version of the Film***
Set in a fictional ancient world known as Middle Earth, the film revolves around a young hobbit who inherits a ring from his uncle where a wizard realizes it is the ring created by the dark demon known as Sauron. There, the wizard, a hobbit along with three other hobbits, a dwarf, an elf, and two men go on a journey to Sauron’s homeland of Mordor to bring the ring to its land and destroy it. It is a story that is part of an immense epic that follows different creatures who venture on a quest to vanquish evil finally just as Sauron is set to return and destroy everything that is good. The first story is about a hobbit who is given this ring as he would accidentally wear the ring as he realizes its power and why so many want it. Yet, there are those who would become part of the fellowship who have their own reasons for not wanting to carry this ring as well as his own reasons for why he has abandoned his role in becoming king for one of the last free countries of Middle Earth.
The film’s screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens opens with a prologue about life in Middle Earth where rings of power were given to the races of men, elves, and dwarves only to realize that the dark lord Sauron (Sala Baker) has created one ring to rule over everyone in Middle Earth. It would lead into a war where men and elves formed an alliance to fight Sauron and his forces where a prince in Isildur (Harry Sinclair) severs Sauron’s hand but chooses to keep Sauron’s ring until it would be lost following an ambush years after the battle. Then it would be in the hands of a creature known as Gollum (Andy Serkis) who would keep it for centuries until it abandoned him where it would be in the hands of a hobbit in Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). The prologue sets up the stakes as well as what Bilbo’s nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) must destroy by going to Mordor and its volcano in Mount Doom where the ring was created. The first act is set 60 years after the events in which Bilbo found the ring as there is a birthday celebration for him where the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan) visits him. The celebration would be notable for Bilbo disappearing where Gandalf discovered that Bilbo has a ring that Bilbo found many years ago where Bilbo reluctantly gives the ring to Frodo. Gandalf would then discover that the ring is the one ring created by Sauron after Frodo reads the inscriptions after it was on fire.
Part of the first act has Frodo being accompanied by his best friend Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) and later joined by hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) as they to evade Sauron’s rangers in the Nazgul. After meeting a ranger named Strider (Viggo Mortensen) who takes them to Rivendell where the fellowship is formed that would include Gandalf, the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Boromir (Sean Bean) of Gondor to go to Mordor and destroy the ring. The fellowship would be challenged by many forces including a new army of orcs in the Uruk-hai created by the wizard Saruman who had turned on Gandalf and aligned himself with Sauron. Even as Frodo becomes tempted by the power of the ring as is Boromir who wants the ring for his home of Gondor that is threatened by Mordor. Yet, the fellowship would go through obstacles with Strider revealed to be Aragorn who is a descendant of Isildur and the rightful heir to Gondor’s throne.
Jackson’s direction is grand as it is shot on location in New Zealand along with some scenes shot in studios in New Zealand. Jackson goes for a varying degree of styles in the direction through some wide and medium shots for a scope of the locations. Notably in scenes involving the mountains, rivers, and valleys as they function as characters into the film where it plays into the richness of Middle Earth with the Shire as this peaceful and isolated world of hobbits that very few outsiders visit. It is a direct contrast to other parts of Middle Earth such as the world of the elves in the forest where the elf-queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) lives in a Mordor where orcs and other dark creatures settle in as they get ready for war. The usage of aerial shots of the locations along with some intimate moments where Gandalf interacts with hobbits are unique as the usage of trick photography and visual effects do add a sense of wonderment into the film. Jackson also puts in some humor as it relates to the adventure that balances the suspense and drama throughout the film.
Jackson’s approach to some of the intimate moments such as a sequence where the fellowship of the ring are in the Mines of Moria as Frodo copes with being the one to carry the ring as the dialogue plays into Tolkien’s words about the choices everyone must make. Even choices that are the most difficult to endure as it would lead to some intense fight and action scenes. The usage of wide and crane shots are immense in its scale that includes the fellowship running from a demonic monster in Balrog. The third act in which the fellowship go to the elvish land of Lothlorien as they deal with their own struggles and encounters with the orcs. In the extended version of the film, in its 208-minute running time that expands 30 additional minutes from the theatrical release, where characters are fleshed out more such as Boromir who struggles with wanting to fulfill the wishes of his father as well as the need for something better where he sees Aragorn as the leader Gondor needs. Overall, Jackson crafts an astonishing and riveting film about a group of different creatures going on a quest to destroy a ring of evil to its land of darkness.
Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its unique color grading and look for some of the exterior scenes at the Shire and Lothlorien as well as some of the usage of light for the scenes in the mines and caves as well as the usage of blue light for scenes set at night. Editor John Gilbert does excellent work with the editing in the usage of slow-motion cuts as well as fast-cuts for some of the action along with moments in the drama and suspense where shots are allowed to last more than a minute. Production designer Grant Major, with set decorator/supervising art director Dan Hennah and set decorator/conceptual designer Alan Lee, does amazing work with the look of the sets, with additional help from co-conceptual designer John Howe, in how the homes at the Shire are presented as well as the world of the elves and Mordor including Saurman’s tower at Isengard. Costume designers Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor do brilliant work with the costumes in the clothes the elves wear as well as the armor that Aragorn, Boromir, and Gimli wear, and the look of the armor that the orcs wear.
Hair and makeup designers Peter Swords King and Peter Owen do fantastic work with the look of the characters, with additional help from John Howe and Alan Lee, as well as the design and look of the orcs including the Uruk-hai. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel does great work with the visual effects in the mixture of practical effects in the look of the orcs as well as the look of the demonic figure Balrog and the motion-capture look of Gollum. Sound designers David Farmer, Michael Semanick, and Ethan Van der Ryn, along with sound editor Michael Hopkins, do superb work in the sound as the way swords and flying arrows sound as well as the way monsters sound as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Howard Shore is phenomenal for its orchestral score that is filled with unique themes through woodwinds as well as bombastic orchestral themes for some of the action and suspense as it is an absolute highlight of the film.
The casting by Victoria Burrows, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Liz Mullane, and Ann Robinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sarah McLeod as a hobbit barmaid in Rosie Cotton whom Sam has a crush on, Bret McKenzie as an elf escort in Figwit, Marton Csokas as an elvish elder in Celebron, Craig Parker as an elvish military leader in Haldir, Sala Baker as the dark lord Sauron, Alan Howard as the voice of the ring and Sauron, Bret McIntyre as the head Nazgul leader in the Witch King of Angmar, Harry Sinclair as Isildur, Lawrence Makoare as the Uruk-hai leader Lurtz, and Andy Serkis in a brief appearance as the creature Gollum and the voice of the Witch King of Angmar. Ian Holm is terrific as Frodo’s uncle Bilbo Baggins who had possession of the ring as he dealt with wanting a chance to leave the Shire for an adventure and complete his book while expressing regret about what Frodo must endure in destroying the ring. Liv Tyler is fantastic as Elrond’s daughter Arwen, who is Aragorn’s lover, as she would help Frodo go to Rivendell following his encounter with the Nazgul as she also gives Aragorn a gift for the journey he will take.
Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett are excellent in their respective roles as the elvish leaders Elrond and Galadriel as the former is an elf leader who saw what Isildur did in keeping the ring while he laments over Aragorn and Arwen’s relationship. Blanchett’s performance as Galadriel is graceful as a woman who admits to be tempted by the ring during her conversation with Frodo as she is aware of its powers and would give Frodo a gift for the journey. Christopher Lee is brilliant as the wizard Saruman who has turned evil and aligned himself with Sauron where he would create a new race of orcs that are more powerful than the orcs at Mordor. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are amazing in their respective roles as Merry and Pippin as two mischievous hobbits who join Frodo and Sam in the quest as they deal with the danger of the quest while learning how to fight with swords. John Rhys-Davies and Orlando Bloom are incredible in their respective roles as the dwarf Gimli and the elf Legolas as two mismatched members of the fellowship with Rhys-Davies providing a lot of wit as a dwarf who is strong and cunning while Bloom brings a level of finesse and expert marksmanship as an elf who is the straight man of the two.
Sean Bean is marvelous as Boromir as the son of Gondor’s steward who joins the fellowship where he is tempted by the ring where he struggles to do what is right while becoming protective of Merry and Pippin whom he would befriend as well as Aragorn whom he hopes would take on the role as King of Gondor. Sean Astin is remarkable as Samwise Gamgee, who is Frodo’s best friend and the film’s conscience, where Gandalf asks him not to leave Frodo where he helps Frodo on the journey while providing some witty comments during the film. Ian McKellan is great as the wizard Gandalf the Grey who learns about the ring Bilbo had been carrying for years as he also joins the fellowship as a magical figure who can deal with Saruman from afar. Viggo Mortensen is phenomenal as Strider/Aragorn as a ranger, who is also Isildur’s heir, who helps the hobbits in dealing with the Nazgul as he would join the fellowship where he also deals with the temptation of the ring that plays into his own reluctance to be King of Gondor. Finally, there’s Elijah Wood in a sensational performance as Frodo Baggins as a hobbit who is given the ring where he would accidentally wear the ring as he struggles with its powers and the task he must play.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a spectacular film by Peter Jackson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, rich visuals, a gripping story of temptation and the need to bring good into the world, Howard Shore’s majestic music score, and top-notch technical work. It is a film that is not just this exhilarating fantasy-adventure film but also a film that explores different people going on a quest to vanquish evil and bring good to the world. In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a tremendous film by Peter Jackson.
Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) – (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) – (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together) – The Beatles: Get Back
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