Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen)
You may have heard of this movie. Or perhaps the book.
Written decades ago by author J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring has been one of those novels that has always begged to be adapted to the big screen, but has been the most daunting of tasks not because of Tolkien's exhaustively descriptive style, but because, in writing the book, he created so many different worlds, there hadn't been a palpable budget (or interest or, dare we say, need..?) to attempt the feat for decades. With its undertones of war and religion, perhaps its release in 2001 is either ironic or very well-timed.
With Rings, Peter Jackson, New Zealand director extraordinaire, doesn't just give modern audiences a sufficient rendering of a classic novel, he makes a classic himself. He's like an excited, giddy painter who has just worked with an endless canvas of possibilities, and the results are captivating. He hits just the right tone and mood here by jumping into the material with both hairy feet, which is, after all, the only way to do it. I saw the first screening of the film last night, and I'll say this: it is serious but intent, and certainly at no point causes any unintentional laughter -- which is certainly a strong possibility when playing to that first, hyper-critical audience who have waited for months or years to see it.
The film is an imaginative and creative work revolving around a halfling (half the size of a man) named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a "hobbit" whose fate is inexorably linked to a powerful ring forged centuries ago by the Dark Lord, Sauron. It is eventually uncovered by Frodo's eccentric uncle Bilbo, who holds onto the ring for 60 years. The ring is enchanting but misleading, and before leaving his home for good, Gandalf the wizard (Ian McKellen) urges Bilbo to part with it. Just as the evil forces of Mordor are awakening, Bilbo's unwitting nephew Frodo becomes the new Ring-Bearer and sets off on a quest to save the races of Middle-Earth from unspeakable danger. Along the way, he is joined by his trusty sidekick Sam (Sean Astin), a ranger from a former line of kings named Strider (Viggo Mortensen), hobbit friends Merry and Pippin (Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd), a dwarf named Gimli (John Rhys Davies), Legolas Greenleaf, an elf with a flair for archery (Orland Bloom), and Boromir, a man whose noble actions may not be able to overcome the frailties of the human soul (Sean Bean -- will someone please, please, please give this guy a good guy role for a change?). Rounding out the encounters are Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett as elves and sorceresses who seem to be helping the fellowship for the good of higher intentions.
The pace is spot on throughout the feature, dripping with stunning action sequences, fantastical villages, awe-inspiring landscapes and gasp-worthy settings. I was completely swept to another time and place in this feature, and these days, with movie effects the way they are, that's a hard thing to accomplish. But it also features welcome moments of levity and wit, charm and romance, nobility and heart.
On a technical level, it is unmatched. Right from its crystal clear introduction, it boasts a steady onslaught of magnificent and sweeping camera angles that would be the envy of any filmmaker. While I can't arbitrarily say the movie is necessarily for everyone, I will say that, other than an array of proper names that would undoubtedly make a Tolkien novice confused, Lord of the Rings is extremely tight and acutely aware of what events are essential. It mercifully pares away a great deal of the unneccessary first 200 pages of the novel that are expository and nothing more. The movie hits just the right length too; perhaps even a little on the short side.
The casting is inspired. Elijah Wood is superb as Frodo Baggins, providing wide-eyed revelations in almost every scene, but lending a heroic underdog charm that, in these kinds of movies, is certainly easier said than done. The commanding Ian McKellen is spectacular in all of his scenes as the wise wizard, Gandalf. He has to provide a lot of the historical, magical, and organizational roles, but when it counts, he packs a mean punch too. As Sam, I never thought I would admit that Sean Astin gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling and makes me smile, but there you have it. Ian Holm makes a wonderfully ambiguous Bilbo, and the rest of the gang are exquisitely well cast.
Even the score of this epic is excellent, providing haunting, booming choirs as hand-to-hand combat occurs, or as the weary group of nine winds its way over hill, land, sea, and snow. There are a couple of battles with orcs that are too wild to describe, including an agile cave troll and a giant, Braveheart super-orc who's one bad mutha. And at every step of the way, the breathtaking visuals enforce its believability, even in the most outrageous of scenes.
It says a lot about The Fellowship of the Ring that I still want to go on typing about its merits, and feel I could probably never quite do it justice. I had a great time marveling at this blockbuster that is ambitious, grandiose and daring all at once. I've been giving out 5 star ratings like candy ever since I started this website, but I had yet to give a 5 star rating to a movie released in 2001. A movie like The Lord of the Rings is precisely the reason. It towers over all of this year's offerings, if you'll pardon the pun. Not only can I not wait for the second movie to come out, I can't wait to see the first one again as soon as possible. Like the ring itself, the film beckons, and demands to be heard.
