This afternoon, I went to Middle Earth. (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (DVD))

Member Name: wyrdsister

Product:	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (DVD)
Date:	08/01/02 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great story, Superb cast, Fantastic photography

Disadvantages: needs your undivided attention

In my eyes, the magic of Hollywood has faded a long time ago and the art of story telling in cinema has been overshadowed by masses of special effects and instant thrills. So when I first heard the rumour that a live action movie of one of my favourite books was being made, I had shivers. When you hold a particular book close to your heart, I think you become quite possessive and you don’t want anything to be done to it. That’s how I feel anyway, and frankly, I was more than worried. When the trailers came about, I thought:” I looks good” but I had been disappointed before. Somehow, this time, I really didn’t want to be.

THE PLOT, for those who don’t know, follows that of the book closely even though a lot of changes have been made to adapt this classic to the screen. The story is set in a time now forgotten by the memory of Men, in a land called Middle Earth. Frodo Baggins, from a halfling race called the Hobbits, has come into possession of a magic ring, which renders its wearer invisible. Gandalf the Grey, a wizard and great friend of Frodo, realises that it is in fact the One Ring, forged by the ancient and evil Lord Sauron, who needs only to find it to conquer the world and destroy it. Gandalf urges Frodo to fly at once with the Ring, as it is no longer safe in the Shire. The Fellowship of the Ring tell of Frodo’s perilous journey to Rivendale, House of Elrond Halfelven where a fellowship of representatives of the Free Folk is assembled to aid him carry the Burden into Mordor where it may be destroyed, and then onto Amon Hen where the first part of the trilogy ends.
A lot has been omitted in this dramatisation, notably the planning behind Frodo’s departure or even Frodo and Sam’s meeting with the Elves on their way to Crickhollow. Also left out is the journey through the Old Forest and the narrow escape from the Barrow-Wight. Although these passages would have been helpful in becoming more acqu
ainted with the characters and their plight, they are not vital to the overall plot and their omission can therefore be understood. Some elements have been added, the most important being Arwen’s involvement. But on reflection, the changes make sense and are in line with the spirit of the book.

THE FILM is a cinematographic achievement. The photography is superb and illustrator Alan Lee’s obvious influence on design is beautifully incorporated into director Peter Jackson’s native New Zealand landscape to bring to life the mythical world of Middle Earth. The special effects are excellent and the CGI goes almost unnoticed. What is more important is that they support the story without overpowering it. The size of the hobbits, for instance, is crucial and it is flawlessly executed (be it done by computers or clever filming angles).
The pacing is superb. But be warned, it is fast and relentless: there isn’t an idle moment in this movie. It mirrors beautifully the sense of danger and pursuit felt by the characters. You really feel that there can be no peace for Frodo and his companions.
With the limitation imposed, there is little time to build the characters and I think Jackson manages to go around that problem by bringing together a strong and, if I might add, perfect cast for his movie. All the actors are likable and fit into their characters like a glove. Ian McKellen is excellent in his role as Gandalf, one of the most complex characters, more powerful and alien than most would believe yet very human and caring. Elijah Wood gives a strong performance as Frodo. The emotional evolution of the character is very well executed and very gripping. It seems only just that Ian Holmes should play good-humoured Bilbo (he had played Frodo in the Radio 4 dramatisation of the Lord of the Rings). He portrays his struggle against the Ring subtly, never appearing ridiculous. Viggo Mortensen plays the heir of Isuldur convincingly, conveying wi
th skill the character's feelings and quiet dignity. The most surprising performance came from Sean Beam as Boromir of Gondor, who was more than competant in the role, his struggle against the desire to steal the Ring is well executed and remains suttle. The Elves feel alien, they speak with different intonations and in their own language, created from Tolkien's work for the film. Hugo Weaving would not have been a first choice for Elrond but strangely enough, I can’t now seem to think of anyone better suited for the part. As for the High Elves such as Galadriel (Cate Blanchet), they are plain scary. Overall the casting is inspired and I have no doubt that Orlando Bloom (Legolas) and John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) will have the opportunity to further develop their characters during the course of the next two chapters of this trilogy. The Ring also comes across as a real entity and its personality becomes more evident with every interaction with the characters.

Jackson’s love of the books is obvious when you see this movie. There is a lot of care gone into making this a character-based dramatisation. The fight scenes are impressive by their realism yet not overpowering. Jackson manages to brilliantly convey on the screen the sense of oppression and fear that you find in the book. The emotions and frailty of the characters are fabulously portrayed and well conveyed to the audience. Having read the books, I know how it all ends but I still felt frightened for the characters, I still felt sad with them. You can’t beat that.

Although the film is rated PG, I feel it is not really suitable for a younger audience: there is a lot going on and a lot to assimilate in order to fully understand the story. The ending might have benefited by adding that there is more to come: I feel people who have no prior knowledge of the books might find it confounding. I would suggest that reading the books or getting acquainted with Tolkien’s wor
k might enhance your viewing experience.

So, as you can see, I wasn’t disappointed. There are those who will protest that it isn’t the book, and they would be right, but it has to be said that three hours isn’t enough time to film The Fellowship of The Rings as was written. Jackson manages to keep faithful to the structure and the spirit of this first part of Tolkien’s famous trilogy and brings to the screen a wonderful and passionate film. This afternoon I went to Middle Earth, I saw Elves, Hobbits, magic rings, wizards and great battles. It felt so real.

Summary: