Reviewed by: Paul Towmay
There is a tendency in the “normal” world to approach films surrounded by enormous hype and Internet buzz with an understanding that you may well be disappointed. You brace yourself for what may seem the inevitable let down when you realise the best bits are in the trailer. When I walked into an advance screening of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring I did just that, lowering my expectations to soften the blow of another let down. How wrong I was!
To set the scene I must admit I am not a Tolkien fanatic nor do I really dig deep into the realm of fantasy, hence this review is in turn for the non-fantasy personality. When I heard the production was underway I picked up the book and battled my way through its awful writing style trying to picture what it may look like on the screen. Fortunately for Tolkien his imagination was enough to keep me bound to his novel and in turn increase my anxiety about the films themselves. My only problem was, how in the name of our good Lord could someone possibly turn this story into a worthwhile film?
The answer? Peter Jackson! Without a doubt the cinema world owes Jackson a great deal after he turned the unfilmable into, what I am about to argue is a historical cinematic event. The Film is a unique and ingenious balance of Tolkien's original story and the modern elements of film that are a necessity in any successful motion picture. Jackson has cut several characters and increased the roles of a few others, skipped some locations and shortened and extended scenes without ever deviating from the spirit of the original work. All these additions and cuts are nothing but masterstrokes that actually enhance the source material to something that can easily be argued as “better than the book”. You can see the pain and effort that has gone into every shot and sequence, the blood sweat and tears oozes out of the screen at you providing a grand experience, and they don't come any grander than this.
The story is in short about a Ring, the One Ruling Ring of Power that gives its wearer the power to enslave the world. In a strange twist of events spelled out in a dramatic prologue that eclipses the grand battles from Braveheart and Gladiator, the ring finds its way to a young Hobbit (small, hairy-footed creatures) name Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). When Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) discovers the Ring is indeed the One Ring he charges Frodo with a quest to destroy it. I could go on for another few pages about the plot, but instead I will let you discover that for yourself. Needless to say you can stay on the surface and simply watch the story unfold or you can delve deeper and deeper until you're surrounded by so much complexity you may even believe you're actually there.
The strongest aspect of this film that will set it apart from any other epic is its depiction of the Human condition. Unlike most epics that have clear good and bad guys this films tends to make an evil mix. Not everyone in our band of heroes is truly all for the quest to destroy the ring and falls short of being the ideal role model. The Corruption of the Human spirit is given its due in this film adding to the emotion and realism that flows from the screen. You can relate to each of these characters as real individuals with internal conflicts and emotions, a depth often lost in cinema. The final point to note too is this story is supposed to of taken place several thousand years ago on this earth, and with the force of the grand history and legend behind the story disbelief is easily suspended in a genre often criticised for its flimsy and unbelievable stories.
The casting is without a doubt the best I have ever seen in my lifetime, and for those who are fans of the novel, they don't feel like actors on screen at all. Ian McKellan is the standout for myself giving such depth to Grandalf in a truly all-round performance that makes even the strongest of characters in the past look one-dimensional. Elijah Wood as Frodo too gives the best performance of his career in what most consider the central character in the story; Wood is so convincing on screen it is hard to believe this is only a story. Whilst these two are standouts the rest of the cast still put forward some brilliant performances, with Sean Bean as Boromir most deserving of best supporting actor at the next round of awards.
Probably the weakest moment in the film comes surprisingly from Cate Blanchett as Galadriel and Liv Tyler as Arwen who seem utterly out of place in the grand scheme of things. This is certainly a shame too considering they are the only two female characters in the first film. They both play Elves and certainly look stunning, however the delivery of their lines may leave you too conscious of the fact that fantasy can sometimes seem to corny to be an adult pursuit. On the other hand they enter the film at appropriate moments and tend to allow the audience to wind down and resettle before the next climax.
Special mention must also go to the Cinematography and the Special Effects teams that worked on the film. The scenery is breathtaking and a fresh look, New Zealand was definitely the best choice of location. The Special effects work in seamlessly and mainly go unnoticed for the entire three hours. The Cave Troll and Balrog in the Mines of Moria sequence are truly monumental and make Star Wars look like an episode of Farscape.
A few people may find some trouble with the pace of the movie; surprisingly for a three-hour film the story moves form place-to-place and scene-to-scene faster than what you may be used to. There is the potential for the uninitiated to lose track of the plot and characters, best to simply enjoy the visuals of those points. Another pit-fall is in the format, obviously this is only the beginning and the rest is on the way, sometimes you may feel as if not much is happening besides going from one place to another. Hopefully in two years time it will all come together to make one hell of a good nights viewing.
All in All this film has all the appeal of a Hollywood blockbuster without any of their usual shortcomings. Beyond a doubt this film will be one of the most influential of this generation, and with two more instalments to come will go down as an incredible cinematic achievement. It is by no means perfect and will not be every man's cup of tea, then again nothing ever is. So whilst I rate this film as the best of all time, the best thing for you to do is to make up your own mind.
Special thanks to Movie - Vault
