Reviewing - The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is the greatest film trilogy of all time.
The Best: Return of the King
The Worst: Not Applicable
Based on the pop culture phenomenon and literary masterpiece penned by J.R.R. Tolkien, this series of films achieved excellence in every aspect of their production. With iconic characters and lines that have since become immortal, this is an unforgettable journey the likes of which the world has not seen before or since. In a sense, it defies its own categorization – each film in the trilogy was shot back-to-back-to-back, and the book it was based on was intended by its author to be one complete narrative. It’s one story, told across three films. Even the best examples of other film trilogies typically begin with a self-sufficient movie whose success led to the development of a sequel and then a third climactic movie. This trilogy is not like other trilogies in that it does not set out to tell three interconnected stories, but rather one grand sweeping story so epic in scale that one film simply could not contain it.
I never watched these films in theatres, and for that I am sorry. I was too young for orcs and goblins when this trilogy first came out. It is likely that I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate much of the film’s beauty back then, although I remember my dad gave me glimpses of the Battle of Helm’s Deep when he felt I was ready. It was a mind-blowing spectacle that gripped my imagination, and it couldn’t have been much longer after that when I opened up a box at Christmastime that contained the Extended Edition DVD Box Set of the entire trilogy.
To that end, I don’t think my first viewing of The Lord of the Rings was at home on a couch, either. For whatever reason, my earliest recollection of watching these films involves me sitting in the backseat of the family van during a long road trip, with a little portable DVD player on my lap. It’s hard to believe that this was my first true experience in Middle Earth, but I honestly don’t remember an earlier case. Perhaps it’s fitting that I’d take in such a drawn-out cinematic journey while on a journey of my own.
I love everything about this trilogy. The plot, score, special effects, costumes, characters, and actors all contribute something really special to make this an incredible moment in the history of cinema. If it weren’t for the fact that younger audiences will have a hard time getting on board due to the length and scary imagery, I’d probably declare this the greatest cinematic event of all time. So without any further meandering, let’s get right into it.
The Fellowship of the Ring
In which second breakfast is not celebrated
I read the Lord of the Rings books long after watching the movies – and I know people always say ‘the books are better’, but MAN – the movie is way better in this case when it comes to the prologue. Fellowship’s prologue is long, drawn-out, and filled with names of people you’ve never heard of. It’s a shaky start to an otherwise thoroughly engrossing story. The movie, on the other hand, keeps its focus and gets you into the heart of the story as soon as possible. Sure, we don’t meet Frodo until at least ten minutes have gone by, but the movie kicks off by focusing on the rings of power. The narrator Galadriel tells us who made the ring, why it’s important, and shows us how it ended up in the hands of Frodo’s uncle Bilbo. She does this while giving us glimpses of exciting battles, important character-defining moments, and portents of what’s yet to come. She plunges you headfirst into Middle Earth, but does it so gracefully that you don’t drown.
The one thing I found myself having to get used to was Elijah Wood’s acting style. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but there’s something incredibly earnest and naïve about his performance that seems uncharacteristic of modern cinema. Of course Frodo’s supposed to be young and innocent, but Wood leans into this so heavily that I actually found myself thinking that it might be a bit too much. By the end of the film I’m on board, but I definitely noticed in the beginning that the wide-eyed heart-on-his-sleeve act seemed a bit...off. I don’t know. Maybe that’s just me.
The rest of the actors are all terrific. Each character is iconic in their own way – and they each continue to get fully fleshed out over the course of the trilogy. One major advantage that these films have over their descendant trilogy “The Hobbit” is that the characters of the Fellowship vary in race and thereby vary in motivation. Peter Jackson worked hard to differentiate the dwarves of Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit, but at the end of the day they’re all just here to take back Erebor with little to distinguish them from each other. Here, each character has their own reasons for being on the quest – and their own perspective on how the quest should unfold. Boromir wants to take the ring to Gondor to help his people. There’s tension between him and Aragorn, who by rights should be the future king of Gondor. Gimli and Legolas are both representing their people, but their two races are currently arch-rivals, which leads to tension between them regularly. Frodo and Sam are obviously our two major Hobbits who first began this quest, but they’re starkly different from the other Hobbits Merry and Pippin in that the latter two really come in without a clue of what’s going on. They serve as comic relief often throughout the trilogy – though they grow in their own ways too. Then there’s Gandalf, who’s an absolute legend. This trilogy is packed with immortal quips and one-liners thrown out by these characters, and it’s hard not to love each and every one of them.
The music is incredible throughout the trilogy, but I’ll talk briefly about it now as we get started – it’s the best. Howard Shore has received praise without ending for his compositions for this trilogy. He has so many motifs and musical cues that are woven into key moments throughout the films. The theme of the Shire is perhaps the most iconic and recognizable, and every time it plays, you can’t help but think of the fields and little rivers near Bag End. Every time, it brings you back to Bilbo’s eleventy-first birthday, and it’s beautiful. The theme for the Fellowship is rousing and adventurous, and the orc theme is brutal and fearsome. All through the films, he utilizes these themes to deepen the meaning of impact of a particular moment. I listen to movie soundtrack music when I’m writing creatively, but I can never listen to Lord of the Rings music because Howard Shore has just done too good of a job linking his music with the film’s characters. It’s impossible to separate each character from their theme, so I can’t listen to the music without thinking about them. He nailed it!
As I’ve really dived into reviewing books and movies this year, I’ve discovered that I am an absolute sucker for practical effects. Any time a movie shows me something fantastical yet fully realized with animatronics, puppetry, prosthetics, or anything that’s actually onscreen with the actors, I love it. I find that the actors always have an easier time interacting with whatever the fantastical thing is. I remember films like Garfield where actors were forced to pretend to hold, pet, or fight with animated animals that weren’t really there, and it definitely showed. There’s something that just looks fake about it, even considering that animation has advanced by leaps and bounds. In The Hobbit, when the dwarves are fighting against hordes of goblins, the fact that the goblins were animated totally removed the sense of danger from the scene for me. As good as the animation is, it’s not yet at the point where I don’t notice it’s animated.
All that is to say that I loved the movie magic that takes place in Lord of the Rings. The orcs are certifiably terrifying, for one thing. They’re big, hulking, flesh-and-blood brutes with savage teeth and ugly iron armour. They’re literally pulled out from the ground in hellish embryo-like sacs, and then they go around roaring and trying to kill people. And it’s all real, happening right before your eyes. When the orcs charge at our heroes, you feel the tension because the costuming and prosthetics are so believable. And that’s just the orcs. The way Jackson used little people actors as doubles for all of our short characters (Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry, and Gimli) is nothing short of a movie miracle. You never question the fact that Elijah Wood is four feet tall because Jackson’s team has used so much to make it look natural. Forced perspective, stand-in doubles, and a plethora of creative tricks all work together to make this impossibility as natural as breathing. Scenes like the one where Gandalf hits his head on Bilbo’s ceiling while Bilbo walks happily through the same hall uninterrupted are the stuff that movies are made for. It’s this kind of storytelling that just can’t be done any other way. There’s nothing wrong with CGI every now and then – the cave troll likely would not have worked with the same speed or power if it had been an animatronic – but I think modern filmmakers should always look to practical effects when they can. It makes your world that much richer and more immersive.
Pretty much everything I’ve said thus far can be said about the entire trilogy, so let’s get into the cool parts of this movie in particular. The Shire is positively magical; every second spent in that environment is an absolute delight. The colours are so alive and vibrant, just like the hobbits that inhabit the adorable little neighbourhood. It’s the kind of place you want to retire in or head to for a weekend getaway. Even the extras are unforgettable, from the scowling curmudgeon who can’t help but chuckle at Gandalf’s early fireworks to the wide-eyed little sweetheart listening to Bilbo’s tall tale of the three monstrous trolls. If there was ever a theme park for Lord of the Rings, the Shire would be my first stop without question.
Merry and Pippin are instantly lovable characters, from their fireworks misadventure to their infamous ‘second breakfast’ conversation. They provide a helpful dose of laughter to brighten up moments that might otherwise be too weighed down with the scene’s own sense of self-importance. But between Sam and Frodo, Sam steals the show almost instantaneously with his unwavering and fearless loyalty to his companion. This immortal exchange perfectly sums up Sam’s entire character:
Frodo: (melodramatically sitting in a boat) Go back, Sam. I’m going to Mordor alone. Sam: (literally inches from drowning himself) Of course you are. And I’m coming with you!
What a legend!
Leaving the Hobbits behind, there’s Boromir to contend with as one of the most complex characters in the trilogy. What’s great about Boromir is that in the span of one movie, he has a rich and impactful story arc that is satisfyingly resolved by the end of the film. His last words onscreen hit the audience with emotion and poignance, and that’s because the filmmakers have done such a good job showing us both sides of his character. Boromir is arrogant, stubborn, and clouded by a lust for the ring – but he is also fearless, loyal, and wise. He’s not a character that you love to hate or hate to love – he’s too complicated for such a simple categorization. The most fitting title for Boromir I can think of would be ‘total boss’. That has a nice ring to it…even if Boromir doesn’t. That was a really bad ring pun.
The level of excellence achieved by this film only continues with The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Although it was this trilogy’s final chapter that earned all the Academy Awards (and I do mean ALL of them), I think the first two films were intentionally under-represented because they didn’t want the trilogy to dominate the awards ceremonies for three years in a row. I would not have complained.
Bring on The Two Towers!
The Two Towers
In which meat comes back on the menu
Helm’s Deep is likely the greatest cinematic battle in history.
Way before that happens, though, this movie starts us off by giving us something incredibly special: a look at the fight between Gandalf and the Balrog. Honestly, that shot where the two emerge falling from a dark downward chasm into a massive open cavern gives me chills every time. It’s absolutely epic, and it’s only been like three minutes (if that).
Once the movie really gets started, it treats us to a whole bunch of terrific moments where characters get on each other’s nerves or egg each other on. There’s Sam’s po-ta-toes bit, Legolas and Gimli’s one-ups-manship, and the wonderful scenes where Merry and Pippin interact with the mighty Treebeard. All of it builds up to this one incredible battle between Saruman’s Uruk-hai and the free people under King Theoden. It’s an action sequence filled with impressive sets, thrilling score, awe-inspiring stunts (Legolas’ shield-surfing bit is cinematically immortal), and emotional weight. You can have a blockbuster battle in your film, but unless there’s dramatic tension – unless your characters stand to lose something – the battle won’t feel exciting. What’s great about this battle is the way they continually juxtapose the horror of the Uruk-hai with the simple people of Rohan. There’s shots of kids suiting up for war that impact you deeply, as well as the shots of the women and infants in caves listening to the sounds of battle outside. It’s scary stuff – especially because you’ve already seen the Uruk-hai storm a village earlier on in the film. You know that a lot of people can (and likely will) die. The stakes are high, and that’s what makes it exciting.
Apparently there’s some deleted footage Jackson shot where Arwen participates in the battle of Helm’s Deep, and MAN – I would spend some hard-earned cash for that extended cut. Arwen is honestly a very minor character in Tolkien’s original books, but I love the emphasis that the filmmakers placed on her here. I just wanna see Arwen and Aragorn fighting back-to-back against an army of orcs! Why on earth did they get rid of that?!
Right behind Helm’s Deep in terms of epic-ness is the assault on Isengard. The moment the trees decide to go to war is the stuff that movies are made for. Where else can you watch an army of trees march towards an evil wizard while a drum-filled backing track plays? Treebeard’s voice, once so friendly and wise, now becomes dark and imposing as he declares this “the last march of the Ents”. The fight is super fun to watch, in part because it’s so creative. You’ve got orcs trying to cut the trees down with axes, or trying to set them on fire. And THEN you get the bit where the river rushes in and a flaming Ent douses himself to put the fire out. Brilliant! What’s not to love about that?
This film also gives us a formal introduction to one of the trilogy’s most notorious characters – Gollum. Gollum is a character that defies convention. Is he adorable or is he revolting? Is he naïve or is he sinister? The duality of the character is something that Andy Serkis masterfully executes. When he’s Smeagol, he’s all-in on the innocence and youthfulness of his personality. When he’s Gollum, he cranks the evil up to eleven AND makes his every move appear threatening. Gollum is such a complicated role to play, but Serkis makes it look easy. Whereas many bad guys are one or the other, Gollum is both the villain you love to hate and hate to love.
Sam’s speech at the end of the film is one for the ages. It’s not just that the words are beautiful or that the soundtrack makes everything he says even more meaningful, but the way his words are intermingled with shots of the conclusion of Helm’s Deep just hits you right in the feels. Sam and Frodo don’t even know what their friends are going through, but Sam is speaking with faith that things are going to be okay. Even though they can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is hope and victory that is already growing. Wow! Beautiful!
Not even the battle of Minas Tirith in Return of the King can compete with the historic precedent set by Helm’s Deep, but that’s okay, because there’s so much more ahead than just a few fight scenes. It all comes together in the next film, and I can’t wait to get there.
Return of the King
In which Sam says “let it go” without bursting into song
Not only is Sam the true hero of this trilogy, he’s also one of the greatest cinematic characters of all time.
This was a thrilling and emotional conclusion to a brilliant trio of movies. There’s so much that deserves attention. The battle of Minas Tirith is jaw-dropping. I know I said that Helm’s Deep was the best battle scene of all time, but boy, this is one incredible siege. You’ve got Grond, the ugly orc general, the Oliphaunts, the Nazgul, the “I-am-no-man-and-I’m-gonna-stab-you-in-the-face-now” bit, the ghost army…and so on and so forth. It’s a show-stopping battle. And every step of the way, it’s super exciting and packed with great character interactions. That ugly orc boss was particularly terrific. He’s absolutely hideous in the best way possible. And the charge of the Rohirrim?! Breathtaking. That never gets old.
Then there’s Shelob and the whole sequence in her tunnels. There has never been an arachnid so grotesque or revolting as Shelob, the spawn of the wicked Ungoliant. I learned about Shelob’s predecessor when reading Tolkien’s Silmarillion, and I can honestly say that the apple did not fall far from the tree. Shelob is every bit as horrifying as I would’ve imagined Ungoliant to be when reading that book earlier this year. The sounds that they gave her and her movements are wholly unsettling. She is a huge part of the reason that kids should not be watching this thing. Shelob is messed up enough to give the parents nightmares, as Simon Masrani from Jurassic World would say. It was amazing watching Sam do battle with the beast at the end of that sequence. You can’t not love Sam. He’s the best.
On that note, let’s talk about Sam for a second. This guy quite literally carries the climactic sequence of the trilogy. The scenes where he and Frodo are walking through Mordor together are heartbreaking and inspiring. Sam never gives up. No matter how bad things get – and boy, do they get bad – he’s always ready to take one more step. More than that, he’s always supporting Frodo; giving him the last of his water, encouraging him, and reminding him of what they’re fighting for. The scene where he picks Frodo up still makes me cry every time. Knowing that Tolkien fought as a soldier in World War I makes this scene even more impactful, because he likely saw moments of heroism like this in real life on more than one occasion. The brotherhood that Frodo and Sam share is so similar to the relationship brothers-in-arms have had in times of war.
People subsequently knock on Frodo a lot for being a wimp in this trilogy, and I suppose some of those concerns are valid. But on the other hand, Frodo is the one who had to carry the ring the whole way. I think the main idea is that Frodo’s burden was unlike any other. If Sam had been chosen to carry the ring and if Frodo had been selected as his companion, I think it’s reasonable to assume it would have worked out more or less the same way. Frodo may not have earned the admiration of fans in the same way that Sam did, but that’s because their roles were very different.
I think it’s so interesting that from a narrative standpoint, Frodo didn’t drop the ring into Mount Doom himself. Stories usually end with the triumph of a character unwilling to quit. Think of the original Star Wars film, for instance. What if Luke had failed to use the Force in the end? Or what if Simba had relinquished his right to the throne and let Scar stay king at the end of The Lion King? The film would kind of collapse on itself. But here, I think Tolkien (and Jackson) make a powerful statement. Frodo’s come all this way, and though Sam’s helped him out a lot, Frodo also has a lot to be proud of. Frodo made some of the key decisions that were vital to getting him to Mount Doom in the first place, and even when he had no strength left on the side of the mountain, he continued to try and drag himself up. He’s no Sam, but he’s no weakling either. But now, here at the end of all things, Frodo clams up and decides to keep the ring for himself. Why would they do that? Wouldn’t it have been better for Frodo to battle his temptation, defeat it, and drop the ring?
I view the ring kind of like the personification of temptation, and to that end, I think it makes sense that Frodo couldn’t drop the ring. I don’t believe humans are capable of truly vanquishing the evil within us. I don’t think we can make ourselves sinless or immune to temptation if we work hard enough. Coming from a Christian standpoint, I think the only thing that can free us from our sins and temptations is Jesus. So it makes sense to me, then, that Frodo couldn’t let go of the ring. But what’s great about this scene is that it will likely mean something else to someone else. If you don’t come from a Christian background, you probably have another theory for why he couldn’t let it go. Tolkien was deliberately ambiguous in certain thematic elements of his trilogy, and this allows us to extrapolate our own meaning from it. I think that’s pretty cool.
Let’s change gears for a second, because I want to talk about the oliphaunt in the room. People are always making jokes (and they’re not always jokes) about how Sam and Frodo are or should be a gay couple. Regardless of where you stand on homosexuality and LGBTQ rights, I think this is a toxic interpretation of the relationship Frodo and Sam have. Frodo and Sam have quite literally been through hell together. They’ve suffered over and over, all the while working together to achieve a goal that neither of them thinks they’ll walk away from. I’m certain that this relationship was built to some extent on memories that Tolkien had from fighting in the Great War. Men had to suffer and die fighting for a cause that became less and less clear as more and more blood was spilled. Total strangers became as strong as brothers to each other because of the experiences that they shared together on the battlefield. I have no doubt that there were many tears shared and many embraces that seemed to last a lifetime. To assume that there must have been a romantic entanglement in these instances is to insult the grief that these men were going through. You can’t say “Oh, they’re so close. They must be in love”. Frodo and Sam are literally sitting on the side of an erupting volcano. Frodo has lost a finger. Neither of them have probably had anything to eat or drink in days. It now seems apparent that they’re going to die. People, maybe they’re just hugging because they’ve just completed the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do.
I think it’s Western squeamishness that makes us jump to conclusions like this. Men aren’t ‘supposed’ to talk about their feelings or express their admiration for their brothers. The closeness of the relationship that Frodo and Sam have is closer than many are comfortable with in their own lives. I think that’s sad. I think everyone should have a friend like Sam. I think men need to be able to cry together. This isn’t a relationship that should take the place of a romantic relationship – Sam still got married at the end, after all. But there are storms that you cannot weather alone. And many men deliberately go it alone because they’re afraid that opening up will make people draw the same conclusions of them that we had drawn of Sam and Frodo.
There’s so much more I could say about this film, but I’ll finish with this. Every time I watch this trilogy, I laugh, cry, wonder, and believe. These are the things that the cinema was born to make us to do. Thank you, Peter Jackson, for bringing this epic trilogy to life in a way that will not soon be forgotten.
To see what I thought of the original books, check this out.