The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)December 10th, 2001
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
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When Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm, "The Sweet Hereafter") finds the One Ring he becomes oddly possessive of it, but when he leaves the Shire, his old friend Gandalf (Ian McKellen, "X-Men") persuades him to leave it for his beloved cousin Frodo (Elijah Wood, "The Ice Storm"). Once the wizard Gandalf discovers the ring's evil origins in the hell fires of Mordor, he insists that Frodo flee as Lord Sauron's nine wraiths will be hunting it down. Reunited in the Elvish Kingdom of Rivendell, where King Elrond (Hugo Weaving, "The Matrix") declares that the ring must be destroyed at Mordor, Frodo accepts the task under Gandalf's watchful eye. They, along with Frodo's three Hobbit friends Sam, (Sean Astin, "Rudy"), Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan), the dwarf Gimli, (John Rhys-Davies, "The Living Daylights"), elf Legolas, (Orlando Bloom, "Wilde") and humans Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen, "A Perfect Murder") and Boromir, (Sean Bean, "Don't Say a Word") form a fellowship in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."
Cowriter (with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) director Peter Jackson ("Heavenly Creatures") brings the much anticipated first installment of his ambitious trilogy to the screen with the creativity and confidence of the young George Lucas. If the first is any indication, Jackson's films are sure to take the "Star Wars" mantle as beloved mythic epic for a new generation.
The introduction of the Shire is the film's weakest point, recalling the childlike cuddliness of Ewoks, but quickly the legend of the One Ring is established (complete with jaw-dropping flashbacks of Sauron's Orc army in battle against Middle Earth) and Frodo's adventure begins. He leaves the Shire with ever loyal Samwise Gamgee silhouetted with horse and low wooden fence against a painted sky like Scarlett O'Hara departing Atlanta with her wooden horse-drawn cart.
The two meet up with Pippin and Merry in time to flee from a hooded ringwraith and make their way to the Prancing Pony Pub where they're joined by Aragorn and Frodo makes his first eerie journey
with the ring into invisibility. After the elf princess Arwen (Liv Tyler, "One Night at McCool's") rescues the injured Frodo from the ringwraiths in a rousing chase on horseback, the band arrives at Rivendell to find Gandalf, who has just escaped the clutches of his former colleague Saruman, (Christopher Lee, "Dracula") now a follower of Sauron. The fellowship will be severely tested during the journey towards Mount Doom, splitting apart as Frodo once again sets off with only Sam accompanying him.
"The Fellowship of the Ring" is beautifully cast, with Ian Holms' Bilbo the only non-perfect fit. McKellen simply is Gandalf and his spirit pervades the film like Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan. The Academy should take note. Wood has the look and temperament of the guileless Frodo and Astin exemplifies the power of friendship.
Viggo Mortensen is a good and noble Aragorn. Sean Bean deftly portrays the conflicted Boromir, the weak link of the fellowship who lusts for the ring's power yet courageously defends his allies. After McKellen, Bean's is the most complex and noteworthy performance. Rhys-Davies is endearing as the pugilistic dwarf. Cate Blanchett personifies the grace and wisdom of Galadriel. Liv Tyler proves the naysayers wrong appearing in the film's first truly exciting scene.
Technically, the film excels in every department from the
production design (Grant Majors, "Heavenly Creatures") and art direction (Dan Hennah, "The Frighteners") that imagine a whole new cinematic world to the special effects, costume design, hair and makeup used to create and complete the characters that populate it. This is spectacle, from the Elvish Rivendell which resembles an Alpine village adorned with Victorian gingerbread trim, to the towering stone sculptures that are the gates of Minas Tirith's Abu Simbel. The Cave Troll and Gollum seem as real as the actors. Director of Photography Andrew Lesnie is challenged to follow the flying spies of Saruman as they dart through tunnels and descend into Mordor as well as make the forced perspective that allows Gandalf to tower over hobbits look seamless. He's up to it. Peter Jackson's achievement in bringing all the pieces together is astounding. He's made the special effects film seem fresh again.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" should meet the long pent expectations of Tolkien fans. I can't wait for the next installment.
A-
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