by Yazmin Ghonaim

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING Peter Jackson (2001) Director Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures; The Frighteners) undertakes the ambitious task of giving cinematic form to the first installment of J.R.R. Tolkien's literary masterpiece "The Lord of the Rings", a worldwide bestseller that redefined the fantasy genre. Shot in New Zealand (the director's native land), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring tries to capture and re-present the imagery evoked by Tolkien's epic fantasy rather than to re-create it. Soon after hobbit Bilbo Baggins' (Ian Holm: From Hell) mysterious disappearance, Gandalf (Ian McKellen), a powerful wizard, informs Bilbo's cousin Frodo (Elijah Wood) of the quest he must undertake: destroying the One Ring which could empower the evil Sauron. Burdened by the idea of carrying on a task he has not prepared for, Frodo manages to recruit his loyal hobbit friends Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), Peregrin Took (Billy Boyd) and Meriadoc Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan). As they head toward Mount Doom, the only place where the ring can be destroyed, Aragorn, a.k.a. "Strider" (Viggo Mortensen), a brave human warrior, warns them of the dangers they must face together. Also aided by Boromir (Sean Bean), the skilled Elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the courageous Dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), the Elf princess Arwen (Liv Tyler), the Elf queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) and the human-Elf Elrond (Hugo Weaving), Frodo heads a fellowship dedicated to protecting him throughout his dangerous mission. Adding astonishing visual effects to elaborate set designs, the creators of The Fellowship of the Ring construct vertiginous heights and swallowing depths that chisel the fierce face of the land of Mount Doom, the center of Sauron's dark kingdom. Although the film's treatment of the novel does not quite escape the tendency to deliver to all viewers the suspenseful plot as a wild ride, one fast-paced, danger-filled event after another, The Fellowship of the Ring does manage to recreate in the viewer's mind those powerful, fantastical images of the magical land of Middle-earth, of the colorful characters that inhabit it, and of the fearful, bloodthirsty villains intent on dominating it. An effective use of forced perspective allows a faithful representation of the short, long-footed hobbits, especially when set against the tall Gandalf and normal-sized characters. The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the three films made simultaneously over a year and a half of production, which represents an unprecedented undertaking.		DVD Music Books Search by keywords:
Outstanding Features: Set Design, Costume & Makeup, Special Effects, Production Design, Screenplay Adaptation The Lord of the Rings Movie Review © 2001 Cinephiles - All rights reserved Photo © 2001 New Line Cinema