Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Details

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Released 19 December, 2001

Nationality: American

Budget: 93 million USD

Revenue: 871 million

Production Notes

Work on the film adaptation began as soon as 1997. 

Alan Lee and John Howe became the main conceptual designers.

Both contributed to different parts of Middle Earth as they had illustrated for the books in the past.

Ngila Dickson was the main costume designer and created over 19,000 costumes along with 40 other seamstresses. 

Many areas of New Zealand were used for Middle Earth.

Many camera tricks were used in the making of this film as the characters in the book were all of differing and fantastical heights. 

Some were filmed separately and others were filmed using forced perspective to create the illusion that the much smaller Hobbits were interacting with men that tower over them. 

CGI was also used for things like massive battles.

Howard Shore helmed the score.

Synopsis

Our story begins in the land of Middle Earth with a Dark Lord named Sauron waging war against the other lands. He wields the One Ring of Power and uses its power to control all other Rings given to the kings of the other lands. Pushed back and about to falter, the kingdoms of men and elves face off in a battle. During the battle a Prince of Gondor slices Sauron’s finger off and with it the Ring. Sauron is destroyed as a result and the Prince takes the Ring for himself, seduced by its power. After being killed, the Prince loses the Ring and it is not seen until a hobbit named Gollum (Andy Serkis) discovers it and succumbs to its power and is altered physically. After an encounter with an adventuring hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), Gollum loses the Ring and Bilbo puts it on, discovering its power to render him invisible.

After years of concealing the Ring, Bilbo is about to have a birthday. His 111th birthday to be exact, far longer than any hobbit has lived. A large wizard named Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) arrives in the Shire to celebrate his old friend’s birthday. During a speech, Bilbo declares that he is going to leave now to have another adventure before his death. Bilbo puts on the ring and disappears in front of the whole town. Frodo (Elijah Wood), his nephew, goes back to Bag End to discover that the Ring has been left to him as well as Bag End and its wealth. Though not easy and clearly affected by the Ring’s power, Bilbo reluctantly gives up the Ring to him after Gandalf arrives. After Gandalf investigates the Ring he gives it to Frodo and gives him a mission to leave the Shire with the Ring. Frodo’s friend, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), accompanies him as he is a loyal friend. Gandalf continues his investigation and calls upon Saruman the White (Christopher Lee) for help only to discover that Sauron is now in league with Sauron and learns that the Nazgul, ringwraiths, have been sent to retrieve the Ring. They fight, but ultimately Gandalf is overpowered by Saruman and is confined in his tower. Sam and Frodo make their way to Bree, but are joined by two other hobbits, Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan) and Peregrin (Pippin) Took (Billy Boyd).

Once arrived they look for Gandalf but he does not arrive. Instead they meet a ranger named Strider (Viggo Mortensen) who swears to take them to Rivendell, a city of elves. On their way, the Witch-King, leader of the Nazgul, surrounds them and stabs Frodo, cursing him and putting him in danger of death and becoming a ringwraith himself. A figure comes riding in and turns out to be an elf named Arwen (Liv Tyler), Strider’s lover. She incapacitates the Nazgul by summoning a flood from the river that surrounds Rivendell and gets Frodo to safety. He is healed and witness the meeting of some of the leaders of Middle Earth including Gandalf, who escaped imprisonment. Elrond (Hugo Weaving) comes to the conclusion that the Ring must be destroyed in the fires of Mt. Doom in Mordor, where it was forged. Frodo accepts the mission to destroy the Ring along with his friends, Gandalf, a dwarf named Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), an elf named Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and two men one Boromir of Gondor (Sean Bean), and Aragorn i.e. Strider. Also revealed is that Aragorn is the true King of Gondor and heir to the Prince that lost the Ring. Bilbo, who was staying in Rivendell, gives Frodo his special sword Sting that glows in the presence of Orcs and Goblins.

The Fellowship of the Ring is formed and they make way through the Mines of Moria as there is no easier way to Mordor. Moria has changed and is now a dwelling place of Orcs and trolls. As they make their escape a Balrog confronts them and battle Gandalf. Gandalf sacrifices himself to give the others a chance to escape and is presumed dead. Aragorn then leads the Fellowship onward to Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) and she warns Frodo that someone in the group will try to take the ring from him. After leaving, Boromir tries to take the Ring to save his homeland but fails to do so. Frodo decides to leave on his own and bear the weight of the Ring himself. The Fellowship is then attacked by Saruman’s Uruk army. Boromir is fatally wounded after fighting valiantly and watches as Merry and Pippin are taken captive. Aragorn slays his killer and watches his friend die. Unbeknownst to the others Sam had been following Frodo and goes with him on the quest, while the remaining members of the Fellowship take off to rescue the Hobbits. 

Analysis

Fellowship of the Ring is fantasy film through and through. To me it is the pinnacle of what a fantasy film can achieve within modern day. In this sense it carries a lot of what makes a fantasy film a fantasy. It deals with very easy themes such as Good vs Evil, Friendship and the use of Power. This is, however, far from a family film. It shows graphic scenes such as stabbings and killings, but never without necessity. Boromir’s death, as dragged out as it was, shows his perseverance and his reluctance to die, while at the same time showing his remorse for trying to take the Ring and for trying to harm his new friends. This opens up the theme of Friendship. Its literally in the title. In this film, fellowship is all there is. Every member of the group brings their own wit, their own skills, and their own personality. Each one of them feels different and has a different reason for being there. Whether it’s Sam’s loyalty, Pippin foolishness, or Gimli’s roughness, each one of them feels fleshed out. 

Perhaps one of the most prevalent themes in the film and throughout the series is the corrupting effects of power. Power and the One Ring are interchangeable or one and the same in Tolkien’s eyes. Whoever puts on the Ring is doomed to its corruption and this is exemplified in the characters and their choices. Gollum became a horrific creature after years of having the Ring, and Bilbo almost followed suit. His face contorted when trying to give up the Ring. Another example is Boromir and how he tried to take the Ring by force even though he thought it was for a good reason. 

Movies like Lord of the Rings would literally include most fantasy films. While not the first of its kind it most definitely became a model for ones that came after.

Citations

“Lord of the Rings: Production Costs and Global Box Office Revenue 2017.” Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/323463/lord-of-the-rings-films-production-costs-box-office-revenue/.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 19 Dec. 2001, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – Financial Information.” The Numbers, 19 Dec. 2001, https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Lord-of-the-Rings-The-Fellowship-of-the-Ring-The#tab=summary.