The Fellowship of the Ring Review

Fellowship of the Ring is without a doubt my favourite movie of all time, and with good reason. The first installment of the renowned LOTR trilogy, 'Fellowship' is arguably the first, true great fantasy film that has paved the way for the genre. Directed by Peter Jackson, 'Fellowship' tells the first third of the story about a hobbit, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), who is tasked with destroying the One Ring and thus destroy its creator, the eponymous Dark Lord Sauron. Aiding Frodo on his quest is the Fellowship itself: the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen); the ranger Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson); Legolas the elf (Orlando Bloom); Gimli the dwarf (John Rhys Davis); human soldier Boromir (Sean Bean); and three other hobbits: Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and the childish Pippin (Billy Boyd). The three hour runtime of this first entry focuses on the formation of this Fellowship and the beginning of their journey as they are plagued by the terrifying Nâzgul and varieties of Orcs.
The film is perfectly paced; the voiceover narration at the start gives way to a brief, but no less epic, battle between elves, men and Orcs and then the mood changes as the scene shifts to the Shire: a beautiful, lucious area where hobbits live. As Frodo's uncle, Bilbo, celebrates his 111th birthday, fireworks and dancing dominate the screen. However this innocent, friendly tone darkens with the One Ring ending up in Frodo's hands. After a good hour of being pursued by dark forces, Frodo and his companions arrive in Rivendell before leaving again to their destination. The third and final acts of this film is laden with spectacle and danger but Peter Jackson never drowns out characters with CGI, which is why this film works so well.
In fact, minimal CGI is used. The superbly designed sets of the Shire and Rivendell, along with the gorgeous landscapes of New Zealand, are terrific backdrops to the quest; adding a layer of realism to the fictional setting. This allows Middle-earth to look as utterly convincing as the characters, who are all so well played the actors seem to live their roles.
Ian McKellen is a perfect Gandalf: wise, benevolent and occasionally snappy and his Oscar nomination was spot on. Viggo Mortenson is also a stand-out as rugged and mysterious ranger Aragorn who is a caring person underneath his at first sinister appeal. These two are probably the most memorable characters for their epic and badass antics they achieve throughout action scenes. Sean Bean is a perfect Boromir: a man with the burden of defending a nation whilst staying true to the Fellowship, adding a more 3D feel to the character. The casting for this franchise was well chosen as there is not an actor 'out of tune', so to speak. Whilst there is less action than the follow-ons, there are some true fighting gems to be found. The first half is more thriller based with an intense horseback chase and a constant fear of the Nâzgul (cloaked wraiths that seem unkillable), but the rest moves from exciting action scene to action scene. However each action scene is different in its own way: each one has a different theme such as desperation or sacrifice which makes them not mindless Orc slaughter after Orc slaughter. The final skirmish between the Fellowship and a band of Uruk-hai is especially of note. Set in a wooded area, the entire scene is practical. No CGI is used, instead make-up, prosthetics and sword fighting comes seamlessly together to create a masterful climax which sees the Fellowship desperately fighting to get to each other and help. One character's death is quite possibly the best cinematic death as it not only is it well directed and acted; but the emotional resonance of this scene is incredible and touching- although a lot of the emotion in this film stems from composer Howard Shore's exquisite score that is the best written score for a film ever; a swirling mixture of hummable, heroic themes which are counteracted with simple and peaceful moments like the much loved Shire theme. Most blockbusters these days are CGI driven pictures that often have basic, clichéd characters. What makes 'Fellowship', or LOTR in general really, different is that it is anchored by a heart, an emotional click these films have with the audience which allows viewers to connect to these characters and understand what they are going through despite the fictional location. One of the many great lines of this film (which is beautifully adapted on screen from Tolkien's iconic novels) exemplifies this. In an exchange between Frodo and Gandalf, Frodo states he wishes none of this had happened to which Gandalf replies, "so do all who see such times. But that is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us". This has such a profound impact on not just Frodo (who remembers these words in a beautiful closing scene) but the audience. It is a motivating line not commonly found in everyday blockbusters. Quite simply, 'Fellowship' is a powerhouse, a cinematic masterpiece that is breathlessly paced with dazzling imagery and spectacular cinematography, as well as a well rounded cast and heavy emotional resonance. Peter Jackson upped the game for moviemaking tenfold with this first entry to cinema's greatest trilogy.