LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring Review

The first entry into this fantasy masterpiece trilogy is a work of staggering iconography and archetypal power. It shows the power of fantasy tropes when deployed ingeniously, and far surpasses the other fantasy movie sagas [Narnia, Harry Potter, etc] in terms of iconic power. This power comes from its ability to ground the conflict in realistic characters and settings, and the intricate detail of the factions that make up the story.

The story begins in the idyllic, bucolic environs of the Shire, where we see the peaceful and harmonious life of Froddo Baggins with his hobbit friends. That peaceful existence is shattered when the sinister Black Riders enter the shire seeking Bilbos Ring, which is discovered to be the One Ring of Power that once belonged to Sauron the Necromancer. Sauron is an evil being of spirit who needs the Ring to regain his physical form and conquer the free peoples, and the nine undead Nazgul are his top servants. The story does a beautiful job of establishing the stakes for Froddo, who struggles against evil in order to protect his beloved home from being despoiled. The peaceful haven contrasts with the later conflict ridden regions and represents the ideal balance between man and nature, unlike the forest ravaging industrialization of the orcs. They are pursued by the riders all the way to Rivendell, and one of the riders poisons Froddo, putting a deadline on his survival and increasing the stakes of the chase. Arwen bears Froddo on her horse to the fjord before Rivendell, and when the riders seek to cross she summons a pack of water elementals using elven sorcery and washes the Nazgul downstream. Her father then heals Froddo using elvish medicine. This section is a fantastic climax to the pursuit from the Shire, and demonstrates the powerful magic of the elves and their attunement with nature.

Then the heroes gather at Rivendell to debate the fate of the One Ring. Saruman has joined Sauron and is massing an army of orcs, monstrous killers bred using dark magic. Boromir argues that they should wield the ring against Sauron, that this power could be the answer to his peoples dire need, and there is a fierce argument over what they should do. Froddo sees their discord and knows the Ring is exerting its dark influence over them, and puts himself forward to take the Ring to Mordor and destroy it. As a hobbit Froddo is uniquely suited to bear the Ring because he is resistant to its corrupting influence, because hobbits crave nothing beyond a good home and good friends. Their humble aspirations and contentment with life grant them a rare resistance against the ring, a resistance most humans lack. The members of the council are deeply moved by his nobility and valor, and several of them vow to accompany him to reach Mt Doom.

After a failed expedition over Kharad Dras they turn to the Mines of Moria, where Gimli's uncle Balin has created a new colony of dwarves. The heroes discover that the dwarves were slaughtered by Goblins, and are unable to escape back the way they came. They must run the gauntlet of enemies until the mighty Balrog appears, a giant demon with a flaming sword and whip. The Goblins flee in terror at the Balrogs approach, and the heroes try to escape across the bridges of Khazad Dhun. Before they can escape Gandalf must turn around and repel the Balrog using his divine magic. The bridge they are fighting on collapses and the demon falls into the abyss, but not before ensnaring Gandalf and dragging him to his doom as well. This was a great twist, as we all assumed that Gandalf had died and it brought home the danger of the mission. When he returns more powerful than ever, having faced his crisis and emerging reborn, the audience is glad he survived and impressed by his newfound confidence and power.

The company mourns Gandalf's loss as they enter the woods of Lothlorien, and it is here that Froddo receives a message of doom. The elf queen Galadrielle tells him that his companions will turn on him one by one, and he must bear the One Ring to Mordor alone is he is to prevent catastrophe. He tries to offer her the Ring, but she rejects it, forsaking power to remain true to her essential self. She tells him that he has been chosen for this task, and if he cannot do it then no one can.

They boat down the river and reach the lands bordering on Rohan and the Emon Muir. They pause to rest and while Froddo is alone Borimir confronts him and demands he gives him the ring. They argue and Borimir becomes enraged, losing his temper and threatening Froddo before Froddo slips the Ring on and flees. Boromir regrets his action, but before he can apologize and beg forgiveness the fellowship is attacked by Uruk Hai orcs from Isengard. Boromir dies defending Merry and Pippin, and they are captured and abducted by the orcs. Froddo flees on boat, but Samwise stops him and forces him to take him with Froddo. Borimir lies dying, and confesses his sin to Aragorn. Aragorn grants him absolution by saying he fought bravely to save the hobbits and kept his honour, and that he will do his utmost to save the people of Gondor. Borimir dies and the heroes set off to rescue Merry and Pippin. The climax ends on a cliffhanger with the abduction of the hobbits, but the drama between Borimir and Froddo gives the ending great gravitas and power.

The performances are all great, especially Ian Mckellan as the wise yet sometimes irritable wizard Gandalf. Sean Bean is also great as the conflicted Boromir, a man blinded by his need to save his people to the true nature of the One Ring. The enemies are faceless cyphers for the most part, but we are made to feel Sauron's power when he appears as a flaming eye over Froddo in the tavern in Bree. The nine nazgul exude evil and are a recurring threat since they cannot be killed. The sense of setting is immense, from the awesome Barad-Dur to the stark beauty and grandeur of Minas Tirith. Rivendell is also a place of great beauty, located on a cliff in a valley surrounded by rivers and trees. Lothlorien is a place of tall white trees and magical light. The halls of Moria are also magnificent, more than any other fantasy writer Tolkien excelled at creating wondrous places you wished you could visit, surely stemming from his own musings on heavens beauty as a devout Catholic. Tolkien consciously wrote LOTR to have heavy religious undertones, but not to be an allegory, which he famously disdained. He wrote it to be a factual historical record, and it is his attention to fine detail and verisimilitude that has kept readers enthralled since it was written over 80 years ago.

Rating 9/10