Lord
of the Rings -The Fellowship of the Ring
Director
Peter Jackson must have been aware of the enormity of the task he had taken on
when he decided to bring Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy to the big screen.
The books have sold millions of copies, defining, to a certain extent, how the
world of fantasy has been portrayed in recent years.
Tolkien's
books are for some a notoriously difficult read, with many slow passages, where
not much seems to happen.
Throughout the three plus hours of the film, there is little chance for
the audience to catch a breath, never mind anything resembling a "slow
passage".
Following
on from the events that take place in the Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring tells
the story of a ring, forged by the
Dark Lord Sauren, which controls the various rings of power given to
various representatives of the "peoples" of Middle Earth.
The
ring falls into the possession of one Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit of the Shire.
Frodo quickly realises that Sauren wants the ring back and he will not be
safe until it is destroyed.
Frodo
is aided in his quest by the wizard Gandalf and a company comprising men,
hobbits, an Elf and a dwarf, who proclaim themselves "The Fellowship of the
Ring".
Jackson
chose his native New Zealand
to double as Middle Earth and the scenery is at times breathtaking.
This land is populated by some of the most amazing creatures to grace the
silver screen.
These are brought to life, either digitally, or by physical effects, by
Weta Workshops (the in-house effects team formed by the director and his
producing partners).
One
aspect of the film's effects that I found quite impressive was the way that the
height differences of the various
species of Middle Earth is so seamlessly achieved.
Humans, Dwarves and Hobbits all share the screen without hinting at the
digital trickery that must be involved.
The opposite to this can be seen in Harry Potter, where Robbie Coltrane's
Hagrid achieves his formidable form by simply standing closer to the camera than
the other actors.
Fortunately
the actors, without exception, turn in excellent performances, not allowing the
stunning effects to detract from the narrative.
Many
films over three hours long, struggle to hold the audience's attention,
providing they ever manage to secure a cinema release in the first place.
This is certainly not the case with Fellowship.
The time seemed to pass so quickly when I watched the film, in fact there
is one dull spot, it starts just after the end credits and lasts about a year.
Digital
effects have a big part to play in a fantasy such as this.
As I have said, Weta Workshops have done a great job but while the
effects here are far more convincing than say The Mummy Returns, it seems to me
that Digital animators have still to crack a credible human walk.
When
I left the cinema, I felt compelled to find out the fate of the remainder of the
fellowship.
The only thing for it was to go home and begin reading "The Two
Towers.
Update
: It comes as no surprise that "Fellowship" has garnered no fewer than
thirteen Oscar nominations.