Fellowship of the Ring

Minh Xuân Nguyễn

A captivating and intense of JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring follows the quest of a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins from the lush, green hills of the Shire to the edge of a fiery, evil land called Mordor. Frodo is called upon to destroy an evil ring, which his father Bilbow found. Calling themselves the Fellowship of the Ring, eight companions, comprised of free elves, dwarves, hobbits, and humans, eventually join Frodo on his mission, in order to cast the ring into the fires beneath Mount Doom and defeat the ring's creator, Lord Sauron, who intends to enslave all the people of a mythical Middle-earth.

As a hero in the epic story, Frodo displays a never-ending will to complete his task, despite its risks, although he sometimes strays from his senses by the evil ring that he bears. This gives him heroic qualities in their fullest sense, while affording him faults that make this more realistic.

The role of the wizard Gandalf, who is Frodo's original and ultimate guardian in this story, matches that of Frodo in the movie. Unlike most movies, which tend to portray wizards as immortal and unhuman, Gandalf displays deep human qualities by revealing his own faults and virtues. He fears his own beloved friend Saruman the Wise, who befriends him and repeatedly attempts to kill him. This happens because Saruman fails in coercing Gandalf into supporting and joining the evil forces of Lord Sauron. Gandalf also fears the caves, where dwarves live. When he tragically falls to his death in the cave's abyss, one still hopes that he will magically appear once again, because one feels so much compassion for him, but he is not to return. He brings out our compassion and admiration because of the wise and benevolent manner in which he carries out this quest.

After all the intense fighting and tragic losses, why not a little comic relief? Fortunately, two fellow Hobbits, Merry and Pippin, join up with Frodo and his friend Sam and provide it. The two constantly joke and fool around, sometimes to the Fellowship's detriment, relieving the heart-pounding action that dominates the film.

The movie utilizes special effects to create a magical atmosphere in most scenes. These effects are also necessary in order to created the otherworldly characters and action included. The scenery proves to be a most appropriate choice for this film. Set in New Zealand, the green, rolling hills, jagged, snowy mountaintops, and thick forests thoroughly complement the elaborate costumes and vivid special effects.

Unfortunately, while the fast-paced action in the film is thrilling and suspenseful, the volume of the effects and the soundtrack is greatly disturbing. Had the sound been just a bit milder, the visual and sound effects would have been nearly perfect for the movie.

Overall, the three-hour long film, although too lengthy and involved for some, is a worthwhile one, due to its excellence in many fields. One cannot bear to wait another six months for its sequel, The Two Towers, which was already filmed last year.

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