Film Analysis: The Lord of the Rings

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
The Lord of the Rings
Eighteen years ago, Peter Jackson’s trilogy “The Lord of the Rings” premiered in theaters. The series, precisely, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” opened to display as the first episode of the much-anticipated action version of Tolkien’s epic fantasy series. The film is intriguing and has gone far to set a pattern that Hollywood has followed for epic fantasy and the entire film industry (Redondo et al., 300). In reality, since its first release, there has been no production quite similar to the movie. That is a project that adhered precisely to the source material and became an appealing episode in the cinemas. In the face of famous filmmaking global projects like Harry Potter, Marvel, Star Wars films, the series is a great charm. Indeed, it is years since the film was released, but audiences cannot get enough of it. The movie's global appreciation has led to farfetched success, including 17 academy awards, Oscar for the best producer and picture (Leggett, 5).
The film is a trilogy of J. Tolkien, a British writer who committed himself to create the middle-earth fantasy world. Subsequently, the book was adapted into a film by Peter Jackson, a New Zealand film producer, widely celebrated for his expertise in showing the imaginary world of the Middle Earth with the same precision as described in Tolkien’s books. Frequently, film versions of literature are casually considered subpar to the books they are based on (Leggett, 3). However, Jackson has nailed the film to replicate the book while capturing the significant themes in Tolkien’s book “Two towers.” With a great emphasis on the second episode, the two towers, this project will analyze Jackson's adaptive methods and formal aspects to render the predecessor (Tolkien) literary work on to the silver screen with exceptional precision.
The Lord of the rings is a popular and attention-grabbing film because most people can find different exciting elements. Ranging from attire, actors, sound effects, props, facial expressions, lighting, and staged body emotions, it is quite difficult for an individual to miss these elements. One of the reasons people admire this trilogy is the technology, including sounds effects, visual effects the film uses (Upshaw, 4). For instance, music is widely used and has a persuasive effect on the series – with each sound or song relating to the story's occurrence. For instance, when Ringwraith’s are chasing Frodo and other Hobbits, the melody playing is so intense that the audience feels as if they share Frodo’s fear as well. Likewise, the Rohan melody gives the audience the sensation of power and courage, which characterizes the Rohan’s people.
As the name of the film suggests, the Lord of the Ring hypothesizes humankind's future, which rests in the hands of one Ring that has been lost for many years. As such, powerful forces are remorseless in the hunt for the treasure. At adult age, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) becomes heir to the ring from his Uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). However, Frodo, a Christ-like figure, discovers that the magical ring can influence the world and corrupt its original owner (Sauron). As such, the hobbits, humans, dwarfs, and elves formed a partnership to destroy the ring by casting it at the doom's volcanic fires where it was created. However, they face significant opposition from Dark Lord Sauron and his nine Black Riders (The Ringwraith or Nazgul). In the end, the Hobbits reach mount Doom, where Frodo is assisted by Gollum to casts the one Ring into the volcanic fires, thus destroying the evil treasure.
Themes
Although different scholars have arguably pointed some themes from this film, goodness and evil is the key theme portrayed in this film. The conflict between forces of evil and goodness or light and dark is the central theme of both Tolkien’s literary work and Jackson film. The protagonists including Frodo, Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, Boromir, Legolas, Pippin and Sam consistently suffer from antagonists including Sauron’s and nine black riders, in their quest to protect people of middle earth by destroying the powerful One Ring (Leggett, 5). By doing so, Tolkien argues that evil occurs when individuals fall in temptations of wielding power for personal gain. Other themes portrayed in the film include fellowship, fate, heroism, knowledge to name a few (Tally et al., 54). For example, Tolkien stresses the importance of fellowship in order defeat evil (challenges).
Social issues in the lord of the rings movie
In the film, the issue of race is a significant promoter of social friction and exploration. For instance, Aragorn’s relationship with Arwen is despised by her father, Elrond, who is half Elves. Also, the hobbits gain some recognitions from humankind. Ironically, hobbits and their mannerisms resemble humankind, whereas the affairs of men like Gondor seem too distance. On the other hand, the middle earth, like the ordinary world suffer from racial instabilities (Higham, 10. The author uses the dark lord as a symbol of evil, just like many white racists who contemplate people of color as enemies and evil. Indeed when the sin is depicted in the movie, the audience does not visualize about white and fluffy but instead thinks of dark and gruesome. On the flipside, Tolkien is arguably an advocate of racial diversity as he brings the elves and dwarves and human to work together (partnership to destroy the ring).
Besides, gender inequality is widely prevalent in the movie. Few female characters are used in the trilogy and assigned minor roles as compared to the minor characters. For instance, the fellowship involves the males and lacks any female element. Although, almost every classic epic movies, the male dominates over women, in this film gender inequalities is on another level. The film is a somewhat absolute and chauvinist appraisal of women as maidens who must adhere to male protection. This is well depicted in the character of Eowyn, who represents potential rebellion against the male value system.
Ideologies of the rings
In the trilogy, the author defends social class division, one based on inheritance and the other within the battles and courtly love themes; there is an embedded Catholicism. The author’s foundational years were characterized by the decay in noble values. Like some Romantic and Pre-Raphaelites, the author inherited a pre-industrial past. This is evident when he relates the furnace of the dark tower, with the “woods and little rivers of the shire.” Primarily, the author rejects the contemporary since it is more it challenges the traditional catholic beliefs in which he is subscribed to (Higham, 5). As social relations grow, religion is further criticized.
In his defense, Tolkien’s defends the ancestry by creating a middle Earth, rigid, but more systematized. He envisions that only the “great” are capable of vital acts, and who are agents of Eru or God. For instance, he uses high elves and wizard such as, Gandalf as a symbol of God and who have the power to decide the hazards of the world. On the other hand, the author demonstrates the Shire which has a social structure, including the low-income families (hobbits) and those of higher status such as Frodo, Bilbo and ring bearer (Higham, 5). This story is an enhancement of the Christian creation story, where the author links fairy tales facets of his fantasy to the gospels.
The film follows the same plot and storyline as the book. The plot is goal-oriented, with the central characters, Frodo and hobbits, aiming to destroy the ring, while the opponents, Sauron and the Black riders, yearning to stop the group from achieving this mission. The second 179-minute episode of the Lord of rings (The Two Towers) starts with a striking scene of mountains, Gandalf falling while fighting Barlog, which is an actual event, making it a flashback.
The author often uses flashbacks to describe past events that inform the present incidences. For instance, at the fifty-third ...