One of the Best Book to Movie Adaptations Ever!

Fellowship of the Ring blew me away. After being hyped up for over a year both on the Internet and on TV spots, I was expecting maybe an over media-blitzed so-so flick, much the way Harry Potter disappointed me. Harry Potter was uninspired and unimaginative as a book adaptation. Fellowship of the Ring was the complete opposite. The reasons? Maybe if Rowling didn’t make that rather neurotic comment to the director on how she wanted everything exactly like the book, it might have been a bit more intriguing. While Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is an excellent book, it does not exactly mean it will translate directly into a good movie. And quite frankly it didn’t.

On the other hand, Tolkien, unlike Rowling is not alive to make calls about how he wanted his movie. For if he were, who knows, he might have made it excessively long, or he might have choose to keep in the segments with Tom Bombadil. As a result, given the lack of restraint, director Peter Jackson managed to pull off something rather unique and creative while also being very faithful to the book. Fellowship of the Ring is amazing, it cuts out just the right segments in the book, yet leaves in all the wonderful tension that Tolkien created in the book unknowingly. It comes together as a perfect book adaptation that may surprisingly be better than the book itself.

Plot

Jackson manages to retain the entire story from the lengthy first novel, and even take direct lines from the book in creating the movie script. Of course in order to appeal to more the more modern day audience, he did two things that are easily noted by readers of the book. He removed Tom Bombadil, the forest king that ran about singing, and he also added the character Arwen, who was only mentioned in the novel in a song sung by Aragon. This smart move allowed for a romance between Arwen and Aragon, allowing for a few extra scenes that enhanced the movie as well as the inclusion of another lead female character.

The storyline for those unfamiliar is rather simple. The One Ring that has the power to control Middle Earth. It was forged by the Dark One on the Mount Doom and was thought to be lost. This lost ring however manages to get its way into the hands of hobbits, a short child-like people. Frodo, the main character of this story, inherits the ring from Bilbo, his uncle, and is sent on a journey to destroy the ring before the Dark One can find it again.

Although this is considered a very cliché plot these days because of its rather straightforward battle between good and evil, it is nonetheless still classic, and comes out wonderfully onscreen. Even those that have read the books will find themselves pleasantly surprised at how dramatic, how much tension there is throughout the movie. Unexpected plot twists that you may know well from the book, are made new and fresh and they come at moments when you may least expect them to be.

Casting
The cast for the Lord of the Rings was very well done. All the characters have a very distinct personality of their own, with no major “Hollywood” stars disrupting the balanced feel of the film. In short, there are no pretty boys, or hot girls that take away the whole purpose of creating a good film. Everyone has their own distinct character and look for the sake of balance. No main character really dominates the film, although Frodo and Gandalf play the biggest roles. The combination of superb acting, especially on Frodo’s part really add to this film.

Cinematography
Jackson has done an incredible job filming Lord of the Rings. Not only is the location spectacular and breathtaking, he has chosen some incredible set design that is really close to the book description yet also goes beyond the book’s limitations and become an artwork of their own. Lothlorien, Moria and Rivendell, are all well detailed, and have a really fantastic feel. The computer graphics is so invisible you barely notice it’s there, unlike movies like Star Wars where it was evident when the backdrops weren’t there.

In addition to wonderful sets and choice of location, the use of the camera is really great. You have very dramatic camera movement, times where the camera sweeps around to give a really amazing view, and some very well-paced scenes. The Aragon and Arwen scene was especially well-done, although somewhat reminiscent of Braveheart, the choice of lighting and shot selection came out superb. I won’t be surprised if Jackson and his film team take an Oscar for cinematography and directing, it’s very well deserved.

Soundtrack

Although subtle, the soundtrack of Fellowship of the Ring is something unnoticed yet incredibly fitting for the movie. Enya fans will right away notice her singing at the credits and in the middle of the movie, when the Elrond gathers the council. Her soft singing provides a somewhat Celtic feel for the movie, a rather fitting atmosphere for Middle Earth. In addition, musical producer Howard Shore does a marvelous job getting the very simple yet fitting music in Hobbit town, Moria and the other locations. It has a dramatic flavor, yet does not draw attention to itself too much. The cd is a worthy purchase for any soundtrack fan.

Action / Wow Factor

The action in this film is really amazing. Although it is nowhere on the huge scale as Braveheart was, there are a few scenes here or there for those looking. The rather cool parts include: the battle between the sorcerers’, the well-balanced use of characters in battles- i.e. the elf using the bow, dwarf using axe, etc., and the well-designed monsters. The dark riders, whom most viewers should have seen in the trailers, are really as haunting as the book makes them. The orcs especially are the surprise in this movie. Rather than making them slow and sluggish, Jackson had them incredibly primal and brutally fast. Some rather fast camera shots make for intense battle scenes, and it is wonderfully done, considering the CG involved.

Overall

I normally have complaints about films, but for Fellowship of the Ring I have none, save for one insignificant detail. The complaint is that Fellowship of the Ring has no ending, and the next film is far from sight. The audience in the theater when I viewed the movie had a rather disappointed groan at the end of the film, although they were otherwise applauding throughout certain climatic scenes. For those familiar with the story they know exactly what to expect and will likely not mind as much. However those unfamiliar will find the abrupt ending a detraction from the movie experience. As Jackson made clear, LotR was designed as one movie in three parts. It is likely better in its 3 DVD format, and the movie will also likely be re-screened in theaters when the third part is out. That will likely be the best time to enjoy the film.

Otherwise I have no qualms with this film. It is perfection as far as movie-adaptations go and makes reading the book far more easy, since you can now skim some of the parts where Tolkien gets rather wordy. The DVD for Fellowship of the Ring especially should be one to get, since it is likely there will be countless extras included. As for watching the theater experience, Fellowship of the Ring is a must.