Based
on J.R.R. Tolkien’s three-volume classic, director Peter
Jackson has brought the first of the three volumes to the
screen under the title The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring, with the next two films to be released
in 2002 and 2003. A fourteenth century hobbit named Bilbo
Baggins (played by Ian Holm) originally owns the ring, which
presumably has enough power to rule the world, though he clearly
has no such ambition. Instead, after the village celebrates
his birthday, he plans to go on a retreat to finish writing
a book, and he entrusts his teenage son Frodo Baggins (played
by Elijah Wood) to take custody of the ring during his absence.
Although Bilbo cautions Frodo not to use the ring, Bilbo puts
on the golden ring during the birthday party and vanishes;
the ring makes him invisible rather than ruler of the world.
However, evil creatures of the netherworld learn that the
ring has been used to make Bilbo invisible; by the time they
arrive at Bilbo’s residence, he has left on his journey,
so only Frodo has the responsibility to prevent the ring from
falling into the wrong hands. Soon, ugly monsters arrive.
Totally unprepared to defend himself, Frodo relies on the
wisdom of Gandalf the Grey (played by Ian McKellen) to evade
capture by taking a long and winding path toward a secure
place. En route, Frodo picks up various protectors. Much of
the film footage consists of clashes between his protectors
and the various monsters, making the film perhaps the most
violent of the year. What is most dazzling are the cities
and settlements, which are beyond the capabilities of fourteen
century architects. At several points, Frodo asks himself
why he is holding onto the ring, as his various protectors,
including Gandalf, die one by one; he mourns their death but
holds onto the ring. Although there are many deep bodies of
water into which he could throw the ring, his mission is to
cast the ring into the sacred fire or else evil will reign
on earth. Contrary to the book, the villain in the film is
Bilbo, who frivolously summons the netherworld as he goes
on a retreat in a vacation spot without exhibiting any qualms
of conscience, saddling a naïve boy with the fate of
the world. That young people will see a film with so much
unapologetic irresponsibility and violence is the real tragedy
of the popular film. MH
I
want to comment on this film
