This is the most recently made film in the AFI Top 100 (10th Anniversary Edition), and it's in my last 10 on the quest to watch them all and write about them here.
Film 95
95. "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" (AFI Rank #50)
Confession time. I've never read the book(s). No interest. I love the film(s), but I've yet to sit and commit to the trilogy that starts with this book. And that's a fun starting point to this essay. There are 100 films on the list, one of which is a sequel, so we'll take it away. Of the 99 left, only 14 got a sequel made utilizing the same characters. They are (this time I'm not putting a bunch of links in...you can find all these films on IMDB if you wish): "The Godfather," "Rocky," "American Graffiti," "The French Connection," "Toy Story," "Jaws," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Chinatown," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "The Silence of the Lambs," "Psycho," "The Last Picture Show," "Star Wars," and this film. Most of these sequels are bad, some are OK, a couple are transcendent, and then, there's this one. See...the other two films in this series aren't really sequels. They're just chapters from the same story. Which makes this an odd film. Every one of the films I've listed above ended in a relatively satisfying way, and didn't NEED a sequel to continue the story, yet often one was created to cash in on the success of the film. This film, however, is utterly dependent on the other two films in the series for its closure. Even "The Godfather: Part II" had a sequel, but you can't tell me that things weren't wrapped up at the end of "...Part II." That makes this one a little weird to talk about, and makes it a little weird that this one was singled out from this story. I only watched this film, but I think if I were being honest to the intent of the voters on the AFI list, that this film is on the list because of the magnitude of the achievement of the trilogy, and they just picked this one rather than clogging up the list. I think they expect that I'll use my knowledge of this being on the list to spur me on to watch the rest, and thus fulfill their desire to have this trilogy recognized. I believe that to be the case. In fact, the third portion of this trilogy was given the Best Picture Oscar, and I believe that was more an award for the scope of the trilogy rather than the quality of that particular film. It's nearly impossible to discuss one of these films as its own entity.
I've seen the other two films, multiple times. Own them, in fact. I'm going to try to talk about this film exclusively, I hope. I may mention things from the other films, but I'm going to try and limit it to just this film. And THAT is going to be difficult. I should also mention that my DVD collection is of the extended versions of the films, so I'm going to be reviewing a film that wasn't released in theatres. Meh. I like the version I own.
I can't stall this any longer. I have to start writing. Inspired by the masterworks of fantasy fiction written decades ago by J.R.R. Tolkein, Peter Jackson was able to convince New Line Cinema to invest $300 million into the film adaptation of one of the 20th Century's great literary achievements. The project had been bandied about for decades, with such diverse people as the Beatles, John Boorman, and Stanley Kubrick rumored to have been interested in producing it. An animated version of the story was made in the 1970s by Ralph Bakshi, but that was just over 2 hours, and included all three books. For Jackson's tale, New Line insisted on three films, filmed simultaneously, which, when viewed in their extended versions, took up over 11 hours of a viewer's time to watch. What's great about that math is that while I think the films do bog down a bit at times (especially in the bog), it doesn't feel as if there are many wasted moments presented. This film, however, is taut, from start to finish, with very little time given to the viewer to catch a breath. As a viewer with no knowledge of the books, I can tell you that the first time I watched the films, it took time for me to process all the information that was being given me. Watching this film again, I tried to view it through that lens, and I found that the exposition phase of the film was actually pretty damned thorough, but still relied on a previous knowledge of future events to take it all in.
Unlike other films I've raved about recently, notably "Star Wars," and "Citizen Kane," and commenting on how modern CGI just cannot accomplish what tangible, in camera effects can, I have to say this film is an exception to that thought. Part of that has to do with the fact that Peter Jackson tried to make as much of this film on tangible, real sets as he could, he utilized prosthetics rather than megapixels for a great deal of the creatures in the film, and as a result of that, there is real depth to them. He could have rendered the Urak-Hai, but they are much more terrifying as humans in makeup. Then, we see the magic that CGI can accomplish by rendering these imaginary worlds into real places. Rivendell is gorgeous, Mordor looks ominous, the Shire is mostly real, but the mines of Moria are almost completely rendered on a computer, except on the smaller sets. Beyond the set construction, it's because so much of the film is "flesh and blood" that creatures like the Watcher and the Balrog seem so damned real. I'll posit that this film really couldn't have worked until animators were able to bring realistic looking creatures/sets in contact with human beings/animals. Like the Marvel films, too much of this depends on fantasy and abilities that humans don't have, and puppets, etc. might have ruined the film, or made it seem cheesy. Yes, Yoda is really, really great when Frank Oz is manipulating him as a puppet...but he has so much more expression in his CGI iteration. That's what I'm getting at. 
So, as I said, I think CGI in this film is what helps make it so great. And that is a contradiction to my views on past films, and I don't care.
Opening with an extended prologue, read with incredible vocal dexterity by Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, the film takes us to different worlds, and to an amazing battle sequence featuring thousands of elves/humans/orcs, and one great big bad ass bad guy named Sauron. I could rehash the story, but what's the point? I'm more interested in telling you that this film knows how to grab your attention, and to really convey the depth of the prologue of the events we are going to witness. One of the great things about the film is the way it then shifts mood into the idyllic Shire, followed by a journey to Bree, where humans and hobbits mingle a bit, in a land awash in a driving rainfall. The mood has shifted from when the hobbits have left the Shire, and as the journey continues, we see the ruins of the centuries-old past. I suppose I could keep describing this. Let's leave it as...the further from home the characters in our drama roam, the harder things become for them. Yes, there are pleasant places to visit along the way, but the journey reveals dark truths and terrifying and proud history. Kinda like any journey one takes.
Stuffed, and I mean STUFFED, with compelling images, this film is a visual wonder, but it is not the only thing it has going for it. The visual just happens to be the easiest to spot. Not so easy to spot is sound design. What do the Nazgul sound like? How about an orc, or a goblin? What kind of songs do the elves sing? All of these questions are answered in this film, and problems are solved in consistently baffling fashion. The shrieking of the Nazgul feels like fingernails on a chalkboard, but tell me that isn't exactly what they should sound like. Of course, as they are fictional, they could sound like anything the crew decided upon, and we'd have no real frame of reference. Yet, the sound we are presented makes sense, inspires dread, and sets a tone. Even the befuddled cave troll sounds right. Beyond the simple effects, the soundtrack score only helps to enhance the film. The triumphant theme of the Fellowship brings grandeur to their quest, when really, it's just 9 (kinda) people trudging across the landscape.
I don't think I'm really worthy to comment on the storytelling happening in the film. For a film with so much exposition, it is kinda crazy how much story gets crammed into this opening chapter. Whether it is the beginnings of the Saruman/Gandalf feud, or the hobbits' encounter with the Nazgul in Bree and at Weathertop, the entire Moria sequence, or the final battle with the Urak-hai, the story rolls right along in this film, and really captures our attention. We meet a mysterious stranger who should be king, a feisty dwarf, a mystical elf, the delightful hobbits, a pile of creatures, etc. It's epic style stuff. We even get a very brief introduction to one of the most important characters, the creature Gollum, in the mines. Battle sequences in Moria, on Weathertop, and the finale are exciting, filmed exquisitely, and full of drama. If one does not know the story, watching Frodo getting impaled in the mines of Moria is a disheartening blow, and Gandalf's death shortly thereafter is not much better. See. That's how I saw the films. I didn't know what was going to happen next. And I applaud Peter Jackson for his filmmaking prowess in keeping the suspense just where it belongs - as suspense.
Acting - well. Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, and John Rhys-Davies are all veterans of countless British and other amazing films. Their inclusion into this film adds weight and gravitas to a fantastical story. Throw in the wide-eyed innocence of Elijah Wood, Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee, played with ferocity and loyalty; Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan as the hobbits Pippin and Merry, respectively, who are comic relief but oh, so much more (although, admittedly, not until films 2 and 3). Orlando Bloom IS friggin' Legolas. Impossibly handsome, invariably suave, Bloom is a wonder. I must say, though, that given the burden he has to carry, Elijah Wood really was the eye opener in this film. His honesty, his soul just pours out in every scene in which he appears, and we love him for it. It is a hell of a thing, having to carry a film, surrounded by greatness, and Wood is decidedly up to the task.
Look. This film represents the greatness that modern cinema can portray. It's a fantastic ride that compels one to watch the next two films, for sure, but we also see all the best that CGI and modern filmmaking techniques can offer. And, God bless him, Peter Jackson decided to keep a lot of old school stuff in there, also. Hobbits are 3-4' tall...and Jackson, rather than manipulating every image with the computer, used forced perspectives on lots of shots. I guess that makes for the difference between acting to a green tennis ball in a green studio and acting with a real person, in costume, sitting a few feet away from you, but close enough to connect. It was a brilliant choice. There you have it. This is film is grandiose, to say the least. It is among the most ambitious projects ever undertaken in cinema, because it was attempting to film something so untrue, yet so familiar to so many millions of people that there was a small margin of error. I'm not so certain there are many. A few, I guess, but, damn. Try filming a battle sequence involving thousands of orcs, elves, and humans, and making it all feel real. Amazing, amazing stuff.
This film series will, and should, be remembered for decades to come as films continue to become more sophisticated. I doubt, however, that any will be able to capture the right blend that this one did, because of...well...maybe timing...maybe passion...whatever. It's a tremendous film, and while the newest, cracked the top 50 all time. Monumental stuff. Truly.
Ebert had read the books, and his take is less kind. It's here, if you wish to read it.
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