Just the beginning of the biggest movie trilogy of fantasy

Rating: 10/10 (11 March 2015)

Adapted by the hands of director Peter Jackson, who had previously directed productions of Bad Taste (1987), and the excellent Braindead (1992), Heavenly Creatures (1994) with Kate Winslet in early career, and The Frighteners (1996) with Michael J. Fox Besides directing, Jackson also wrote the script with his regular partner and wife Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens with his girlfriend, who also was his collaborator commonplace from that work. Released in the U.S. on December 10, 2001, the film was acclaimed by critics and fans alike, especially as many of these judged the film as the most faithful adaptation of the original story of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson. It was a huge box office success, grossing over $ 870 million worldwide, and was the second highest grossing film of 2001 in the U.S. and worldwide (behind Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone). Indeed, along with The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter series can be regarded as another phenomenon of fantasy success worldwide.
The legion of fans fans for Middle-earth and all the mystique and fanaticism around books written, could easily intimidate any renowned director to take the challenge. However, after having seen the end result of adaptation, the impression is that no one else could take over unless Peter Jackson. The director managed to keep the same characteristics of Tolkien's book, turning the three books in three epic classics of modern cinema. Not only that, but in the subsequent films, it is amazing the power of synthesis contained in adaptations. The screenplay by Jackson, Walsh and Boyens is bold, brave and respectful to the original work, but it is clear that for a few changes are necessary adaptation of the original work, so the removal or assemblage of some passages is natural in the process even more in a work so complex and detailed. Jackson said in interviews that they wanted to leave the story focused on Frodo and the Ring. Almost all the time fidelity to the book is maintained, merely to make changes that would benefit the overall film: Tom Bombadil and the episode of wights certainly work in the book, but would be detrimental to the film, since it would postpone further time- key first chapter: the formation of the Fellowship.
Much of the success of the technique is due to the 4 sectors awarded an Oscar: the visual effects, photography, makeup and soundtrack. But the film is much more than a bunch of effects. For this, the performances play a fundamental role. Elijah Wood, Sam Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies show always strong and fearless warriors. Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monagham are as well as the comic relief of the saga, and Liv Tyler is beautiful and angelic. Cate Blanchett is the one that fails to convey the mysterious air of the most powerful and dreaded queen of the elves, but we cannot say that an interpretation is bad or detrimental to the end result of what we see.
The Fellowship of the Ring is an intro movie magnificently directed by Peter Jackson. The director uses the first time to introduce the characters and various landscapes of Middle-earth to realize the dream of literature fans and get to know a primary mission: to destroy the ring in the fires of Mordor Mountain where he was cast by your carrier, Frodo. Many major events were to occur in the following movies, but still, this first part we find everything: action, suspense, romance, humor, adventure and even dramas.
Jackson directs with incredible safety, and even with so many different times as mentioned, it leaves the narrative flowing and organic, knowing take a deserved epic tone masterfully using slow motion or situations for creating suspense, for example, by delaying the onset 's Balrog and precede the attack of orcs with sounds from a distance. It also has the merit of letting the One Ring has its own personality, able to intimidate anyone who tries to touch it and turn slowly who door. The battle scenes, the march through the mountains of the Company and the other open plans are put on a show. Including several high angles, exploring the vastness of the battlefield and its numerous protagonists, and drives great camera and a sense of rhythm, Jackson is perfect. The Fellowship of the Ring still has lessons of hope, true friendships and honor. One of the best adaptations of something so complex, Peter Jackson has created something amazing that would become the benchmark of epic adventures and now also in the cinema, not only in books. A great masterpiece and that was just the beginning of the biggest movie trilogy of fantasy.