Breathtaking! What a Wonderful Film! **Warning! **Spoilers!**

Rating: 10/10 (16 April 2002)

Having now seen the film 17 (!) times at the cinema, and written 3 previous imdb user comments, I think it is time to write one final praise of its qualities. My earlier comments have been written without me preparing a script, so I have done that this time. Let me start at the beginning of the film. Galadriel (unseen) starts the opening narration (the world is changed.....) and at this time, no matter how many times I see it, I start gasping for air, and I feel like the film becomes part of me. No film has ever had this effect on me before, without anything really happening, and I can´t explain it. Then the "Theme of the Ring" plays over the films title, and it is so sad, yet beautiful, that it wonderfully prepares you for a tragic and sad story that will be enlivened by humour. Then follows a short retelling of the forging of the Rings of Power, with the unforgettably sad image of the nine kings who will "return" as the Nazgul. And the amazing battle-scene at the foot of Mount Doom, in which the ring comes to Isuldur. He is then ambushed and killed, and the scene where he floats dead in the Anduin brings tears to my eyes no matter how many times I see it. This says a lot about Peter Jacksons achievement: Despite that he has made a film laden with SFX, he has managed to bring back to (big-budget-)movies something basic that has been lost since Star Wars or so: To make a film really affect your emotions! All right, perhaps it hasn´t been entirely lost, but I have never experienced it to this effect. And the ring comes to Gollum, E.T.s bad twin brother, I saw the 20-year edition last Saturday, and that creature had the same fingers, very similar head and body, and a scene in which he stares into the camera the same way as Gollum in Moria, and humans saying (repeatedly)"he (E.T.) came to me." Then follows the first appearance of Frodo, then Gandalf, and their wonderful first exchange (A wizard is never late....) and the magnificent ride through Hobbiton, with fireworks, Gandalf, and the wonderful first frowning, then laughing, then stared into frowning again old woman, who, in a simple way captures the spirit of the hobbit. Actually, I myself grew up in a hobbit-like family in al rural area, and that is perhaps why I like the film so much. In fact, the old woman and her daughter? reminded me of my grandmother and my aunt (her daughter), but enough of that.... Then of course, there is Bilbo. Because the book is so widely read, his disappearance at his own birthday party, and the Ring making him (slightly) aggressive, could easily have been trite on film. But because of Peter Jacksons brilliant direction, and Ian Holms spot-on performance, it comes across as entirely fresh. My favourite moment is when he accuses Gandalf of wanting the ring, Gandalf uses his powers and Bilbo falls into his arms like a child. I´m not going to retell the entire film here, but let´s take the first appearance of Aragorn/Strider. He is a mysterious stranger sitting in the corner of an inn, staring at Frodo. This must be one of the oldest clichès in the book, but Peter Jackson actually makes it mystifying and exciting without too many effects. In the end, I must give praise to Peter Jackson for making a film that has the same effect on me as it´s title-object has on it´s former bearers: It draws me to it. My own, my love, my p-rrrrrrr-eeeeee-c-i-o-u-sssssssssssssss!
10 out of 10