A true epic of unparalleled proportions, rich in both substance and visual beauty

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2018)

As the beginning of arguably the greatest trilogy ever made, The Fellowship of the Ring is a true spectacle in every meaning of the word, fully doing justice to Tolkien's legendary literature.
It is very rare these days to find a film that takes so much time by introducing characters & their mannerisms, but Fellowship of the Ring, much in the same vein as the legendary 'Seven Samurai', is one of these films. It is because of this extended exposition of Shire activities that we truly feel connected with the Hobbit characters, whose lifestyle symbolizes that of the average person drowned in ignorance. Director Peter Jackson never seems to be in a rush, and slowly builds his characters this way, while also showing their changes later on in the film, as they have been through more deadly and tragic encounters. Despite these joyous first minutes, Fellowship does a tremendous job in showing what's at stake. There is an atmosphere of impending doom, darkness & shadow in a lot of the later scenes in the film, and every character truly seems to be in peril of some sorts, keeping the audience at the edge of their seats the entire time. I have watched The Fellowship of the Ring countless times now, yet there is a sequence with a broken bridge during the Khazad Dum scenes that still unknowingly made me hold my breath, despite knowing the outcome.
This is why the Fellowship of the Ring doesn't feel like the obligatory good vs evil (With good easily triumphing) struggle, but a true world where something is really at stake. Ofcourse the introductory exposition sequence shows this perfectly, where the origins of the Ring are brilliantly explained, with the backdrop of just some of the gorgeous cinematics that the entire trilogy provides. Despite including many fictional creatures such as Elves, Dwarves & Orcs, Fellowship is in fact a very human story about the internal corruption of the mind, and watching it drive apart the Fellowship can truly be seen as poetic.
Also featuring a perfect cast, Fellowship has no weaknesses in terms of acting either. Be it Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, John-Rhys Davies as Gimli, Sean Bean as Boromir, Cristopher Lee as Saruman, and even the surprising Elijah Wood as Frodo, this cast is impeccable, and none of the actors truly feel as if they could be replaced. The dialogue spoken is phenomenal. Part of this is probably thanks to Tolkien's superb literature, but nonetheless the dialogue sounds very medieval, and further increases the audience's immersion into the picture, since these people really talk as you would expect them to in a world like this.
The original score by Howard Shore is undoubtedly one of the greatest in cinematic history. Particularly his use of leitmotifs is nothing short of spectacular. It should also be noted that the moments of his scores perfectly capture the moment our characters are in, as for example the 'Fellowship' theme is consequently heard in moments where the Fellowship is at its strongest, or during triumphs, but it will be taken over by the corrupted 'Ring' score as the Fellowship slowly disbands. Thus Shore's score tells a story of its own, and it results in one of the most compelling original scores ever created for the big screen.
While Fellowship has the leisurely characterization, the tension, and the immersion by knowing that the entire world truly feels at risk, it ofcourse also has external beauty by its astounding visuals. One of the greatest pieces of cinematography ever put to screen, Fellowship is a constant stream of beautiful images. It is surprising how many of these are not computer generated, but instead on location shoots. It seems Jackson only uses CGI on certain things that cannot be filmed naturally (Such as the Balrog), but when it is used, it is also absolutely gorgeous (Again, look at the design of the Balrog for this), resulting in some of the greatest CGI ever made for a motion picture. There are also many stunning widescreen compositions of the beautiful New Zealand landscape, creating a perfect setting for Middle Earth.
But i do believe that the most important factor in the success of Fellowship, and the entire trilogy for that matter, is the superb characterization. The brotherly relationship between Frodo & Sam, and the tragic encounters they endure together will never fail to bring tears to the manliest of eyes, because we get to know these characters so well during the introductory sequences. After watching 'The Fellowship of the Ring' for about the hundreth time, it truly feels like coming home, and this is why it just keeps getting better and better.
Epic in both scope and scale, vivid in characterization, poetic in shot compositions, filled with tension and raw emotional power, featuring one of the greatest scores of all time, there is no doubt that The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the greatest motion pictures of all time, and rarely shall we see anything that could possibly equal its divine power.