Not only a good fantasy film, but a great film

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2001)

When the film began - after a short trailer for Episode II - the screen stayed dark for a moment, and only Galadriel's voice told us we were already taking part in the experience that was this film. And then, when the images appeared on screen, I was lost. Lost in the visual genius of Peter Jackson. I experienced the Shire, with Bilbo's birthday party. It was happiness and gaiety all around. It was truly peaceful, and it was more than I ever imagined would be possible on screen. I was introduced to Gandalf, Frodo, and the rest of the Hobbits, and I found myself smiling at the innocence of life in the Shire. Of course, that's when the story began, and before Mordor, Isengard, or any of the other places were portrayed. With all the critical distance I had tried to keep, all was lost in the first ten (or was it five, or two?) minutes.
Cinematography Oh, my. How can I describe what is not to describe at all? How can I put in words what surpasses it so much more? An image is more powerful than 1,000 words, so they say. Watch the film, and believe it. I could not begin to describe the beauty of Llothlorien, of the Shire, of the Elven woods we call `Bruchtal'. Or the imposing danger of Isengard, and Mordor. The dirty reality of Bree, and the dark tunnels of Moria make up for so many words I cannot write them all. Suffice to say that the scenery, the landscape in between locations, is so breathtakingly filmed, it is pure joy to behold. How are the characters set into frame? Peter Jackson and his crew employ many camera slides, when the frame moves through the landscape before finally finding the characters, or even keeping them in view all the time. How they manage to give the Ring, which is only a small piece of metal, the appearance of a real character is phenomenal. There are a lot of headshots, but no unnecessary zooming or confusing totals in a defining moment. The battle scenes are great, too. They are hectic, confusing, thrilling. The camera turns and twists between and around the protagonists, and even though we only see glimpses of many battles, you get a sense of what is going on. I really felt as if I was standing alongside Legolas in Moria.
Actors Can I count the ring? I would like to, but I can't. But I can talk about the rest of the cast. Elijah Wood. Has he appeared anywhere before? How? He is Frodo, after all, and Hobbits don't seem to get any good jobs these days. Well, jokes aside, he is doing a magnificent job. He, and the other Hobbits, bring to life all that made the small race so appealing. But Elijah Wood and the actor of Samwise truly embody the two friends for life, and without them working so well together, I could not believe what the two end up doing for each other. Sir Ian McKellen is a great actor that I admired for various roles before this movie. In contrast to Sir Alec Guiness, however, I think he would be happy to be remembered as Gandalf. He did such a remarkable job that it's a pity he is so old, or he would be the coming actor for Hollywood's next decades. As it stands, this honor now falls to other people. Christopher Lee as Saruman is in his usual best. He is intimidating, imposing and all he should be. Viggo Mortensen. How could he not be the superstar he deserves to be until now? He was good in other roles, but he fills Aragorn's presence with life. He is Strider, the dark and unkempt ranger. Still, he's already got this certain streak of nobility in his appearance. I am so looking forward to seeing him at the end of the story, when he wears his newly-forged sword and is the heir of Gondor truly. All in all, it is baffling how well the casting department has worked on this movie. Cate Blanchett - if there ever was an elven queen, here she is. Huge Weaving - Please, give this man more work! He is great, nothing less. Legolas and Gimli are truly what they need to be. Gimli (is it really John Rhys-Davies under that beard??) is a tough fighter opposed to the D&D-Movie-dwarf, and Legolas is a killer with his bow. Some shots of him were truly astonishing, even though he did nothing more than stand and fire. Sean Bean really gets my sympathy for always playing characters that leave the story early (as he did in Ronin). But he embodies Boromir, and I hope Faramir can stand up to him when he actually appears. Ian Holm as Bilbo has a small but pivotal role, and as could be expected for a man of his renown, he does it great. One final note: Although I know about the `Arwen controversy', I found Liv Tyler refreshing and the role of Arwen not needlessly broadened.
Effects The costumes and set designs are genius. The ease of making hobbits and dwarves appear smaller than they are is baffling. The CGI is employed in a very smart way, not dominating the images, but supporting the atmosphere. It is simply astonishing to see the Shire come to life, or any other part where CGI has a major role. The orcs and urug-hai are the beasts they always needed to be. Ugly, revolting, and very evil, they wear their character on the outside, as opposed to Saruman who is a depraved, but still looks human. Finally, there are some true beauties that I cannot talk about without spoiling. I will just name them. Gollum. The Nazgul. The swelling river. The cave troll. AND THE BALROG - OH MY F*****G GOD! IT IS SO MAGNIFICIENT!
Music The greatest compliment I can make about the music is that most of the time, it did not dominate the shots. It was not all-encompassing, but instead supported the images as it should be. Only when certain topics resurfaced did I notice specific parts of the music - otherwise it just heightened my experience. I am inclined to say that it couldn't have been different with this movie, seeing that everything else went so well.
Conclusion The best part of the whole story is, that all the time I was watching this movie, I was watching this with all my heart. Not only as the geek I am, but also as the normal person I propose to be. I did not regard the movie as a fantasy film, and I didn't relish in the fantastic elements like I would have done in other flicks. It is a great film in its own right. It is the movie I was waiting for, and more. I am not sure this film will draw so many fantasy films to be made, as it is so much more than a fantasy film. It is simply a story told in a certain way, but a story that relates to us as much as to the hobbits and dwarves of middle-earth. This is the kind of film that filmmakers will need to surpass, no matter what kind of film they make. It is a deep, emotional, thrilling, scary, hopeful, satisfying, wondrous ride through one's imagination. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen.