Mere Competence

Rating: Null/10 (1 October 2003)

As much as I like this film and respect Peter Jackson's effort, I can't help but think that the film could have been so much more. Everything great about this film can be attributed to the book and the mistakes that were made were Peter Jackson's fault. He was given the opportunity to create what could have been some of the best work ever committed to film, but failed due to lack of talent.
I think style is one of the most important things to be considered when books are adapted to films. The film adaptation should be a cinematic equivalent of the style of the novel. While The Fellowship of the Ring' has the same plot and characters as the book, I think it completely missed the point in the way it was stylized. And this is where it had the potential to have the most impact. Jackson went a bit over-the-top with all the silly shots that regular camera moves couldn't have possibly achieved. There is no aesthetic in this. It is artifice.
If you listen to the director's commentary track on the Ronin DVD, you will hear John Frankenheimer talk a lot about transitions. All the transitions in Ronin were carefully thought through. I don't think you could say that about The Fellowship of the Ring'. Good transitions are important. They denote that time has passed. Some of the cuts from one scene to another in this film have the same effect on you as hearing somebody play the wrong note on a musical instrument.
But there is also a lot to like in this film. It is well cast and it is one of the densest action adventure films I have ever seen. It also has an orchestral score that is appropriately used. Most of the credit should go to J.R.R. Tolkien and Howard Shore. Jackson only deserves respect for getting the film made. He is competent enough to have a distinct style, but it is not a good one. He will never make an important contribution to film.