One movie to rule them all!

Rating: 9/10 (14 January 2002)

How is it possible to create a visualization of a story that millions of people have visualized in their minds for decades? How can such a movie justify the universe that one J.R.R Tolkien used his entire adult life to develop. These questions have been pondered my many directors during the years, but it was to be Peter Jackson that took it upon him the task of venturing into this enormous project.
An assignment like the one Jackson have embarked on, must have been one with many challenges. Who would act the roles of the members of the brotherhood? Established stars or up-and-coming method actors? Which sequences from the book should be a part of the film, and which could be let out? Should one focus on the conflicts of one or two characters, in order to follow an ordinary dramaturgical recipe, or should one embark on the immensely difficult task of trying to embrace the book's enormous amount of main characters?
These are questions that Peter Jackson, along with millions of Tolkien fans, have asked themselves. And it is a great pleasure to see that Jackson has solved these and all the other problems in a superb manner. Jackson has succeeded in both transferring the magic and mystery of the book and at the same time interpreting the story into a unique and truly enthralling work of his own.
The movie's finest quality is its dramaturgical pace. Like a perfect poem, the story shifts between smooth tempo and beautiful sequences, quick, high-action and unbearingly exciting thriller scenes. This gives an unbearing feeling of unpredictability which for the entire movie keeps you at the edge of your seat. Just when you think you are given time to breathe, something happens that makes you almost choke. This dramaturgical curve is epic and effective, and it brings to the story an excellent focal balance between the overall journey and the individual sequences. Because of this the three hours never feels long and tiresome.
The next superb quality that has to be mentioned, is the casting. Sir Ian McKellen is fenomenal in the role of Gandalf, bringing to the caracter the difficult combination of power and empathy, force and generosity, a combination that is showed so masterfully in the book. Also Sean Bean as the ambivalent Boromir is done masterfully. One can almost feel the pain and suffering of his weak human mind, as he tries to understand the power of the ring. The ringbearer Frodo is also perfectly performed by Elijah Wood. The graceful movements, the frightened looks, the shivering voice and the almost androgyne appearance of Wood is perfect for showing Frodo's unimageaneable ambiguity towards being made the bearer of the ring.
And this brings me to another excellent quality of Jackson's filmatization: the presentation of the ring. One of the unique thing about The Lord of the Rings as a story about good vs. evil, is that evil is not represented by a living thing. The Dark Lord Sauron is of course the enemy, but seeing that he is not a material part of the story per se, the protagonist is actually the ring. And what is beautifully done by Jackson in this respect, is that he has given the ring the lifelike and dynamic features that actually makes the viewer fear it. We can sense the brotherhood's fear and attraction towards the ring, we can feel the temptation of its golden, smooth appearance. And this makes the overall story even more excrutiating.
Add to these qualities marvellous landscapes, beautiful pronounciation of Elf language by Arwen/Liv Tyler, a powerful Sarumann, disgustingly gracious orcs, mounting nazguls, a gorgeous Cate Blanchett as Galadriel and breathtaking fight scenes, and one will understand that many claim that Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings: The Brotherhood of the Ring" is the greatest film ever made. I will not make this claim, for it is an impossible claim to make. I will however declare that the film has created a genre in filmmaking, a standard which fantasy-, science fiction-, and adventure films in the future will strive for. This kind of thrill is what every director will dream of being able to replicate. This is the movie to rule them all.
Oh, and by the way, the CG graphics and special effects are just as good as they ought to be with this kind of production budget...