Don't Keep It Secret, But Do Keep It Safe

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2014)

I found "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" to be dazzlingly cinematic and intellectually engaging, and the casting is superb. Stunning location shooting and terrific special effects bring Tolkien's novel to vivid life on the screen. Because of the density of the material, I enjoyed this movie even better on DVD than in the theater.
The wonderful way the "Fellowship" bands together to help each other, though they are strangers, is very much an example of how anybody is willing to help one another. When one is wounded, the others rally around to protect him. It is a very powerful illustration of friendship and sacrifice helping the wounded, and pulling together to conquer the common enemy.
The evil ring itself represents the lure of sin. Anyone within its sphere of influence is tempted by its mysterious pull. A type of hypnotic lust for power is felt by anyone weak of heart. One of the most powerful scenes in the movie is when the Forest Elf Queen Galadriel is alone with Frodo and is offered the ring. Frodo is tired and weary of constant danger and would be happy to have someone of more substance take it off his hands. Galadriel (who radiates a soft glow) confesses she has always dreamed of possessing it.
The strength of Jackson's vision as depicted in The Fellowship of the Ring gives movie-goers cause to hope that we may be in the midst of a cinematic achievement. Bottom line? "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is a wonderful epic movie that vividly captures most of Tolkien's vision, including his moral vision.