Best of the three

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2003)

SPOILERS POSSIBLE
Now that the whole thing is before us, we can see what an incredible achievement the Lord of the Rings was. To have been able to maintain such a consistent level of excitement and interest throughout ten hours is a spectacular feat. They ought to give Jackson the last two Oscars retroactively.
From the opening sequence involving Smeagol's first taking of the ring to the last of the four or five endings (no doubt making up for the fact that the first two movies really didn't have ANY) Jackson was in complete control - there was not a second where the story lagged or interest waned.
I have often felt that I remember and love movies more for the scattered images that stay imprinted on my brain. This movie gave me several: First, the scene of Rohan's massed cavalry charge into the orcs. Cavalry charges must have been like this; the weight and feel of horses plowing through foot soldier has never been captured in movies like this. It took my breath away. Second, the set design of Minas Tirith was remarkable, all the way up to the jutting rock, like the prow of a ship. The first time we see the city emerging over the mountains takes the breath away. Third, Shelob was the best giant spider in the history of movies - o.k., perhaps the competition is a trifle weak, but still.... Fourth, Gollum remains the pinnacle of CGI art; his ultimate scene, wrestling madly with an invisible Frodo at the brink of the fire of Mount Doom, and the look of triumph on his face as he falls into the fire with the ring is perfect. I understand that Sarkis cannot get an Oscar for his performance, but it is perfect throughout. And the penultimate ending, when Frodo sailed away, actually nearly brought a tear to my eye despite the fact that I had read the books a couple times, and knew not only the end but the line he was going to deliver.
Lord of the Rings usually does not draw mention of the acting, of course, but the acting here is good throughout. Ian MacKellan is a great actor; the last movie where he was not good... come to think of it, he's never not been good. Of the Hobbits, Sean Astin's performance was the strongest. The remainder of the actors inhabit their roles with skill.
Quibbles? Sure, the dismissal of Sauruman with a perfunctory "He's harmless" blew away what had been a prominent story arc of the first two movies. The absence of the scouring of the Shire was missed, but only a little; considering the prominence that Tolkein gave it, the movie played surprisingly well without it. I missed the Faramir/Eowyn romance, but only in the few seconds when they glanced at each other in the coronation scene.
This entire arc of a story, from the retelling of the first great war against Sauron to the return of Sam to hearth and home, is one of the spectacular achievements of cinema. And three great movies, to boot.