Stunning Cinematic Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2009)

I remember going to the cinema to see The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, having just turned eight years old. At that age, I'd never read the book, but was accompanied by my dad, who had loved and respected them since his own childhood. Little did I know that over the next couple of years, I would be waiting and waiting in anticipation for the next to come out.
The Return of the King is the final chapter in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Without giving too much away in the story, it follows Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) to their great climax, at Mount Doom, where the Ring must be destroyed in order to save middle Earth. The relationship between these two characters in particular remains increasingly gripping and suspenseful, particularly whilst accompanied by the creature Gollum (Andy Serkis), the former owner and slave to the Ring, who will do anything he can in order to win his 'Precious' back. The tone and rate at which we see Frodo weakening to the power of the Ring is perfect, and creates a hugely haunting yet sympathetic feeling towards him. His friendship with Sam, although affected at times by the power of the Ring and Gollum's manipulative nature, in contrast provides a great sense of camaraderie and support, with the right amount of sentiment and emotion.
Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys Davies) are reunited with the two hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) in Isengard after the last march of the Ents, and alongside King Theoden (Bernard Hill) and the Riders of Rohan, led by Eomer, face the great battle for middle Earth before the walls of Minas Tirith. Here we are also introduced to Denathor, steward of Gondor, driven into insanity over a course of many years due to his dangerous use of a Palantir and contact with the Dark Lord Sauron.
Meanwhile, behind the gates of Mordor, Sauron has created his greatest army, consisting of Orcs, wicked men and Nazgul, to destroy the race of men for good. The scenes featuring these creatures set a much stronger tone of darkness and evil than, I believe, the first two films, as you get a real sense of the enormous climax this is all leading towards, and it is truly seeing evil in its deepest, darkest form. The contrast and variation, when good meets evil, is so beautifully done December 2003, and aged 10, I saw The Return of the King at last, and not only did it reach my expectations, as a little girl with a vast imagination and love of fantasy, but it surpassed them by miles. The exquisite sets, beautiful scenery and faultless performances make the final chapter in this extraordinary trilogy a more than memorable one. One of my personal favourite aspects of these films were the relationships between the characters. Whether its laughter between Merry and Pippin, ongoing support between Frodo and Sam, friendly rivalry between Legolas and Gimli or the love between Aragorn and Arwen, the sense of fellowship and love, clichéd as that may sound, is so powerful and so evident, you feel all the emotions they are feeling, as though you are right there, on the journey with them, something which I have never really felt in a film before. This is aided by a masterpiece of a score from Howard Shore; memorable, daunting and gorgeous pieces of music, all perfectly paced and fitting for every scene.
For those of who complain that Lord of the Rings is "boring" or "too long"; firstly, use your imagination. This story is so brilliantly brought to life, it feels like you're watching a piece of history. Secondly; too long? Enough of the book as it is had to be left out of the film to make it a suitable cinematic length; any shorter and too much would have to have been left out. The truth is, the way Peter Jackson and the rest of the crew made this film, was so that anyone who had NOT read the books would be able to follow and get completely immersed in the story. They did a fabulous job of this, as they made this incredibly rich, complex world an accessible one to me as an 8 year old, and to others whom I know, whilst still satisfying the needs of the books' fans.
I remember, not so long ago, watching a documentary of The Return of the King, on the special extended DVD, in which a quote from Viggo Mortensen sticks clearly in my memory. It went something like this - "Many years from now the special effects may seem dated, but the feeling the emotion will always be there." That sums it all up perfectly - the emotion is wonderful. But so are the special effects, and yes, they may seem old some time for now, but they will still feel incredible and very special to me, because those special effects brought JRR Tolkien's novel (which I went on to read after Return of the King) to life in a way that thrilled even his most loyal fans, who thought it could never happen. Peter Jackson has simply created a masterpiece. I don't think I could ever consider this trilogy NOT to be my favourite set of films, and even all these words can't quite sum up how I feel about them... since I was first introduced to that world, at the age of 8 years, I was mesmerised. Now, at 15 going on 16, I am mesmerised. And I know that's how I always will be. Outstanding.