Stunning Conclusion to an Epic Trilogy

Rating: 10/10 (7 January 2004)

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
"I'm glad you're here Sam, here at the end of all things"
I found that this particular line near the conclusion of the film struck a note inside me. Not only as one of my favorite lines from Tolkien's work, but also as a sad reminder that the trilogy has drawn to a close. No more will the rush of anticipation fill me as another December approaches, heralding the arrival of another of Peter Jackson's masterworks. The most monumental of the three films, "The Return of the King" also evokes the strongest impact within me. It represents the culmination of years of the most careful work that brought one of the most epic stories into cinema history.
I'll begin with the obvious strong points of the movie. The effects are absolutely stunning. As you have read countless times previous, the Battle of the Pelennor fields is one of the most exhilerating thrill rides and certainly one of the grandest film battles. My mouth was agape even the third time viewing the Rohirrim stare in horror amidst the low rumble of the charge of the gargantuan Mamukil, during the winged fell beasts diving into the white city of Minas Tirith, and the arrival of the Army of the Dead. In subtler aspects, CGI has been used masterfully to craft a thoroughly convincing and memorable performance of a key character. The marriage of Andy Serkis' acting and the impecable craft of WETA animators created a Gollum worthy of remembrance. The settings are dazzling, particularly the psychedelic green glow of the foreboding Minas Morgul, Minas Tirith itself, and the atmospheric horror of Shelob's lair. Mordor is the true hell of Middle Earth as the strongholds of men are the light.
The acting, though starkly Shakespearean at times, is particularly effective. The relationship between Frodo and Sam is brought to the forefront, powerfully conveying that the most important thing driving these characters through the most evil of places is their friendship. Miranda Otto is given a chance to shine as Eowyn, the caged warrior who finally gets an opportunity to fight for those she cares for. Her confrontation with the Witch King, promulgated by the line "I will KILL you if you touch him!", never ceased to send a shiver down my spine. Though wooden at times, the acting successfully moves the gears of the film. Without the burden of having to establish many characters and settings as the first two films did, "The Return of the King" allows development of many characters who were initially marginalized. Billy Boyd is particularly effective this time around as Pippin.
Howard Shore's musical score is once again stirring as ever, molding a grandness of scale with the closeness and conflict of relationships. The sound design is equally awe inspiring: the Nazgul shrieks and grinding stone of a collapsing city never fail to elicit a response.
Yes, there are shortcomings. Many very interesting scenes from the book didn't make the final theatrical cut. The confrontation with Saruman and the Scouring of the Shire are two notable examples. However, although I have been a Tolkien enthusiast since I first read the books when I was 8 or 9 years old, I do not share the cynicism of many reviewers. Apart from the obvious reason that the film's run-time already exceeds 3 hours, there is a simple question of interpretation. Certain sacrifices needed to be made to craft a feasible film for the movie going public. Furthermore, This is merely a certain group of people's vision of the books. We all have different images of Middle Earth in our minds. The fact that a scene is left out of a movie does not necessarily make it a poor or insufficient telling of a story. I find it interesting for example that hardly any reviewers of Star Wars criticized the movie for having not contained scenes from Lucas' original book. It positively surprised me that so many people have read and enjoyed these fabulous books to offer such valid comments out of their love for the trilogy. I'm sure that the DVD extended edition will please the palate of anyone who was disappointed with the removal of certain scenes.
In conclusion, this film is a gorgeous reminder that CGI can enhance a movie-going experience without sacrificing the human element of film. I am wholly satisfied with Peter Jackson's vision and thank all who worked on this film for bringing such an intricate interpretation of three of my favorite novels to the screen.