A Masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (5 March 2004)

Finally. The concept "a greatest achievement in cinematic history" has found its name. And it's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King". It is next to impossible to gift that movie with an epithet of appropriate glory and magnificence. It would be next to impossible to create a movie that could beat the "King" for a status of the "most superb film of alltime". For this movie jumped over all possible laths and bounds. It is a masterpiece.
Leaving aside the tech perfection of the film and the creativity of all those artists whose immense efforts made the "King" the most accomplished and mind-blowing adaptation in present history, I'd like to say only two words: Peter Jackson. Yes, folks, this is the Man for whom all of us, movie and Tolkien fans, must pray everyday. My dear Mr PJ - bless you! You've made so many people purely happy.
Back to the movie, I'd like to say one main thing to its characterization: it is a movie with a Soul. A Soul that is undying, immortal, mighty and limitless... It is a visual fantasy, it is an emotional outburst, it is a Labour of so many talents, whose incredibly believable performances and marvellous work we'll be cherishing for many many years.
3 hours are nothing when every scene is received with a bated breath. And there were so many: the first glimpse of Minas Tirith, the lighting of the beacons, the Pelennor Fields (*something totally beyond my cognition and perception*), Shelob (no comments), Sam carrying Frodo, the Coronation and the Grey Havens - a whole ocean of others. My only tiny resent was caused by the absence of the Faramir/Eowyn romance, though I see perfectly well why it had to be cut out, and now I'm laying my hopes on PJ to include it into the EE b/c as a devoted book fan I love it so much.
All in all: an exquisite, glorious, terrific end to a great story. Which, speaking the obvious, surpassed its prequels. FOTR and TTT were fantastic but ROTK is everything they could be. It is a movie which essence no award is able to acclaim. A flawless finale and a triumph in its pure sense.