By Elijah Noggle, SCO Cultural Critic
This past week, all three of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies (the extended editions) were re-released in theaters worldwide. Surprisingly, I had never seen these films before, and have no nostalgia for this franchise at all. But I am intrigued by it. This felt like the perfect opportunity to finally experience this franchise in some way for the first time.
I decided to watch only the first movie because reviewing the entire trilogy in one go would be too massive of an undertaking, especially given that I’m relatively new to reviewing movies. Even so, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at The Fellowship of the Ring from the unique perspective of someone experiencing Tolkien’s world for the very first time.
As a new, fresh cinematic experience for me, I have to say this was absolutely incredible—magical, even. I was immediately in awe of the scenery, as I had heard a bit about the filming locations, but seeing them in motion was mesmerizing. Much of the first hour takes place in the Shire, home of the Hobbits, and many of my favorite aspects of the movie are introduced here.
The score, for example, is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. The end-credits theme, the themes that play in the Shire scenes, and the Rivendell motifs are all going on my sleep playlist for sure. It is an astounding achievement not just in film scoring but in music overall. The soundtrack transports you to the world of Middle-Earth just as effectively as the visuals do. Maybe even more so.
Experiencing Tolkien’s storytelling in any form for the first time was truly special. Of course, I don’t know which lines of dialogue are directly from the novel, but I thought the dialogue in this movie had a compelling earnestness to it, and was also genuinely poetic at times. Gandalf, in particular, delivers several moments of powerful “sage wisdom” that felt really impactful. Regardless of how much of the dialogue in this adaptation is Tolkien’s own words, I can really understand why people consider him one of the greatest writers of all time.
I was also incredibly impressed that, despite this being the extended edition of The Fellowship of the Ring —clocking in at 3 hours and 28 minutes— it never felt like it dragged. I’ve seen extended cuts of movies before where the added content disrupts the pacing, but this version of Fellowship flowed perfectly for me.
Given that this is a film based on Tolkien’s novels, one of the most iconic works of high fantasy ever created, there’s plenty of larger-than life scenery and breath-taking action sequences in this film. My favorite was the final battle with the orcs in the forest. I love the camera work, special effects, and fight choreography on display in this sequence.
And [[SPOILERS AHEAD]] Boromir’s sacrifice was truly emotional and became one of my favorite moments in the film. Another standout scene was Gandalf fighting the Balrog. As a new viewer, getting to see the “You shall not pass!” moment on the big screen is something I will never forget. Both scenes are incredibly powerful and speak to how much of a cinematic achievement this film is.
To conclude, Peter Jackson’s version of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a timeless film. Even as someone with zero nostalgia for the franchise, I found that it holds up one thousand percent. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a truly memorable viewing experience.