Elijah Wood as Frodo, Andy Serkis as Gollum, and Sean Astin as Sam in the Return of the King
Best Picture Winner 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, Ian McKellen
Other Awards: Best Director, (Peter Jackson) Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Make-Up, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing
Summary: The third and final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Men prepare for war against the Dark Lord Sauron’s evil forces while Frodo and Sam approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring.
Let me just lead with the fact that I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan. My books are worn and my DVD box set is among one of my prized possessions, so naturally I LOVE this movie. The books are fantastic and they tell a mesmerizing and engaging story and usually with fictional worlds like Middle Earth, it’s difficult to translate to film. With almost all movie adaptations people will say “the book was better.” Sometimes it’s more than just not living up to the book, but rather a total disaster that ruins the enjoyment of the story permanently. I’ve found that for film adaptations, it’s not about being as good as the book or not altering any minor details, but being just as good in a different way. The Lord of the Rings trilogy made changes from the book, but the writers did it in such a way that enhanced the story and brought something new to the table. In my opinion, what made the Lord of the Rings possibly the best book to film adaptation of all time was how it brought to life a story that had only existed in people’s imaginations before and enhanced the experience.
Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf
I also believe this movie was a pioneer in the fantasy-epic genre of film. Previously, fantasy films were not taken seriously and written off as something for little boys to enjoy. Lord of the Rings was the first of its kind to put a lot of time and effort to create a film set in a fantasy world that could be not only taken seriously, but admired. The films are stunning in their visual effects as well as their costumes and they got the recognition they deserved.
The Return of the King basically swept the 76th Academy Awards, winning all of the categories it was nominated for. The Lord of the Rings had been recognized the previous two years with the preceding films garnering a few nominations and wins, but the eleven wins that The Return of the King was awarded was really for the trilogy as a whole. The Return of the King currently holds the record for most wins, tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur.
The things that come together to make the Lord of the Rings so fantastic is all the behind the scenes work. The entire series was shot in sequence over an 18 month long shoot. This was the first time any director had attempted this, but it helped the actors and production team focus. Still, the most impressive part to me about the whole series is the costume design. The costumes each have their own uniqueness and depth, whether it be distinct colors for each species in Middle Earth or constant wear down to make the costumes look “lived in,” the detail is there and it shows on screen, especially with a cast so large.
Climactic battle scene in The Return of the King
With all of the awards the Lord of the Rings trilogy won, it’s the acting that is really looked over. I believe the reason for this is that the Lord of the Rings focuses on telling a story, not giving each individual actor the chance to shine. However that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be credit where credit is due. The most impressive actors I believe in the whole trilogy are Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen. Wood plays the main character, Frodo, who is burdened with the task of being the Ringbearer and must make the journey to Mount Doom to destroy it. McKellen plays the wizard Gandalf, who aids Frodo and the Fellowship along the way. Their respective characters each undergo a transformation throughout the trilogy and it’s amazing to see them transform into something completely different than when they began.
Of course the film only passes one out of the three requirements for the Bechdel test. Liv Tyler’s character Arwen, Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel, and Miranda Otto’s Éowyn are both prominent characters in the film, but they do not interact with each other or any other female for that matter. Surprisingly, the films expanded on these characters more than in the book where they are nearly nonexistent.
The Return of the King and the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a whole is an exceptional film experience, which is why it gets 4 stars. (possibly could have gotten 5 with a handful of female characters) Even if you don’t like fantasy movies, they are something everyone should attempt to see at least once, but if you’re going through the whole series I would suggest you have all the DVDs available because waiting to see the next one is torture.
TRIVIA: The theatrical version of The Return of the King runs 201 minutes (3 hours and 21 mins) while the extended edition DVD runs 251 minutes (4 hours and 11 mins)
