December of this year will be the twentieth anniversary of The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Now is the perfect time to reflect on the saga, to celebrate its abundant achievements, and, specifically, to appreciate The Fellowship of the Ring as the best film of the entire series - including the Hobbit Trilogy.
For decades after the publication of the books, the film rights to The Lord of the Rings passed through several hands. Hands as illustrious as John Boorman, Stanley Kubrick and George Lucas attempted to take a swing at producing the epic for the big screen. Throughout all that only meager animations and a few Tolkien inspired fantasy films, such as Excalibur or Willow, came of it. The turn of the century proved to be the right time, New Zealand the right place, and Peter Jackson the right person to firmly establish The Lord of the Rings as the quintessential cinematic masterpiece.
The Fellowship of the Ring hit theatres in the late winter of 2001 and went on to earn a surprising 888-million-dollars in box office returns, second that year only to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The theatrical release ran for 178 minutes (just under three hours), and the 2002 DVD extended edition release pushed the runtime to 228 minutes (three hours and forty-eight minutes). It won four Oscars at the 74th Academy Awards.
To the delight of fantasy fans, the Fellowship established the gold standard for a series that was true to the lore, rich in visual detail, and delivered an immensely satisfying story. To the general moviegoer, the Fellowship was unlike anything they had ever seen. If the Fellowship of the Ring were as rushed, ill-planned, and ill-conceived as the Hobbit Trilogy it would have ruined any chances for future fantasy or comic book material to gain mainstream attention. Without the Fellowship of the Ring, the fantasy genre would not hold any credence in cinemas or on television. Franchises like Game of Thrones, The Chronicles of Narnia, and even the MCU all stand on the shoulders of Fellowship.
Of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Fellowship is the best movie. The point was argued in favor by Elijah Wood in a 2015 Screen Junkies Movie Fight (timestamp 33:20 to 44:30). Here are several more reasons why the Fellowship is better than The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
Feast Your Eyes on Middle-Earth
The Fellowship had the formidable responsibility of establishing the entire world of Middle-Earth. All the characters, locations, themes, and conflicts had to be presented in a clear and coherent way for the general audience to buy into the world. It was the first sight of a land so different from the real world but so alluring. It captivated the viewer with its defining visual aesthetic and elegant music. Howard Shore’s Academy Award-winning score provided audible validity to this magical world. The Fellowship was a full and true cinematic sub-creation. Only Star Wars: A New Hope achieved the same enchanting vision of another world.
The Fellowship premiered enigmatic characters like Gandalf and Sauron, invited fans to locations such as Moria, Rivendell, and the humble Shire for the first time. The movie excited fans with intense action sequences like the Nazgül pursuit or the showdown on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. It trailblazed the path that the sequels followed. From the opening narration by Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) to the closing scenes of Frodo and Sam’s escape from the Uruk-hai ambush, there is not a single wasted shot. One could catch the film at any scene and be enraptured by the story of the moment. Should a viewer decide not to continue watching the trilogy, they would be completely satisfied with the standalone experience of this movie. Unlike its successors, the Fellowship is not derivative.
Paced with Purpose
Whereas the Two Towers is trisected by plotlines and the Return of the King bisected, the Fellowship provides a consistent singular path reaching a decisive conclusion. The whole point of the movie is that the One Ring is such a threatening presence that Frodo must journey to Mordor alone, alone with Sam Gamgee of course. The Fellowship is formed by Elrond in Rivendell to shield Frodo from the threat of the Nazgül and to journey with him from the elven city to the depths of Mount Doom.
Steadily, from that point onward, Frodo realizes he cannot trust any of his companions, and that the lure of the Ring is too much for them, even for Aragorn. Boromir’s betrayal near the riverbank is the final evidence he needs to break away. In this film, the Fellowship is formed in good conscience, tested in trials and travel, and then dissolved by mistrust and paranoia. Neither of the sequels have this level of focus. The Fellowship is faultless in its execution.
Cultural Impact
In addition to all of this, the Fellowship had a major impact on pop culture, particularly the early internet. Though first started as a cute joke, the adoration of Bret McKenzie (half of the Flight of the Conchords duo) as an elven extra during a split-second scene in Rivendell turned into a whole internet phenomenon known as Figwit Lives! The Fellowship is the source of a whole heap of familiar memes like “One Does Not Simply,” “And My Axe,” “You Shall Not Pass!” and enduring concepts such as second breakfast, elevenses, or luncheon. The subsequent films add to the legacy of social influence with memes like “They’re Taking the Hobbits to Isengard!” and “I Am No Man!” but neither offered as much rich material as the first. The Fellowship cemented the Lord of the Rings as not only the peak of fantasy genre films, but a cultural touchstone for the mainstream audience.
It can be agreed that The Two Towers has the coolest battle of the trilogy, that of Helm’s Deep, and The Return of the King is considered the finest of the trilogy, having won eleven Oscars. Some would also argue that the overall legacy of the Lord of the Rings would not have been so great had the final film landed poorly. Had such occurred, the trilogy would have faded to obscurity like so many pale imitators thereafter. Nevertheless, The Fellowship of the Ring is a monumental cinematic achievement by all accounts.
Amazon is producing a live-action TV series for its Prime Video streaming service. The first season of eight episodes intends to launch sometime this year with a second season already in production.