Eng225 Final

The Lord of the Rings:

The Fellowship of the Ring

Nathan Wibbenmeyer

ENG 225

Prof. Alene Morrison

07/28/2014

In the summer of 1954 a fictional masterpiece novel of magnificent proportions was published. While at the time of publication the immense significance of this novel was still unknown, it would go on to forever change the world of fantasy fiction and later, change the realm of fantasy film making. This enduring novel was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, penned by J.R.R. Tolkien and it took another 57 years before the world would be introduced to the cinematic treasure that was beautifully rendered by director Peter Jackson. Released in 2001 by Jackson and masterfully shot by cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, starring astounding actors such as Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen, and many, many more acting greats, this film was just the first blockbuster of a string of fantasy movies interpreted from the original writings of J. R. R. Tolkien that set the world on its’ ear, and even won a few awards (96 total worldwide) with its amazingly crafted story, plot line, score, and cinematography (IMDb Cast, 2014).

The story behind this novel and film is the basic quest type storyline but Jackson’s execution and portrayal of this story is far from basic. The story is about a young man, or Hobbit in this case, who inherits a powerful and possibly world changing artifact, the “Ring”, and is charged with the delivery and destruction of this artifact. The quest is a long, arduous journey which will take the young Hobbit, Frodo, far away from the home in which he is not only acquainted to, but also extremely reluctant about leaving, through unfamiliar and treacherous lands which he could only dream of, only to finally end at an enormous volcanic mountain, where the ring was originally forged, which is not only guarded by an army of other-worldly monsters but is also threatening to violently erupt at any time. The...