Friday, January 2, 2009

I ♥ the Lord of the Rings

When I heard that the books of The Lord of the Rings were going to be made into movies I was dubious. Really--the books were huge, and the chosen director was relatively unknown. What chance did he have of translating Tolkein's epic vision into something that really worked on the big screen? I didn't even see the first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, until it had been out for a couple of weeks.

Within just a few minutes I was a believer. Peter Jackson my new hero. And the black riders my new nightmare. The next year Cindy Lynn and I, along with two friends, were at the theater on opening night for The Two Towers, and the following year for The Return of the King. This year is the third or fourth year that we have had a LotR marathon over Christmas break. By the end of our marathon I am saturated in the story and moved to tears by the bittersweet beauty of it all.

Here are some of the things I love about The Lord of the Rings--in no particular order:
  • Watching Legolas grab arrows and shoot--all one motion.
  • Rivendale--must have been designed by Thomas Kinkade.
  • Aragorn and Arwen and the "loveness of the love."
  • Watching Frodo run in slo-mo for the Buckleberry Ferry.
  • The mines of Moria--particularly the bridge at Kazhad-dum.
  • The musical themes--The Shire, Moria, Rohan. Really incredible music!
  • The cineamatography.
  • Gandolf arriving to save the day at Helm's Deep.
  • Gollum vs. Smeagol
  • Aragorn, the reluctant hero, finally accepting his role as King.
  • Legolas' stunts--jumping onto the horse, skiing on the shield, etc.
  • Incredible attention to costume detail.
  • Lighting the beacons of Gondor.
  • Most heartbreaking scene juxtaposition ever--Pippin singing, Denethor eating, horses carrying soldiers to certain death.
  • Samwise Gamgee, the true hero of the day.
  • Tolkein's language.

I see in your eyes the same fear
that would take the heart of me.

A day may come when the courage of men fails,
when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship,
but it is not this day.
An hour of woes and shattered shields,
when the age of men comes crashing down!
But it is not this day!

  • And lastly--a story in which every person can be a hero. In which each person's task is vital. And in which every person learns that they can do more than they thought they could. (Except for Legolas, who never had any doubts to begin with!)

8 comments:

  1. Ooh, that totally makes me want to watch them again, and maybe even read them, ask me sometime why I have yet to read them myself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You totally should read them, Kathleen. They are amazing & beautiful books. Very very long, though!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like lots of fun...you have a fun house! Ben was sad to have missed it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You left out my favorite moment (maybe because it's not in the books- I haven't read them), where Eowyn says kills that huge scary guy and he says "No man can kill me", to which she replies, "I am no man"- love it. As an aside, I googled "I am no man" to make sure I got it right and apparently you can buy the bumper sticker- I might just have to get one!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I also loved that she did not get the guy, and yet she still had a "happy" ending.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, I love that part too! We all cheer when she rips off her helmet. That is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete