Despite all the fantasy elements and the many battles,
it would be reasonable to consider Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings
movie trilogy a holiday tradition. All three movies all came out during the
holiday season, feature family and friends joining together, and it is
wonderful escapism to enjoy on a cold winter day. The Return of the King
(2003) is especially joyous since it is the culmination of all the adventures
the characters have gone through, even though there are about five different culminations
as the movie winds down.
Whether you are a fan of the fantasy genre or if you
have read the books, seeing The Return of the King on the big screen is
quite the experience. It is not with every movie that you get to see thousands
of riders charge against an army of orcs on a battlefield only to get attacked
by a battalion of elephant-like creatures. That is one of the most spectacular
scenes in a movie filled with plenty of spectacular scenes over a two and a
half running time. Despite that length, I enjoyed the movie enough to ask for
the extended version on DVD, which I have revisited often over the years during
the holidays. After spending two years living in confinement and having a very
reduced version of Christmas, it was very especially comforting to revisit
those movies this month. Escaping reality was sorely needed.
Whereas the first movie is a quest movie, the next two
movies in The Lord of the Rings could be considered full-scale war
movies. The third is the one where the final battles take place, winner takes
all. As wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) puts it, “the board is set, the pieces
are moving”. While the armies of man slowly assemble to fight the multitudes of
orcs and other creatures serving the dark lord Sauron, Hobbits Frodo and Sam
(Elijah Wood and Sean Astin) make their way to Mount Doom. Like soldiers in
enemy land, they have the mission to destroy the One Ring, essentially a Weapon
of Mass Destruction that can guarantee the Enemy’s victory. J.R.R Tolkien was a
soldier in his youth, and it shows.
Kevin Smith has said his biggest problem with these
movies is that there is a whole lot of walking. There is indeed a lot of
walking as these people don’t have cars, but in the final film everyone finally
gets where they are supposed to be, and it is hugely satisfying. As Frodo and
Sam are ending their trek, led by the sick creature Gollum/Smeagol (Andy
Serkis, in a career-defining role), everyone else is gearing up for war.
Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) is the titular king returning to claim his destiny
and unite the kingdoms of man, but it is not an easy journey. Fortunately, he
is still accompanied by faithful friends Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli
(John Rhys-Davies) who keep things funny by competing in the battlefield. People
are dying all around, but that doesn’t mean an elf and a dwarf can’t wager on
who can kill the most orcs.
On the front line of the war, you have Gandalf and
Pippin (Billy Boyd) who have travelled to the city of Osgilliath, the first
target of Sauron’s army. That city is one of the most beautiful set designs in
the film. Built at the base of a mountain, with different levels rising with
the mountain, it is a beauty to see on the big screen. Unfortunately, its
leader is not a noble king but a vain steward (John Noble) too wrecked by grief
to properly prepare his city for war. Seeing he has to take matters into his
own hands, Gandalf has Pippin clandestinely light up a beacon to call for help.
This leads to a series of magnificent wide shots as we
see beacons be lit across snow-covered mountains, once again highlighting to
beauty of New Zealand. It did make me feel bad for the poor people who have to
light these beacons. Do they seriously spend their entire days up in those icy
mountains waiting for the day when someone might call for help? Now that’s
dedication.
A good thing those beacons were lit, as it leads to
the literal cavalry being called. King Théoden (Bernard Hill) of Rohan chooses
to answer the call and assembles every rider he can find, even though the odds
are not his favour. Among the riders are Hobbit Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and
the king’s niece Éowyn (Miranda Otto), hiding from her warrior brother Éomer (Karl
Urban) who believes women don’t belong in the battlefield. Boy, does she prove
him wrong, uttering the line “I am no man” right before plunging her sword into
a seemingly unkillable enemy.
This is why people keep coming back to those movies. Despite
the extended cut being so long it occupies your whole evening, most of the time
there is something extraordinary going on to keep you riveted. You go on a
journey with these characters and cheer as they march into battle even though they
will most likely die. As Gimli puts it: “Certainty of death. Small chance of
success. What are we waiting for?”
Some people, like super fan Stephen Colbert, say The
Lord of the Rings is the greatest trilogy of all time. That is something
that could be debated for hours by hardcore movie fans, with the possibility of
a few shouting matches. As for me, I do believe The Return of the King
is one of the best conclusions to a trilogy, despite the about four different
endings.
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