| The Masterpiece |
29 December 2003
|
Return of the King -- Magic is Real
The hottest movie ticket this Christmas is "Return of the King," the third and final installment in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Two grown generations of Tolkien fans have had a dream come true. And therein lies the beauty.
The trilogy holds a special place in literature, a myth written in modern times. To hear the tale of Frodo is to hear the tales of Gilgamesh, Hercules, Sinbad, and King Arthur. Until now, though, it was only a myth on paper. Celluloid made it something more.
The hard-core fans were, of course, disappointed by the absence of Saruman, played by the inimitable Christopher Lee in the two earlier films, but the picking of nits has been minimal. Directing and acting are the making of choices. Peter Jackson's choices as a director have been almost flawless, the choices only a true fan could make.
The actors played their parts well, and New Zealand is Middle Earth. Yet, the love that was poured into the films is best shown by the extras. For almost no compensation, they lay in the mud, filmed as dead orcs, and wounded men, and crippled elves. There was heavy competition for these roles because being in a film is pretty nifty, but being in this film was a privilege.
One hopes that Peter Jackson makes a romantic comedy next, that Elijah Wood (Frodo) gets a TV series, and the Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf, wielder of the Wand of Mass Destruction) someday gets the recognition for his Richard III that he deserves. No matter what else they do, the passion that went into these three films will not be rivaled in their other work. It was just too good to last.
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