Film Essay
December 7, 2003

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Heart of a Masterpiece

By Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP

In ancient pre-Christian times, in a little hamlet in Middle Earth called The Shire, there lived a hobbit that was small of stature and great of heart. His name was Frodo Baggins and he was chosen and called to save the world from the domination of the Dark Lord Sauron. Sauron wanted to destroy Middle Earth because he lusted after the power that this instrument would give him over all other creatures. His will to possess this particular Ring, which once had been given to him but then taken away, put all of Middle Earth into panic.

A wizard, Gandalf the Grey, tells Frodo and to set out for Bree in order to get the Ring out of The Shire. This is the first stage of a journey that will take Frodo and his companions (the fellowship will grow to nine) on an incredible journey to return the Ring to the place it was forged and destroy it. Thus, they would break its power and save Middle Earth. This team completed the task against all hope. But they did not do it alone.

Thirteen months to the day that Frodo Baggins and three of his companions set out to Mount Doom to destroy the powerful One Ring of power, they returned home. They had shared a great adventure, and for some, a new one is beginning.

The Fellowship of the Ring

In director Peter Jackson's first film we learn that Frodo, his faithful companion, Sam (Sean Astin), and two younger hobbits, Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan), leave their idyllic home and set out for distant places. They are on a desperate journey although their task is not revealed to them all at once.

The good elf Elrond (Hugo Weaving), father of Arwen (Liv Tyler), convenes a council to help Frodo and his hobbit companions discern what they must do with the Ring. It is decided that the only way to save it from Sauron is to destroy it where it was originally forged. When the fellowship leaves Rivendell, the companions are nine: the four hobbits, an elf, Legolas (Orlando Bloom), a dwarf, Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), two men, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) who is the son of a king, and Boromir (Sean Bean), a wizard, Gandalf (Ian McKellen). On their way to Mount Doom, they experience temptation to power, danger, attacks by the minions of Sauron, uncertainty, steadfastness and friendship. Boromir dies and Gandalf falls to his death. After the death of Boromir, Frodo, who bears the Ring around his neck, decides to continue alone. But the faithful Sam will not allow this, and they set off in a small boat to the next stage of the journey.

The Two Towers

The fellowship has now split up into groups and they find allies along the way. Meanwhile, the malevolent wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) of the kingdom of Isengard allies himself with the Dark Lord Sauron (hence the Two Towers. Sauron then sends his troops from Morder into battle against the people of the kingdom of Rohan who have taken refuge at Helm's Deep. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, with the help of an army of elves, defend the stronghold. Pippin and Merry are befriended by a tree herder, an Ent, that walks and talks about the utter destruction that war inflicts on the land and people; Frodo and Sam include the odd creature Gollum as their guide. The good wizard comes back to life transformed. He is now Gandalf the White.

The Return of the King

But who is Gollum, or Smeagol and what is his relationship to the Ring? We find out that a long time ago he killed in order to possess the Ring but then lost it. This act of violence and knowledge of the Ring's power changed him - physically, psychologically, morally. He is torn into two by guilt and the struggle with temptation (hence the two names) to regain the Ring again at any cost. He is someone to be pitied. This is what Frodo does, to Sam's great dismay because he senses Gollum's duplicity. They continue their journey to destroy the Ring where it was made: the Crack of Doom at Mordor.

Sauron has taken on the shape of an Eye that seems to see everything. Pippin gets into trouble and the Dark Lord thinks he is the Ring bearer. Pippin is separated from Merry when he and Gandalf head for the safety of Minas Tirith. The steward for the throne of Minas Tirith in the land Gondor is Denethor (John Noble), the father of Boromir who died and Faramir (David Wenham) who lives.

Denethor is a tragic figure and his relationship with his thoughtful warrior-son Faramir is devastating. Denethor holds the throne for Aragorn who has yet to decide if he is fit to be a king. A faceless character, the Mouth of Sauron, arrives on the scene to challenge the defenders of Middle Earth.

Sauron is on the offensive because he seeks to destroy everything between him and the Ring. Sauron's Eye is watching Frodo - or so he thinks. Aragorn, along with Legolas and Gimli, pledge to fight for King Theoden (Bernard Hill.)

Aragorn decides to accept his calling to be king and unites all the troops to fight against Sauron and his minions, the Orcs. Merry, who has been named a squire of Rohan, goes into battle with Eowyn (Miranda Otto), Theoden's niece. She is sweet on Aragorn, but this relationship is not to be. Others are promised.

For a long time, the rest of the fellowship is unsure if Frodo still lives because Sauron has tricked them. When they realize Frodo is alive and still on the quest, Aragorn creates a diversion for Sauron's Eye so Frodo can continue. Aragorn uses dead soldiers, who await redemption in a kind of purgatory, to fight the Orcs and their machines of war. Thus the Eye of Sauron looks elsewhere.

There is much mischief and misdirection, love, faith and hope, struggle and decisions to be made among the three who climb the Mount of Doom, and a terrible spider, Shelob, to be fought. The treacherous Gollum (and his shadow self Smeagol, who are now talking to each other as one), and Frodo reach the fires of the Crack of Doom. The battles on the plains below match the intense struggle on the rim of lava and fire. Who possesses the Ring? Who will destroy it? How will all this end? The time, the defining moment, has come.

Who Destroys the Ring?

"The Ring," according to co-writer Fran Walsh, "works as evil. It denies the bearer free will." According to director Peter Jackson, "The Ring represents 'the machine' for Tolkien, the industrial age and the loss of free will it introduced." Why do the characters lust after the Ring? "Because," explains Jackson, "it offers power. If you are a good person, you think you can use it for good, but this is a false hope." Who or what, then, destroys the Ring at the end of this three-part cinematic spectacle? How can an inanimate object symbolize, or actually "be" the lack of free-will or the hope of power for good? Does it matter? Do we care? If you see the film, you may well indeed argue this question yourself with your family and friends.

The fact is that even if we have only experienced the Lord of the Rings trilogy via film without reading the books (The Lord of the Rings trilogy was written over a period of years and published by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1954 - 1955), we now know these characters and we do care. As the Return of the King begins, we want these friends, especially the hobbits, to succeed because they are like all the Davids of history facing their Goliaths and winning the day. The wait for this final installment of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is worth it because viewers will discover that the heart of this prodigious project resides here.

Back to the Ring

Just who destroys it depends on who you ask. According to Jackson, the loss of the Ring is ultimately accidental. John Rhys-Davies who plays Gimli, thinks it is Frodo, though it might seem to be Gollum. To Andy Serkis who plays Gollum, it is the collaboration of the fellowship, of all the events and decisions to act coming together that results in the destruction of the Ring - a group effort. Sean Astin, Sam, agrees that a collective effort destroys it. "Though the Ring destroys itself in some ways." Elijah Wood, Frodo, says that it was Frodo's destiny to destroy the Ring and that he had the wisdom to acknowledge Gollum's role as a Ring bearer in the end. So it is Frodo's mercy that destroys the Ring." Billy Boyd, Pippin, agrees that the Ring destroyed itself. What do you think?

Themes and Ideas for Contemplation and Conversation

Interviews with the director, writers, cast members and special effects professionals took place in Los Angeles on December 3, 2003. Journalists from the religious press took that opportunity to ask what the films and the experience of making them over such a long period of time meant to them (from the start of filming in October 1999 to final voice work that concluded only last summer).

The list of their responses about the universal themes they gleaned from both Tolkien's work and the making of the films reads like a catechism of sins, vices, virtues and ideas. Together these show that the sincere struggle by all people to overcome inner darkness by reaching for the light of goodness can only make the world a better place. In particular, each of the seven deadly or capital sins is explored for the individuals and societies of Middle Earth (pride, avarice, envy, lust, wrath, gluttony, sloth) and responded to by the fellowship in ways that evoke the teachings of Jesus in the Scriptures: the beatitudes (e.g. "Blessed are the meek"), the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit (e.g. courage, joy, kindness, patience, faith, hope, love, wisdom, fortitude), the spiritual and corporal works of mercy and Christian teachings about social justice (e.g. human dignity.)

Everyone knows by now that J.R.R. Tolkien (1882 - 1973), a Catholic and a linguist/mythologist, never meant The Lord of the Rings to be a Christian allegory. In fact, the influence of Norse mythology in particular gives the Rings myth a decidedly pre-Christian flavor. Sir Ian McKellan, who plays Gandalf, noted that "there is no church in Hobbiton." What then do our reflections mean? What can believers and people of good will everywhere discover in the story?

Make your own list when you see the trilogy as a whole or in the DVD extended versions (highly recommended by Tolkien lovers). Catechists, teachers, spiritual directors and parents as well as people interested in character development and social justice will want to talk about the themes, virtues and ideas that the films bear witness to.

Coming Home

Which film of the trilogy will be your favorite? The actors, directors, writers and special effects producers expressed different preferences for a variety of reasons. Bernard Hill (King Theoden) likes The Return of the King for its universal values; for writer Fran Walsh, whose family lost a young friend to cancer during the filming, it is Return of the King because deals with the next life in a beautiful way. Because he film shows that there is something beyond death, she felt it was a catharsis and comfort in their loss and shows a hopeful way to face our mortality. For John Rhys-Davies, (Gimli), it is the second film because as a book it was unfilmable and they did it anyway.

For Sir Ian McKellan (Gandalf), it is the Fellowship of the Ring because he can identify better with Gandalf the Gray as a character, the leisurely time they had to set up the story and to see the character of Gandalf "off duty" before he turned into the White. For Sean Astin, Sam, it is the fellowship of the Ring because it shows how much the hobbits love each other.

The Return of the King is Elijah Wood's favorite because it shows the end of the journey and is the most emotional. The fellowship was faced with the ultimate task and they succeeded; what was lost was ultimately gained and we get to see what happens after the Ring is destroyed. "Even the smallest person can do something great, " said Wood.

Composer Howard Shore said that the final film is his favorite because it is the most connected of the movies. It enabled him to apply all that he had learned and experienced with the music from the first two to The Return of the King. Liv Tyler (Arwen), Orlando Bloom, (Legolas) , Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), and Richard Taylor, director of special effects, said that the entire trilogy wins their vote since they have experienced the story and project as a seamless whole.

From tranquility to rumors of war, and war itself, we come the full mythic circle, home again to The Shire with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Frodo's vocation as the Ring bearer culminates with the passage from one adventure to another that will surely inspire believers no matter how we interpret it. Sam follows his vocation to marry and have a family.

If the beauty and integrity of how the fellowship bears witness to the measure and quality of friendship is the only thing that you experience from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, it is enough.

By the end of this 200 minute epic one quote from the heroic Sam will remain with you (and probably make cinema history): "I cannot carry the Ring, Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you with it." Who is the real hero of The Lord of the Rings? Only you can decide.SIDEBAR

Questions about Evil and The Lord of the Rings:

As audiences watch The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, as well as DVD's of the first two films of the trilogy, the world situation and current events will be playing in the background of our minds. The Lord of the Rings is a grand myth, an over-arching tale that like all myths, seeks to explain the complexities of human existence. Here are some questions about evil and war that viewing The Lord of the Rings may evoke and that we can talk about with others. The very virtues that characterized life in The Shire and the relationships of the members of the Fellowship are the very ones that can help humanity today resolve conflicts before situations become so hostile that a solution seems hopeless. (See the Gospels and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, pp. 2307 - 2315, as well.)

• Why did the situation in Middle Earth become so hopeless in the first place?
• Did the citizens of Middle-Earth ever attempt to dialogue with Sauron and the other forces of darkness before they became dark?
• What is the source of evil?Are human beings ever inherently evil?
• Why do people choose evil over good?
• What is the nature of free will?Why do freedom and responsibility balance the other in human affairs?
• Is there such a thing as a just war?
• When is war the proper response to aggression?
• How can we make peace?

Select Titles about Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings
(Available from Pauline Books & Media center nearest you.)

Finding God in The Lord of the Rings, Kurt Bruner, Jim Ware, Tyndale House, 2001, $12.99

J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, Religion, Richard L. Purtill, Ignatius Press, 2002, $13.95

J. R. R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-Earth, Bradley J. Birzer, Joseph Pearce, $15.00

Tales before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy (Classic stories that inspired the author of The Lord of the Rings), Del Ray, 2002, $14.95

The Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Middle Earth, Paul H. Koucher, Ballantine Books, 1972, $12.99

The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom of Middle-Earth, Ralph C. Wood, Westminster John Knox Press, $14.95

The Lord of the Rings , J.R.R. Tolkien, one volume edition, Houghton Mifflin, $30.00

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, boxed paperback set, Ballantine Books, $29.95

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, boxed quality paperback set, Houghton Mifflin, $45.00

Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings: A Guide to Middle Earth, Colin Duriez, Hidden Spring, 2001, $17.95

Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter (A Look at the Unsettling Power of Tolkien's Mythology), Greg Wright, VMI Publications, 2003, $13.95

NEW!
Tolkien: A Celebration - Collected Writings of a Literary Legacy, Ed. By Joseph Pearce, $12.95

Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings, Mark Eddy Smith, InterVarsity Press, $12.00

Tolkien's World A-Z: The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth, Robert Foster, 1971, $24.95

Tolkien's World: Paintings of Middle-Earth, various authors, MJF Books, $14.9