January 1, 2004 -- The final chapter of the massive Lord of the Rings trilogy is complete with “The Return of the King.” Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy trilogy, this is probably the best fantasy trilogy ever filmed, and among the best film trilogies of any kind, a fitting tribute to Director Peter Jackson and the hundreds of people who worked on this film series. It is unlike most trilogies in that it is more like a miniseries. None of the films is really complete in itself. You have to see all three, preferably after reading the book, to really get what's happening. The first film, “The Fellowship of the Ring” introduces all of the characters and sets up the back story rather nicely. The second film continues the epic battle of good versus evil with the climactic battle for Helm's Deep. The third film picks up the journey of Frodo and Sam, the two Hobbits, on their way to destroy the ring of power, and it concludes an epic series of battles between the armies of men and Mordor to decide the fate of Middle Earth. It is a lovingly-made, mythic series of films that will live forever, just like the books on which they are based. And this isn't the end of the series, either. It appears likely that Jackson and company will probably start working in two years on “The Hobbit,” a prequel to the trilogy, based on the book of the same name by J.R.R. Tolkien.

So how does “Return of the King” compare to the other two films. Very well. It is not quite as good as “Fellowship of the Ring,” but is the equal of “The Two Towers.” Unlike the first two films, it has a true ending, about six of them, as a matter of fact. There is an ending for Sam, an ending for Frodo, an ending for Merry and Pippin, an ending for Gandalf and Arwen, etc. Jackson can't seem to make up his mind where to stop, so the film just keeps chugging along for an hour or so after its natural conclusion. All these endings do serve to tie up all the loose ends, however.

There are plenty of good battles including a memorable battle between Sam (Sean Astin) and Shelob, the giant spider. The horsemen of Rohan versus a huge army and giant elephants is another spectacular battle. Éowyn, a shieldmaiden of Rohan (played by Miranda Otto) does her part for feminism, single-handedly fighting a dragon on the battlefield. The Hobbits, not to be outdone, are also heroic in this film, riding into battle with the big folk and doing their part. The King of Rohan, Theoden (played by Bernard Hill) also stands tall in this battle, riding into glory against overwhelming odds.

Then there is the siege of Minis Tirith and the last stand at the very gates of Mordor, preceded by a stirring speech by Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen). Aragorn, the reluctant hero, reveals himself to be the true king of Gondor in this film, hence the title. Mortensen is entirely convincing as the hero, much like Russell Crowe in “Master and Commander.” He carries himself as did the great movie stars of old. He brings nobility and grace to his role. Orlando Bloom, who plays the elf, Legolas, displays not only the grace you would expect from an elf, but more warmth and humanity than you would expect from this cold, regal race. While the film displays spectacle on a grand scale, it also takes care to flesh out the characters of the Hobbits particularly. The glue that holds the whole story together is Gandalf. Enough cannot be said about the humanity that Ian Mckellan brings to this pivotal role.

One of the many scenes in the series that shows Tolkien's underlying Christianity comes late in “The Return of the King” in a talk between Gandalf and Pippin about what lies beyond death. Tolkien did not approve of allegory, so his Christian references in the books are subtle. It is nice to see that some of these references have filtered through into the films (Jackson himself co-wrote the script). This film, unlike the first two doesn't dwell as much on the sadness over the passing of an age, about the sense that the greatness of the past will never again be equalled. There is sadness over the passing of the elves from Middle Earth, and the sadness over the loss of the great men and civilizations of old. This literary theme of ubi sunt was more evident in the first two films.

Although it is not one of the 10 best films of the year, it would be no surprise to me if “Return of the King” walks off with many major awards this year, including a best picture Oscar. Academy voters do like spectacles, particularly those spoken with an English accent. After all, at some point, critics and the academy need to acknowledge the superb job done by Jackson and his team on this entire, unique, film miniseries. It is a difficult adaptation, extremely well done. This film rates a B+.

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Copyright © 2004 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
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