Almost exactly 25 years after its release, there’s no way around it: The first modern live-action adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings” still remains the best and most faithful ever made. Certainly, die-hard fans of author JRR Tolkien can point to some of the more idiosyncratic gifts that have been given to us over the decades. The animated films of Ralph Bakshi and Rankin-Bass “The Lord of the Rings” loom large as springboards (and visual inspirations) for what followed, while some intrepid viewers might even champion Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy, a lighter (but undeniably more complicated) version of what was meant to be a simple children’s story. Even Prime Video’s “The Rings of Power” series has its defenders, despite the malleable nature of its source material. and its complex rights issues muddy the waters when it comes to comparisons with the original text.
No, there’s a very good reason why “The Fellowship of the Ring” (the expanded edition, in particular) retains its title over any other effort before or after it…including the two sequels that followed in its footsteps. In fact, there is several reasons. Before the trilogy’s opening blockbuster debuted in December 2001, the prevailing view was that Tolkien’s most famous work could never be properly brought to life on the big screen. Fantasy as a genre was considered too outdated, the magical concepts and outlandish characters too absurd to be taken seriously, and its simple themes of good and evil too didactic for contemporary tastes.
And then, in one of the riskiest gambles in all of cinematic history, an unlikely studio took on a low-budget horror filmmaker and hilariously proved conventional wisdom wrong – a perfect mirror of the underdog story at the heart of the best adaptation of them all.
Nothing captures the look, feel, and tone of Middle-earth better than The Fellowship of the Ring.
What comes to mind first when you think of “Lord of the Rings”? Maybe it’s all those battles and fight scenes involving massive armies and stunning visual effects. Then there’s also the mythical story and world-building details, which take up more and more space with each subsequent film. Or maybe it’s the epic scope and scale of the adventure, where the lush landscapes of New Zealand have been transformed into a character in its own right.
This last part best sums up why “The Fellowship of the Ring” stands out so far above the rest. For everything that followed, it had the herculean task of redefining Middle-earth from that point on – not just the visuals but also the intangibles like the tone and feel of it all. It is one thing to strictly recreate the routine descriptions of a landscape, a city or a suit of armor, but it is another to recreate the feeling of while reading these descriptions in JRR Tolkien’s original prose. That’s the miracle that Peter Jackson and his creative team achieve here, right from the opening prologue. Guiding audiences through some of the most complicated moments in Middle-earth history, this intimidating 12 minute sequence introduces entire locations, important characters, and difficult-to-understand concepts so everyone can get to work.
The next three and a half hours take over and further establish this world as a living, breathing entity. We care about the peril posed by the Dark Lord Sauron because of what it would mean for the humble, carefree Hobbits of the Shire. The stakes feel real because Middle-earth feels real without ever becoming derivative or mundane. The sequels are bigger, but none pulled off that tone better than “Fellowship.”
The Fellowship of the Ring is faithful to JRR Tolkien’s books where it matters most
Anyway, how do you measure “faithful” adaptation? For most fanbases, it seems like sticking to the source material as closely as possible will suffice. You can forget to take into account an entirely different medium — whether it’s plot restructuring, creative casting decisions, or just about anything else. This zero tolerance policy is not only unnecessarily restrictive for any adaptation, but it also completely misses the point. After all, “The Fellowship of the Ring” is certainly the most direct translation of the book’s narrative rhythms… but that doesn’t make it the most faithful adaptation.
It has a lot more to do with director Peter Jackson and screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens choosing exactly when to stick to JRR Tolkien’s words and when not to. Compared to the supercharged battle at Helm’s Deep in “The Two Towers” or entire sections of “The Return of the King,” “Fellowship” keeps any invented material to a bare minimum. But he still has the audacity to follow his own instincts when it matters most, wisely condensing a decades-long time jump from the book (that the next “Hunt for Gollum” will explore) or combining the Tolkien-heavy ensemble into a more streamlined cast of characters (giving individuals like Liv Tyler’s Arwen more to do). Heck, remember Uruk-hai Lurtz (Lawrence Makoare) hunting our heroes, culminating in a one-on-one duel with Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn? Completely made up for the film!
Against all expectations, this results in stronger adaptation. Although not a literal retelling of the book, no other better embodies its rugged and adventurous spirit. “Camaraderie” passes the test and may it be a lesson to us all.
