March 24th, 2022

J. R. R. Tolkien was without a doubt one of the greatest book writers of human history, bringing to life a whole new universe of creatures, magic, worlds, languages, cultures and adventures. The Fellowship of the Ring, the first movie of the franchise, transports us into that universe that we thought could only live inside Tolkien’s mind or his faithful readers, like myself.

Same as the first book, this movie is not about epic battles, it's about hobbits, little creatures who live in small houses, eat seven times a day, and have never been far from home. This movie is about hope, the primary goal of the story. The greatest magic is that you can relate with these little creatures, feel part of the story, and how even you can make an impact, like Galadriel once said, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." At the first part of the film, the rings are presented to us, with the amazing narrative from Cate Blanchett, they set the stage for what is about to come, and what the journey that you can expect is going to be. The adventure starts when Gandalf finds that the ring in Frodo's possession, is in fact the “one ring”, the most dangerous object in Middle Earth at that time. Frodo in his innocence volunteers to carry the ring on an epic quest, to destroy it in Mount Doom, in the hearth of Mordor, where it was forged.

I could not possibly think of a better place to represent Middle Earth than New Zealand, with all its valleys, mountains, farms, and other temperate and subtropical landscapes. Hobbiton, the village inhabited by the hobbits, fits very well on a little farm placed in the city of Matamata, not far from Auckland. Despite all the greenish areas mentioned above, there is also the grayish, ashy, volcano soil that makes a perfect scenery for a dark and chaotic place, like Mordor.

Peter Jackson, the director of the movie, was able to deliver a perfect execution of this amazing fantasy world. The action scenes can put you right in the middle of it, and really keep your heart going, but this movie is not centered in the action. I dare to say, The Fellowship of the Ring has the best scenes and dialogues of all the trilogy. Seeing Lady Galadriel giving gifts to the company, you immediately remember when you were reading this in the book, especially when Gimli asks for a single strand of her hair, and She then honors him with three. Even this has a deep connection with the entire universe that Tolkien created. Like from the “Unfinished Tales - The Story of Galadriel”, she refused to give one single strand of her heir to Feanor, the most powerful Elf to ever live, but to Gimli, a Dwarf, she gave three. In my opinion, these little details, that connection with the past, makes this movie adaptation one of the biggest ones ever made.

For me, the movie captures the essence of the first book, how the various races can coexist and how they interact with each other. Even with the huge differences and unfamiliarity, they can stick together and fight for a common goal, fight for hope, and for the safety of the entire world. This story is about trust and companionship, is about how every single creature can make your mark, and change the world for better or for worse. I can honestly say that it is a world to easily get lost in, and I promise, you'll feel like losing yourself in that amazing fantasy universe.

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