Have you ever watched The Lord of the Rings? Do you remember how you felt when you saw the movies for the first time? What do you remember the most:the climactic sword fights, epic speeches, and giant elephants? Or do you remember how real the world felt and how easily you could relate to a character that you may think you have nothing in common with? Hopefully it is a combination of both because yeah‒those huge elephants are awesome. The director of the films, Peter Jackson, worked tirelessly to ensure that his work would resonate with as many people as possible, and it might be safe to say that he accomplished his goal with how massively successful the franchise was and still is. So what did Jackson do that made the films so incredible? The answer is in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien.
Tolkien originally published the full works of The Lord of the Rings in 1955 and they were an instant success. By the end of the century, The Lord of the Rings was the second most read work in the world only behind the bible ,and it is still popular in the fantasy genre today. What made the novels so successful was the brilliance of Tolkien and the messages that he put onto paper. Jackson took these messages and put them onto the big screen, turning The Lord of the Rings into one of the most successful film franchises of all time.
So what are these messages? Why have they been so influential? It would take days to list every message that can be drawn from this series, so here are just a few. One of the most prominent aspects of the books is Tolkien’s use of applicability rather than allegory. He believed in using the power of the will of the reader instead of purely using the domination of the author to get a certain message across. By taking this approach, Tolkien opens up his books to a world of interpretation with so many applicable and universal themes. Many see The Lord of the Rings as an allegory for the first World War which Tolkien fought in; however, Tolkien himself said that this was not his intention. In another time, perhaps a non post-war time, many people would have found different meanings for themselves which just goes to show how easily these themes can become universal and can apply to the life of the average person.
Another major component of the books is death, the beauty in death, and immortality. Death is something that our protagonists encounter several times and is something that they must learn to cope with. Learning to appreciate the impact and accomplishments of their fallen friends instead of solely grieving is a powerful message, especially in the time when these books were written where the world was still recovering from a devastating world war, and there it is again: Tolkien’s genius applicability.
The most striking aspect of the story to many may not even be the themes that Tolkien provides but rather, the poetry. There is extensive poetry woven throughout the story through song, verse, and lament that provides such a rich insight into the perspectives of the characters and into the lore of the world making it feel all the more real and lived-in.
So why is this all important? Because Jackson took these integral parts of the books, and instead of throwing them away like so many book-to-film adaptors do and focus solely on the “cool action”, he actually applied these themes and made them central in everything he did. He used stunning visuals and breathtaking music with the help of score composer, Howard Shore, who created the iconic soundtrack, to make Tolkien’s world real. He turned the heavily detailed exposition text into beautifully astonishing architecture, landscapes, and wardrobe, and he integrated poetry from the books into songs sung by characters both in times of respite and in times of despair.
Of course, the movies are missing some features from the books. There is not as much character development, relationships are not as delved into, the timeline is slightly shifted around, and so much more, but it is nearly impossible to make a one-hundred-percent accurate adaptation of a book into film anyway. So, considering the massive mountain of material that Jackson had to adapt, I firmly believe that he was successful in turning one of the most famous book series into films, and I am of the opinion that they are some of the best movies ever made.
That being said, if you have paid any attention to upcoming shows in the near future, it may not have escaped your attention that a new show is premiering in September of this year called, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and it is going to be huge. The story takes place a few thousand years before The Lord of the Rings, but it is still a part of the same grand story that Tolkien wrote. As of now, considering the teasers and trailers that have been released, there seems to be little hope for this series among fans. So this raises the question; will this show live up to the standard that Jackson has set for the world that Tolkien envisioned all those years ago, or will it become a permanent stain on the iconic and beloved franchise? Only time can tell.

Photo by Ergo Zakki on Unsplash