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Karol and I went to see Lord of the Rings tonight. It is a VERY good film. I found parts very moving. What impressed me most were the personal sacrifices many characters in the film make. The do it for each other, for honor, and just because it’s the right thing to do.
At one point Frodo, and his friend without peer Sam, is somewhere in Mordor. The good guys don’t know exactly where they are and cannot help them. But they hit on a tactic that does help them. They attack Mordor – even though they cannot know if this will work. Men die. Good men. And I was deeply moved by their loss and their sacrifice. It seemed inconceivable that anyone would do such a thing.
Yet, in the film, this strategy works and Frodo fulfills his mission. I understand that Tolkien put much Christianity into this story. Although I could not find a specific scene that pointed to the Bible, it almost felt as if I were reading the Bible. Watching the film, I was also reminded of the current struggle in the world against terrorism and the more specific struggle in Iraq.
The three LOTR films are probably the greatest set of films ever made. The photography is breathtaking. At some point, we will buy a DVD player and then likely purchase the three films.
I think the most important message of the three films is that evil exists, that it can only be conquered through force, and you need to act before evil has sufficient strength to win. As it is in the film, the good guys barely make it.
Karol and I read the books many years ago, so we knew generally how the story went and I think that helped us enjoy the films. Not everyone will enjoy it. I would not call this a chick film. In some of the battle scenes, it was hard to keep track of who was doing what to whom.
Posted by Ted at December 28, 2003 10:00 PM