|
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE
RETURN OF THE KING |
 I
beforehand admit I am Tolkien’s fan and, thus, have just loved all Peter
Jackson’s trilogy after watching The
Fellowship of the Ring for merely a couple of minutes. Yes, you read it
right: I loved the WHOLE trilogy from the very beginning. Of course I have
missed some parts of the story, but in any literary adaptation it is quite
natural that some passages are changed or even suppressed so that, as a whole,
the film works more satisfactorily. Perhaps those who had not read Tolkien did
not manage some of the subtleties in certain passages, gaps easily filled by
others who had already read his books. In every occasion I went to the movie
theater – and it includes the expanded versions to The
Fellowship of the Ring and The Two
Towers – I was very curious to check how Jackson would have managed some
story parts which seemed impossible to be transposed to the big screen... and in
this sense, the trilogy is nothing less than superb, and the expanded versions
succeed a tour of force, being even better. To all people who also enjoyed the
films, I recommend to read the books despite any natural laziness facing a bulky
book – it is both fascinating (as it was wonderfully well written) and tiring
(for the length and the writer’s love for details – Tolkien’s creation is
a bit hermetic and attached to detail, and the will to study it might bring just
a relative opus comprehension)... unfortunately, maybe not many are there who
would have the disposition and time required to do it, but the pleasure given in
exchange is worth it, those who experience it know what I am talking about.Specifically concerning The Return of the King, it has been a memorable experience. There was an only point I did not like and, to my mind, was nearly ridiculous: Sauron’s fall, with that agonizing eye... It would better it just blew up, instead of trembling as if having a stroke. As a fan, I might be a bit fussy about the cuts in the original story that, in my opinion, were sometimes too many (there is a market query here: I bet some clearing scenes will be featured in the upcoming expanded version). I felt many critical points missing in the movie plot, mentioning but a few: 
1-
The fight (via the palantír) between Aragorn and Sauron;2- Denethor’s madness in progress; 3- A reasonable explanation for the audience about the reason Éowyn, with Merry’s help, was the only person who could kill the Nâzgul’s captain (where was the prophecy?); 4- Faramir and Éowyn’s romance; 5- Saruman’s and Gríma’s fate; 6- The Shire being freed. Jackson’s brave trilogy made The Lord of the Rings far more understandable to the audience (even more in the expanded versions), and I guess, even with its very few flaws, the outcome is becoming part of film history as a masterpiece. Wishing that Peter Jackson’s style will make followers, I therefore finish this review stating that it was very much worthy all the effort to transpose Tolkien to screen. Jaqueline Tergolina |