Movie Malcontent / THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING / Malcontent's Mark: A

December 11th, 2003

Aragorn: Viggo Mortenson
Gandalf: Ian McKellen
Frodo Baggins: Elijah Wood
Samwise Gamgee: Sean Astin

Directed by Peter Jackson.
Written by Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson.
Rated PG-13

In the past few years, there has been a slew of science fiction/fantasy trilogies, including the Wachowski brothers Matrix trilogy, and - though not yet a trilogies - George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels and the Harry Potter series. For the most part, Lucas, the Wachowskis, and director of the first two Potters Chris Columbus have failed to deliver the allure of their first installment in their subsequent offerings. Indeed, throughout film history, there’s practically never been a Part Three that has surpassed the popular appeal of Part One. The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, however, has broken all rules and saved the best for last: The Return of the King is the best installment of the LOTR trilogy and the best film of 2003.

The Return of the King finally resolves the storylines seemingly created eons ago in 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring: the hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood) must return the One Ring “to rule them all” to the depths of Mount Doom where it was first forged by Lord Sauron, thus ending the evil lord’s imminent reign. Meanwhile, the hobbits, elves, dwarves, and men of Middle-Earth fight to preserve their way of life from the dark forces lead by Sauron. Ranger and potential king, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), along with the archer-elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and the stout-hearted dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) are lead by wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), to take a stand against the orcs who fight on behalf of Sauron.

With the narrative groundwork of J.R.R. Tolkein and visionary effects and visual scope by Jackson, The Lord of the Rings trilogy will stand the test of time as being the greatest scifi/fantasy trilogy ever. (And before any of you Star Wars devotees start e-mailing me to decry my audacity, let’s face it: George Lucas should be paying the Tolkein Foundation millions in royalties for the blueprint of his whole Star Wars saga.) And even though all three LOTR installments are stunning achievements, it’s almost as if Jackson held back on the second installment to really blow movie-goers away with the third installment. Although the awe-inspiring moments seemed spread a little thin on The Two Towers, the King is chock-full of breathtaking moments, each moment topping the last.

In King, the Battle of Pelennor Fields makes the battle of Two Towers’ Helm’s Deep seem like a trivial game of fisticuffs. Jackson knows how to stage an epic battle; he knows that the drama, excitement, and terror of a battle are heightened through alternating surges of strength between good and evil. Just when you think one side will be victorious, the other side introduces a surprise ally, and the tide is changed. And each new surprise ally has not only more in number, but more powerful weapons. The Battle of Pelennor Fields is not only the battle to end all battles in the trilogy, but also in recent cinematic history.

Midst the epic battles of King, there are smaller-scale one-on-one confrontations, David and Goliath-type confrontations that are easily the most crowd-pleasing scenes of the movie. We see Frodo’s hobbit companion Sam (Sean Astin) facing off against the giant spider Shelob (the most realistic giant spider ever). We see Legolas facing off against an aggressive mammoth-like Oliphant. And we see King Theoden’s niece Eowyn (Miranda Otto) facing off against a dragon-like Nazgul. Not only are these confrontations crowd-pleasing because of the incredible special effects, but also because at the heart of the altercations is one person’s love and devotion for another. Sam fights Shelob to singularly protect Frodo. Eowyn fights the Nazgul to singularly protect her uncle. These are two of the most resonant and emotionally charged scenes in a movie full of resonant and emotionally charged scenes.

That’s not to say that the whole movie is all battles and confrontations. Perhaps one of my favorite scenes occurs towards the end of the film. When the hobbits return to the Shire, even though their combined efforts saved Middle-Earth from an infinite fall into darkness, they remain as anonymous as they were when they left. The four sit down for a pint in their favorite pub and modestly observe their anonymity within the crowd. They don’t despair the lack of accolades; they are just happy to be home and enjoying a pint together.

And the Oscar goes to…
With a film of this caliber, it’s not about which of the cast and crew did a good job; it’s more about who will be nominated and who will win in the 2003 Academy Awards. First off, the guaranteed lock will be Jackson for Best Director. After his loss as director for the Fellowship of the Ring, it was murmured that Jackson would be awarded Best Director after the third picture, simply for the achievement of directing the entire trilogy. But I firmly believe that Jackson would be a lock for Best Director even if The Return of the King stood alone. Of course, everyone involved with sound, editing, and special effects should also be showered with Oscars, just as they were for the first two films.

As for the cast, the lock for Best Actor nomination should be Ian McKellen. He’s had the perfect eloquence and nobility as Gandalf throughout the trilogy, and he adds even more gravitas to his character in King. The surprising possibly Oscar-worthy performance of King belongs to Astin. The loyalty of Astin’s Sam for Frodo will break your heart. And lastly, I’ve kept a close eye on Viggo Mortenson, not only because his father and my father are next door neighbors, but because I was waiting to see if he would take the opportunity of playing Aragorn to display Oscar-worthy acting. After watching his Aragorn closely in all three LOTR, I have to say that, although I can’t imagine anyone else playing Aragorn, Mortenson remains too introverted in The Return of the King, thus keeping his range too limited. Although I’m rooting for Mortenson, he may be a long shot for the Best Actor Oscar.

And let me take a moment to make a “for your consideration” endorsement for Andy Serkis’ performance as Smeagol/Gollum. Although Smeagol is mostly a CGI creation in the King, Serkis’ body movement and voice make the schizophrenic Smeagol one of the most vivid characterizations of the trilogy. And in King, Smeagol’s character arc bookends the movie, thus allowing Serkis even more range than his incredible Two Towers performance.

Maybe it takes a lot of cheek to be making my Oscar picks this early, but I’m certain The Return of the King will remain one of my all-time favorite films. Mind you, I don’t spout these kinds of superlatives on a regular basis. I view practically all Hollywood product with disdain - that’s why I’m Malcontent. But Jackson has emerged with a bold and ambitious opus that cannot be confined or defined within Hollywood conventions. Long live the King.

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