Opinion

Why The Lord of the Rings continues to thrive to this day

9.5.2024

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

Middle-earthian films, series and games prove that even 20 years after the movie trilogy’s release, passion for The Lord of the Rings still burns brightly. Putting this phenomenon into words isn’t so easy, but here’s my attempt to do so.

The year 2024 is a good one for hobbit, elf and oliphaunt fans. Why’s that? Because The Rings of Power is progressing into Season 2, the extended editions of the movie trilogy are coming back to cinemas in the USA, a new animated film is being released (The War of the Rohirrim), and you can experience hobbit life first-hand in the Tales of the Shire game. And all this before the end of the year!

The fascination with Middle-earth lives on. This isn’t a matter of course by any means, as seventy years have passed since the first book was published and it’s been over twenty years since the movies’ release. Even so, J.R.R. Tolkien’s world is being kept alive through creative projects. The sheer enthusiasm shared by millions of people for The Lord of the Rings is unparalleled.

Peter Jackson and me

To me, The Lord of the Rings stands above all for the movie trilogy that was released from 2001 to 2003. It was Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of the novels that drew me under the spell of Middle-earth in the noughties. I also played the first games at the time, namely the legendary hack and slash, The Return of the King, on PlayStation 2 and the strategy game The Battle for Middle-earth on PC. Finally, I also read the book trilogy, giving a wide berth to The Silmarillion (shame on me!)

The PC game The Battle for Middle-earth is a bit like Age of Empires, but with Middle-earthian heroes.
Source: YouTube/KalimoGames

To this day, I regularly listen to the film soundtracks, watch behind-the-scenes compilations, video essays and game reviews on YouTube, scroll through memes – and I can recite every word of the movies by heart. But The Lord of the Rings had the strongest influence on me in my childhood and youth. Watching Bilbo’s birthday party still takes me back to the time I spent on our family sofa back home. The Council of Elrond covers me with a cuddly blanket, and the Fellowship embarking on their journey places a cup of hot chocolate into my hand.

Watching or playing The Lord of the Rings feel like travelling back in time, back to when getting good grades and practice for piano lessons was important. I had Wednesday afternoons off, and my sole weekend plans involved a football match on Saturday. A loving memory of my carefree youth washes over me each time Legolas draws his bow or Gimli pulls out his axe. A big part of my love for The Lord of the Rings stems from nostalgia.

What I wouldn’t give to see Legolas skate down a flight of stairs shooting a bow for the first time…
Source: New Line Cinema

Gollum und Gimli

Said nostalgia isn’t content with just existing in my head; it manifests itself in my daily recitation of iconic sayings from the movie trilogy. I’m positive that over half of my friends could reliably attribute the line, «That still only counts as one!» to the right character and the right scene. The Lord of the Rings is peppered with such pithy, goosebump-inducing lines. Not convinced? Here are a few examples.

«Now we wish to catch a fish, so juicy sweet!»
«Dieeeeeeeeee!»
«I am no man.»
«My friends, you bow to no one.»

The Lord of the Rings is super quotable, serving as the template for thousands of memes that flood the internet every day. I’m met with images of the Fellowship time and again, and the constant repetition leads me to identify even more with the tale of Middle-earth. Should anyone dare leave a negative comment about The Lord of the Rings, we LOTR nerds step in like the Guard of the Citadel to defend the honour of our sanctum. Or, depending on the tone of voice, we rise like a horde of orcs.

What happens when Aragorn kicks a helmet? Ask any Lord of the Rings fan and they’ll be more than happy to tell you.
Source: New Line Cinema

Aragorn and Boromir

Like us fans, our heroes aren’t flawless. The Lord of the Rings gives all the main characters (except perhaps Legolas) the time to develop and undergo a transformation. Frodo leaves his home, resists the influence of the Ring to the end and discovers the value of friendship alongside Sam. Gimli is one of the few dwarves to make friends with the elves. Aragorn finds the courage to ascend the throne of Gondor. Arwen forgoes eternal life in favour of love. Even Merry and Pippin overcome their naiveté and have a decisive influence on the events of the war.

But one of the most exciting characters to me is Boromir. Although he swears to protect Frodo on his mission, he falls under the power of the Ring and even wants to take it from Frodo. Regardless, he fights for the good side until his heroic death. Boromir serves to show how the Ring can corrupt people – even this stalwart son of Gondor. His role makes me understand that Frodo isn’t simply carrying a few grammes of gold around his neck, but an unimaginably heavy burden.

The last half hour of The Return of the King is devoted exclusively to telling the stories of individual characters right to the end. Aragorn becomes king, the hobbits return to the Shire and Frodo boards the Elven ship to Valinor with Gandalf. The final act does drag on, especially after already watching a good eight hours. But I’m glad that Peter Jackson gives the protagonists enough time to bid the audience a proper farewell. The ending brings the storylines to a close, unties knots and answers open questions. For fans, the conclusion is highly emotional and touching. I’ve yet to get through the last half hour with dry eyes.

Anyone who isn’t moved to tears by this scene has a heart of stone.
Source: New Line Cinema

Howard Shore

Composer Howard Shore, among others, is to blame for my sentimental tears. No film music triggers as emotional a response as does the soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings. It not only accompanies the plot, but is woven into it. The melodies perfectly capture the mood of each scene as they thread through the trilogy. A playful violin skips alongside me through the Shire, shrieking choirs warn of the Nazgûl, while triumphant horns signal the Rohirrim charging at the Orcs outside Minas Tirith, falling silent as they collide. The music stops for a few seconds, allowing me to soak in the ferocity of the battle. Horses neigh, spears fly, armour bursts apart and warriors roar as the cavalry sweeps over their opponents.

It’s no coincidence Howard Shore won two Golden Globes, three Oscars and four Grammys for his musical score for the trilogy. Even 20 years later, concert halls regularly screen the films accompanied by a live orchestra.

Tom Bombadil and Celebrimbor

If you know who Tom Bombadil is, that’s a clear sign the movie trilogy has inspired you to find out more about J.R.R. Tolkien’s world. The strange being doesn’t appear in the films, but is one of Middle-earth’s most interesting characters, making him a popular choice for games and spin-offs. The same goes for Celebrimbor; the Elven blacksmith, who helped Sauron create the Rings of Power, was cut from the movie trilogy. Celebrimbor plays a central role in the video game Shadow of Mordor and in the series The Rings of Power. These two characters show that the world of the Ring is truly boundless. Tolkien created an entire universe, developed several languages, worked out a pantheon and drew maps. All of this serves as material for movies, books, games, radio shows, series, parodies, YouTube videos and lively fan fiction forums. Anyone interested in The Lord of the Rings can spend a lifetime exploring it and discover new details every day.

Celebrimbor in The Rings of Power.
Source: Amazon Studios

For me, watching a Lord of the Rings movie is an experience. And not one that moderately entertains me for two hours, but one that lets me sink into a foreign world, envelops me in a magical way and spoils me on every level. I doubt that any other work of fantasy will ever be of comparable significance to me.

I could ramble on about it for hours! From the perfect cast, the incredible miniature film sets, the clever visual effects, the breathtaking scenery and the influence that The Lord of the Rings has had on the fantasy genre… But this article is long enough as it is. I’m not trying to author a trilogy! What I’d love to know are your thoughts on The Lord of the Rings. Have Frodo and his friends grown on you? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Header image: New Line Cinema

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Valentin Oberholzer

Freelance Editor

v4lentin.oberholzer@gmail.com

My retreats have names like Middle Earth, Skyrim and Azeroth. If I have to part from them due to IRL commitments, their epic soundtracks accompany me through everyday life, to a LAN party or to my D&D session.

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