THE LORD OF THE RINGS FILM OPENING ANALYSIS

By Amy-Ann Edwards-Morton

CHARACTER• In this film opening we are introduced to three main

characters: Gandalf, Frodo and Sam. Frodo is the main protagonist as he is the one carrying the one ring. Gandalf who we see first seems to be a brave and courageous character as he is facing up to a Balrog (daemon of Morgorth) who is clearly much stronger than him.

• When both the Balrog and Gandalf fall into the water, Frodo wakes up saying his name. It is clearly a flashback from the previous film The Fellowship Of The Ring and has scarred him mentally which gives the audience the impression that Frodo may not be strong enough to carry this one ring.

ICONOGRAPHY• The Lord Of The Rings has its own language and there is not many fantasy films that manage to attain their own language. This film is very different from any other fantasy film I have watched. Most other fantasy films don’t have the level of special effects that this film has that fit within the genre of Fantasy films.

• In The Lord Of The Rings all features of the fantasy genre are met and not challenged. There is something unique about Lord Of The Rings that does not apply to many other fantasy films. The film and book are based on Nordic legends and myths whereas many other films are based on imagination rather than historical context.

• The costume also fits within the fits within the genre of fantasy.

Rohan

Soldiers

based on

the Vikings

from

Norway

Hobbits

Based on

19th Century

Lincolnshire

people

NARRATIVE

After the fellowship breaks up at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring,

individual characters and smaller groups pursue their own journeys, and the

scenes move back and forth between them. However, their stories take

place more or less simultaneously and are related in the order in which they

occur. Dreams, visions, and psychic messages occasionally appear and

reveals images of past or future events, but since these occur within specific

characters’ minds, they still follow the chronology of the action taking place

THEMES

• Fellowship-At the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, Galadriel tells Frodo that bearing the ring is a solitary task, prompting him to leave the others. Though Sam refuses to leave Frodo alone and gives him much comfort, he remains blind to his friend’s inner torment. Even after the ring is destroyed, Frodo remains isolated. He is unable to readjust to life in the Shire and eventually leaves the other hobbits behind. His experience as ring-bearer has permanently isolated him from his peers.

• Temptation of the ring-The temptation of the ring is the motivating force behind every action in The Lord of the Rings, whether characters are fighting the temptation, nurturing it, denying it, or preventing someone else from giving in to it. Characters of every race pursue the ring. The Ringwraith's and Sauron seek it constantly. Gollum attacks Frodo several times to try to take it from him.. Though he is chosen as ring-bearer because he is most resistant to the ring’s lure, Frodo must constantly fight his desire for it. He is sometimes tempted to hand it over to his more powerful friends, while at other times he wants to keep it for himself.

SOUND

• The Non-diegetic sound is played at the beginning is seems as though the film has an equilibrium according to the Todorov theory. There is then the voice of Gandalf which seems to echo over the mountains perhaps to create an enigma.

• Diegetic sound- when we get to the scene between the Balrog and Gandalf his voice becomes diegetic as it not played over the top. The sound that is mainly used is non diegetic with very little diegetic. I think this is effective because it still creates an enigma even though we are only 2 mins into the film.

CAMERA SHOTS

• The establishing shot is very effective at it sets the mood for the film. This shot shows a mountain range which connotes struggle and hard work which is one of the main themes throughout the film

• The close up of Gandalf and the Balrog’s face is very successful as it shows the facial expressions which can show us the emotion and the make up/ costume that they are wearing

• The high angle shot is one of the most important shots in this scene as it shows what fate Gandalf is about to receive. It keeps the audience on edge and makes them hold their breath.

• The low angle shot is probably the best shot in this scene as it shows the full extent of the battle and also demonstrates the full size of the balrog compared to Gandalf’s size. It also illustrates that the Balrog is more powerful and is the one in control.

Lighting

There is low key lighting as the setting is in Moria inside a

mountain. The only high key lighting is when Frodo wakes up.

The Low key lighting is effective because it gives the

impression of an evil ambience. On the other hand the low

key lighting is a disadvantage because we can hardly see

anything until the fight between Gandalf and the Balrog

continues as they fall through the mountain.

Target Audience

The target audience for this film is teenagers aged 13+. Even

adults watch the lord of the rings. The special effects and the

content of the film fit the expectations of the target

audience. Lord Of The Rings has won Oscars for the best

special effects cinematic photography, make up and

soundtrack. It has more fans than the Hunger Games and

Game of Thrones.

GRATIFICATION THEORY

• Fantasy films such as Lord Of The Rings cover several aspects of the Gratification Theory. The aspect of the theory covered by Lord Of The rings are as follows:

• Escape from reality- this film opening throws you into another world that we can only reach in our imagination. It distracts me from the harshness of reality.

WHY I LOVE LORD OF THE RINGS AND THE FILM OPENING IN QUESTION

I love this opening because it throws you straight

into the action and has various camera shots that

work really well. Also I can imagine myself there

because it has the best special effects that make

it look surreal. Another reason why it appeals to

me because it creates an enigma when you first

watch it.