Assignment 17 – Dilni Abeyrathne

Movies, though long, seem an ample opportunity to stretch the muscles of the imagination and soar across the boundless land of fiction. Though I do not watch movies quite often, instead preferring to read, I find that when I do watch them, I find it irresistible to spread the wings of my imagination and watch their stories unfurl.

I have seen many a movie throughout the years, epic or passive, happy or sad, but I have found two movies (two series, rather) that have managed to capture my attention wholly: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, both directed by filmmaker Peter Jackson. It would be utterly untruthful for me to say I have not seen them before this moment. The answer is I have, but I could not resist rewatching the two film series that have kept my attention rapt and unwavering.

The two films I have watched are The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). In whole, both are beautiful films with an immensely interesting plot, drawing me into their depths of fantasy. Though they are similar in several ways, some differences make themselves known. As for the comparison, I shall compare these two masterpieces with respect to certain aspects of their making.

First, The Hobbit. This film, though it came a decade after The Lord of the Rings, was meant to be the starting point for the six-film story arc. As for the plot, the film centers around a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and a group of thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield and accompanied by the wizard Gandalf the Gray. They set out on a journey to the Misty Mountains to reclaim the Dwarves’ realm from the gold-hoarding dragon Smaug. The story itself was beautiful, but the way it was executed certainly differed from that of The Lord of the Rings. From watching the Behind-the-Scenes footage, I have discovered that much of this movie used CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery), especially for the scenes shot at the Elven Realm of Rivendell. While the CGI was impeccably done, it was subtly apparent throughout the movie that the most of the scenes were not done in a natural setting. Natural beauty cannot be perfectly imitated on CGI—there is a certain breathtaking aspect to it. The Lord of the Rings, however, presents a much different story.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the continuation of the Hobbit, set sixty years after the adventures of Bilbo and the Dwarves. It follows a young Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, and his companions (the Hobbits Sam, Merry, and Pippin; the Elf Prince Legolas; the Ranger Aragorn; the Dwarf Gimli; Gondor Prince Boromir; and the wizard Gandalf), named the Fellowship of the Ring, who must journey to the dark lands of Mordor to prevent the evil lord Sauron from laying destruction to the lands of Middle-Earth. As in The Hobbit, the story is marvelous and had me wishing desperately for more. However, after watching the Behind-the Scenes footage, I saw that this movie, unlike The Hobbit, filmed most of its scenes in the real world, New Zealand to be specific. While some CGI was used, much of the scenes displayed the natural beauty of New Zealand, which became Middle-Earth. It was breathtaking, to say in the least, and seemed more realistic than The Hobbit. Indeed, one of the locations for a beginning scene was wholly constructed just for that scene. I speak of the Shire, the home of the Hobbits. It was built complete with the low-lying ground homes, farmland, gardens, paths, and much more typical of the Hobbits in the book and is open to visitors. The effort made to construct such an area, and for just a few scenes, is remarkable.

                Though both these films share some differences, they still stand as some of the best movies I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. The story lines, landscape, and characters were all woven together to create a tapestry of gold, a masterpiece in both book and film.