08/12/2003 03:24 PM Matt Bostwick If Best Picture Oscars were awarded purely for the battle scenes, Peter Jackson's final instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Return of the King, would be a shoe-in. But the fact that Oscar gongs are awarded on a slightly broader range of cinematic competencies than battle scene depiction shouldn't worry Jackson and his backers at New Line Cinema.
Regardless of what happens at the Oscars (although all agree it would be nice to see Jackson take home Best Director or Best Picture) this film will be remembered as one of the best ever, for so many reasons. Firstly, it is quite possibly the most visually stunning piece of celluloid to ever hit a cinema screen. The Battle of Pelennor fields will simply dumbfound you. No kidding.
The giant elephant-like Mumakil, sweeping aside everything in their path with mammoth forklift tusks and crushing any leftovers with their enormous kauri trunk legs, are an absolute piece of Weta Digital genius. So too is the scene where Legolas attempts to bring one down, single-handed. As amazing as the battle scenes are in Return of the King, it's the sheer depth of thoughtful film artistry that makes this movie so good. One question asked of all the actors at the pre-premiere media day was how Jackson manages to get such good performances from his cast.
Sounds simple, but it's one of the most memorable moments in the film, the last touching scene before the battle cry is sounded. And it was something Bernard Hill himself came up with, after seeing the spears lined up in a storage room at Weta and idly running his hand along them as he walked past. He mentioned using it to Jackson as a device to convey the king's connection with his warriors. Jackson promptly added it in. Another triumph of Return of the King is the development of Gollum (Andy Serkis). The opening sequence, where we get a glimpse of Smeagol's transformation into the creature Gollum, is brilliant. Apparently a scene Jackson considered using in the second film, it works brilliantly to remind us of the power of the ring - and where the journey all started. Jackson's directorial prowess is also evident in the way the many stories are laced together. As good as the battle scenes are, Jackson knows there's only so long a battle can hold an audience's attention. To keep us locked in, Jackson switches the action deftly between the battles and, for example, to see how Gollum, Frodo and Sam are faring (and fearing) on their weary trek to Mt Doom. It's this clever pacing between the awe-inspiring battle scenes and moments like the touching intimacy between the two Hobbits that will keep viewers glued, hour after hour. Sir Ian McKellen has said he felt the actors' performances were slightly overlooked in appraisals of first two films in the trilogy. With many of the cast emerging from their shells for this one, that shouldn't be an issue now. Amongst the characters who shine are Sam (Sean Astin), the loyal companion to Elijah Wood's Frodo. The relationship, which many suggest is based on Tolkien's experiences of the comradeship between British soldiers in WWI, is beautifully conveyed. The depth of feeling between the two is easy to see, thanks to the bucket-loads of Hobbit tears and misty eyes. Gollum, as mentioned, continues to engross, and is now probably the best known CGI character in moviedom. That status is in no small way due to the sheer brilliance of actor Andy Serkis, who played Gollum for real in filming and was then used as the basis for the computer creation we see on screen. Other stunning scenes to look for include the lighting of the beacons. Like a Middle Earth version of modern day broadcast transmission towers, the beacons come alight across an incredible landscape (our own Southern Alps) calling the fellowship to war. All in all, Return of the King is nothing short of a masterpiece. If the end is long in the coming, it's because it's wrapping up three films, not one. Together the three epics add up to the most amazing cinema adventure ever. Roll on Oscar night. Watch the trailer on our Lord of the Rings site here. |
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