Nearly a decade ago, Tolkien’s quintessential epic fantasy rode into the halls of cinematic history to the stirring orchestration of Howard Shore, decked by production designer Grant Major and clad in the armor of Andrew Lesnie’s cinematography.
From the innumerable and diverse store of prosthetics and weaponry to the ornate and precise set design churned out by Weta Workshop , Jackson and his team pulled out all the stops——turned out all the tricks——to ensure Tolkien’s Middle-Earth germinated. And while the passion and attention to detail bore fruit to a massively lucrative franchise and a final installment that swept up 11 Academy Awards without peer, it is important to look back and acknowledge "The Fellowship of the Ring" and its vital function in the trilogy.
In "Two Towers," the visual arc noticeably shifts to a darker, grittier and more industrial landscape in light of the events. The significance of the beginning, then, is that its visual execution establishes the stakes entailed in losing the war. "The Fellowship of the Ring" fundamentally sets the bar, emotionally sustains the story and acts as the continual reference point of the goal and journey. From the green innocence of the Shire to the fading light of an autumnal Rivendell and the quiet fragile glow of Lothlorien, the panoramic and aerial reveals are not only reflections of Middle-Earth's beauty, but reinforces and acts as a reminder and driving force for the rest of the series.
The Shire (top), Rivendell (middle) and Lothlorien (bottom).
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