The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a superlative work in film, being simultaneously multi-disciplined, massive in scope, and masterful in execution. The screen, source, and audience's attention are all at Peter Jackson's command.

The Fellowship of the Ring functions well as the series’ first outing, setting itself to the task of establishing our core cast as well as the world of Middle-earth. It is the perfect point at which to disembark from our reality and into Tolkien's.

Cinematography shines, from the opening battle sequence to the sunlit meadows of the Shire. As we follow Gandalf's horse-drawn cart, we are afforded many vantage points from which to peer into the surrounding world of the hobbits. This is a recurrent treat of the film, as it never shies away from showing set and spectacle from every angle available.

The bright greens and soft yellows are a part of the Shire’s identity, representing another recurrent pattern: color as location. Whether the gray of the road, the splendor of Rivendell, or the darkness of Moria, every setting is made memorable through the careful use of color.

Sweeping landscape shots help to stitch together Tolkien's larger Middle-earth and imply the vast distance of our characters' journey. Nature as captured is highly consistent with fantasy but remains grounded in the very real beauty of the New Zealand countryside.

As our group assembles and grows in size, so too grows the variety in wardrobe and props. The costumes are impossibly authentic, with historical familiarity woven into the grand aesthetic of Middle-earth. Armor appears battle-ready, and appropriately brutish or ornate as necessary. The starring weapons, such as Gandalf’s staff, Frodo's Sting and Aragorn's Strider sword strongly distinguish themselves from the rest of the prop weapons.

The score works incredibly well for the movie individually but also lays down the musical template for the films to follow. It succeeded at this, becoming not only series-defining but genre-defining.

But where all things are concerned, the film shines most when Gandalf faces down the Balrog. His rebuke of the demon is powerful and the words "you shall not pass" have been carved into the cultural consciousness. The fall of Gandalf acts as a perfect climactic event for the first film; it is a brutal loss, emotionally, as well as in terms of the strength of the group. Cinematography, music, and story intensity all align to imbue this scene with the power of a nuclear reaction.

The film then very deftly primes the viewer for what is to come: dividing the group and fighting on multiple fronts. As an assurance that the fight continues, Aragorn declares to Legolas and Gimli, "Let us hunt some Orc," after which the two follow with excited determination. Frodo and Sam look at the distance yawning before them; Gandalf may not be with them. But he prepared them for the journey ahead.

Visually spectacular, narratively satisfying, and deeply immersive, there cannot be found a finer first entry to a film series than The Fellowship of the Ring.