On Cinema Today: the Case of the Lord of the Rings

Only twenty years ago, the film industry, especially their great blockbusters, were made in a totally different way. Undoubtedly, times have changed and now the use of technology and special effects are playing the leading role in these blockbusters and has decisively contributed to their success.

In this respect, The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson and released in three instalments. The original book, written by J. R. R. Tolkien, has become one of the most popular and influential works in 20th-century literature. The title refers to the Dark Lord Sauron, who had in an earlier age created the One Ring as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer all of Middle-Earth. The story ranges across Middle-Earth following the course of the War of the Ring through the eyes of its characters, most notably the hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin. The Council of Elrond decides that the threat of Sauron is too great and that the best course of action is to destroy the Ring returning it to the place where it was forged.

The film trilogy used many groundbreaking practical and digital visual effects. In addition, production was complicated by the use of scale doubles and forced perspective (so that it would look as though the short hobbits were interacting with taller Men and Elves) on a level never seen before in the film industry. Large and small scale doubles were used in certain scenes, while entire duplicates of certain sets were built at two different scales, so that the characters would appear to be the appropriate size. The film also used miniatures, creatures which were created entirely within a computer and advanced computer programs to create automatic battle sequences.

All three parts received nearly universal acclaim and were each nominated for and won multiple Academy Awards, being consistently ranked among the best movies ever made. Since it was written, The Lord of the Rings has had a great effect on modern...