It has been an 18 year journey for Peter Jackson to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnum opus to the screen and a 13 year journey for us – as the audience – for the films to be revealed in all their glory. As the Hobbit films have drawn to a close, I think a huge thank you is due to the man who was brave enough to launch the Lord of the Rings project all those years ago: Peter Jackson. Who began one of the largest low budget film projects, filmed entirely in New Zealand, which took the world by storm.
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are two of the best loved books of the 20th century. Professor J.R.R.Tolken – who, to my immense pride, was born in South Africa – devoted 15 years of his life to creating Middle Earth, including an entire, concise history and the conception of multiple languages – in fact no less than nine. His books are a legacy, an entire world in print.
Peter Jackson, however, has created a masterpiece of his own, at least 3 in fact. As fans of the books, we can give him no higher praise. Characters and concepts, so deeply etched into our minds they become part of our everyday lives. Actors and screenwriters, stunt men and directors who we almost begin to think we actually know, after watching the extended edition’s extra features numerous times. These are films that we grew up with and loved and wildly anticipated. These are the films that we have watched twelve times each and kept each cinema ticket of. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are six films that have had some sort of impact on most of our lives.
The end of The Return of the King was, in itself, the end of an era. Not only that, but it was – and remains still – one of the only ‘fantasy’ films to win the Oscar for Best Film. Add to that its clean sweep of 11 Oscars in 2004(aided by the brilliance of it’s two predecessors) and The Return of the King is one of a kind. The Hobbit has not reached the same heights critically. This does not change the fact that the trilogy has grossed a total of almost 3 billion US dollars collectively and has reached massive popularity heights.
Peter Jackson succeeded in transforming a 350 page novel into an epic film trilogy, with the assistance of Tolkien’s concise appendices. And while some fans of the well-loved children’s book may have complained about the additional violence and supposedly unnecessary trappings to the films, I personally think that Peter Jackson brought to light a whole other side of The Hobbit; a story which may have gone completely unnoticed by those of us who do not possess the resolute patience to tackle the books.
With a fandom as huge as Tolkien’s you can be sure that despite this so-called end of an era, the magic of Middle Earth will linger. The One Ring, the largest Lord of the Rings/Hobbit online fan base, recently hosted the One Last Party. Held in Los Angeles on the 21st of February this year, the final celebration of Peter Jackson’s films drew thousands of fans from all over the globe as well as several of those directly involved in the making of the films. Funding for the event was entirely contributed by fans on an Indiegogo campaign. Over $200 000 (USD) was raised for the event to take place, in which the culmination of years of hard work was celebrated – right down to the incredible special effects, costumes and universally acclaimed score.
As with The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit’s finely crafted film work is stitched together by Howard Shore, who composed, orchestrated, conducted and produced the entire soundtrack. The music completes the film, in my opinion, and as one who greatly appreciates soundtracks, I must give Howard Shore the highest of praise. The majority of the soundtrack for An Unexpected Journey was played by London Philharmonic Orchestra, while the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra scored The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies, which only adds to the massive contribution New Zealand has made towards these films.
Billy Boyd’s heartfelt, poignant lyrical tribute brought the two trilogies to a beautiful, albeit bittersweet, close. Boyd, despite not appearing in The Hobbit films, portrayed – and still maintains to some degree – a beloved role, and it seems remarkably fitting for him to tie the ribbon on one of the best-loved film series’ of all time. The Last Goodbye holds true to the essence of Middle Earth’s previous parting score, last delivered by Annie Lennox in Into the West. It is a thought-provoking, retrospective song that provides a final farewell to cast, crew and fans alike.
That being said, there is really nothing more we can say but thank J.R.R.Tolken for the magic he contributed to the world, and Peter Jackson for transferring that magic to the screen.
The road goes ever on and on…
Words by Skye Mallac
@skyeaylamallac