One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
The Lord Of The Rings is the first installment of the great literary masterpiece of J.R.R. Tolkien has finally been brought to the big screen by kiwi director Peter Jackson.
Jackson performed an unheard of feat by filming all three movies simultaneously in his homeland of New Zealand. (The Two Towers and Return Of The King are to be released in December of 2002 and 2003, respectfully).
Right from the opening scene, movie go-ers are submersed in a larger than life adventure that features foreign creatures, mysterious secrets, and a landscape of epic proportions.
The hero, Frodo Baggins (a half-size human with hairy feet), inherits a mysterious ring that holds the ability to flood the world of Middle Earth with evil.
Frodo is assigned the task of bearing the ring to the fires of Mount Doom where its evil powers can be unmade. In a fellowship of nine companions, Frodo sets out on a perilous adventure, full of darkness, battles, and unexpected friendships.
Love it or hate it, The Lord Of The Rings has certainly made an impact on the world. Our culture has been flooded with people seeking to learn more about this "middle earth" and the characters within.
People have flocked to the box office taking this film in over and over again. I recently viewed the film for the sixth time on a Saturday night and the theater was still packed -- two months after opening day!
But it doesn't end there. Bookstores have been flooded with sales of anything Tolkien, be it the official movie guide or a paperback copy of Unfinished Tales. I conducted an impromptu search for a copy of the next part of the trilogy, The Two Towers but came up empty handed - in a city of 80,000 people! People are lapping it up.
Where did this sudden obsession come from? It seems that Jackson has created a feeding frenzy by showing people what fantasy can really feel like.
When you slump into that theatre chair it feels as if you are really there, that you can relate to most of the characters, their inner struggles with good, evil, doubt, fear, happiness, friendship, and hope.
And it seems that a natural response to Jackson's film is to learn more about the author and creator of this world, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Tolkien understood the value of escape in literature and his personal beliefs are left like fingerprints all over the story.
Tolkien, a devout catholic, wrote the books from a perspective of faith. Faith in a God that illustrated in His book many of the same concepts that Tolkien 'borrowed' for his books. Concepts such as faith, self sacrifice, friendship, disappointment, failure, redemption, and grace.
Look at Boromir for instance. How many of us have felt like him at some point in our lives?
A person who aspires to be worthy of his upbringing, worthy of becoming steward to the throne of Gondor, and yet plagued by a lack of hope. The enemy has brought many trials to his homeland and the once proud Boromir ends up clutching at straws, anything that would extend their reign.
So he seeks the ring. The ring that he knows he cannot wield. Blinded by anger and despair, he lashes out at his friend and tries to take the ring by force. Foiled, he recoils in the pain of his choices.
But the story of Boromir does not end here. Instead he sees the error of his ways and decides to walk the path of redemption. A path that includes self-sacrifice that eventually results in his demise.
Or take Samwise Gamgee the Hobbit, a friend through thick and thin, willing to look deep within himself in order to serve the ring bearer. Of course Sam, like most of us, didn't come without doubts or reservations. He came through, as do most of us, when our friends are truly in need.
All of Tolkien's "children" or characters bear an unmistakable likeness to their creator. And most of them seem to have characteristics linked to his faith.
Instead of becoming completely enamored with Tolkien, why not take some time to explore the faith that allowed him to construct such a world?
You just might find a rush on another type of book in your hometown.
Brent is a recovering LOTR addict that hails from Vancouver, Canada. While he's not out having adventures with Gandalf and Aragorn, he helps lead a gen-x church and works in the forest industry.
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