28 August 2024
Why you should come and watch The Lord of the Rings at The Hippodrome
In anticipation of our upcoming ‘Lord of the Rings screenings’ we invited local independent cinema fan, Nicholas Shearer, to write this month’s guest Hippodrome blog post. Nic is a Data Ethicist from Falkirk who specialises in software development and data projects. He likes his cinemas like he likes his films - with lots of character!
The first time I saw Peter Jacksons ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ in the cinema in 2001 was a special experience. I was delighted beyond all expectations. This was the first of three films in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series and the producers had apparently shot all three back-to-back, over a period of 18 months. This was a huge deal, and a very expensive gamble on the part of so many of the companies and people involved. It remains one of the biggest and most ambitious film projects ever undertaken. The budget was huge, at around $280 million (equivalent to around double that today). All three films were a box office and critical success. All were wonderful cinema.
I am a huge fan. I first read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ when I was about 11 years-old - back when the only control you had over your entertainment was when and where you could find a quiet place to read. I have read it many times since. Over the years I have listened to some of the BBC radio adaptations and I loved, at least some of, the 1978 Ralph Bakshi animated film (a film that is part triumph and part failure, but which only covered half the total novel). For me in 2001, the upcoming release of Peter Jackson's interpretation of the books was a nervous waiting game. Would it do the books justice?
I was not disappointed. With an epic film adaptation like this, of a scale that had not been attempted before, there were several things the filmmakers needed to hit the mark with to have any chance of success. The world building, the cast, and the dialogue certainly. But it was the artistic choices - the screenwriters’ version of the story, that would make for a coherent and accessible finished result for as wide an audience as possible. Live action epic fantasy of this scale was not something anyone had tried to make, and it was not something that instantly appealed to all. Peter Jackson wanted it to be realistic and grounded, and not the quaint superficial fairy story simplicity of so many other, earlier fantasy films.
‘The Lord of the Rings’ is not a trilogy. JRR Tolkien always referred to his book as one novel - but so big it was split into three distinct volumes. Through great skill and some luck (especially around rights and funding), the writers were able to translate that into three films. Not split quite the same as the novel, for pacing and clarity reasons there were some changes, but they saved the pain of compressing the story into an unsuitable single feature length film. Considering the 46 days of footage shot, the original running time (558 mins total) and the now extended running times (726 mins total) it was a far from easy task to massage the adapted scripts into three films as it was.
As a fan, I can accept the vast majority of the adaptation changes. The story is really about the Hobbits, their journey and their return home. The journey proper starts at a brisk run (metaphorically speaking, the characters mostly walk) with Frodo leaving the Shire with very little planning compared to the books, but the pacing of the film is all the better for it. The loss of the elf Glorfindel, (a minor character we never really get to know in the books), seems wise when this gives the writers the chance to have Arwen do more than just turn up at the end. The elves are famously aloof in the books, and making them ever so slightly less so in the films is something I am ok with. The loss of the irrelevant and godlike character of Tom Bombadil keeps the story focused and, while I do miss the songs and poetry, the exquisite visuals go some way toward making up for that. The only bit I really miss from the books is “The Scouring of the Shire” where the Hobbits return home to a much changed Shire. However, I recognise that the end of the trilogy already seems overly long…and putting the Hobbits through the ringer again, with a traumatic return home, seems Machiavellian. Many minor complaints (e.g. Saruman not getting the send-off he deserves in ‘The Return of the King’), are fixed by the extended versions. The theatrical releases cut a few corners, but we get those corners back again in the extended films, and I am here for them.
It was Peter Jackson's and WingNut Films' great attention to detail that enabled the films to embody the epic mythology of the books. Starting with New Zealand itself. The natural scenery is the perfect foundation for an epic fantasy to build on, and it does so from Mountain right down to Hobbit, with incredibly detailed sets and costuming. The casting is great, which is especially impressive when you realise that the groundbreaking mix of physical effects, like forced perspective, are interspersed with CGI effects, composited overlay shots, miniature buildings and body doubles. The technological advances made for these films carried on into other epic films like Avatar via the WETA Digital company and their development of their "MASSIVE" software to enable the creation of huge numbers of natural looking digital extras. Equally the WETA Workshop, the company behind the armour and the incredibly detailed models used in the films, continue to lead the way today in films such as ‘Dune’, ‘Jumanji’ and ‘Black Panther’.
It is very clear that all three ‘Lord of the Rings’ films were created by a collection of some truly talented people in every single department. It’s quite extraordinary.
The Hippodrome itself is a special place to go. The few classic, original cinemas that are left are worth supporting. What I really appreciate about the Hippodrome, beyond the affordable kiosk, which is itself a blast from the past, is the attention to detail. Sometimes it might be just a film albeit in a special cinema, but often it's an event. In the case of this special 4k ‘Lord of the Rings’ viewing I'm expecting Elven foodstuffs and Hobbiton beer, or at least the closest human facsimile. The staff are always welcoming and available, which isn’t my experience elsewhere. I really do look forward to my Hippodrome trips.
As the Hippodrome was refurbished and reopened in 2009 - you didn't get to see ‘The Lord of the Rings’ here (possibly you watched in the cold warehouse of the nearest cinema chain). Now is your chance. The extended 4K editions are the ones to watch, and a big screen is the place to watch them.
If you haven’t seen the films and are not taking my word for their quality, but are impressed by stats and figures, then let this persuade you – ‘The Lord of the Rings’ films met, then surpassed, every metric of success. They returned nearly $3 billion at the Box Office, they won more than 250 film awards (including 17 Oscars) and their popularity with the public stays strong. The 4K extended versions showing at the Hippodrome are carefully cleaned up for visual and audible consistency across all three films so that they look like they could have been made today.
Frodo's most famous line on the creation of the fellowship, "I Will Take The Ring, Though I Do Not Know The Way" is relatable, we are with him all the way and want to see the journey through. Your journey is easier - book a seat and get yourself to the Hippodrome!
Fellowship of The Ring: Friday 30th & Saturday 31st August at 7pm
The Two Towers: Friday 6th & Saturday 7th September at 7pm
The Return of the King: Friday 13th & Saturday 14th September at 7pm
Lord of the Rings Movie Marathon: Sunday 22nd September starting at 10am! But you can get your tickets for each individual film showing throughout the day.
