Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Information at Internet Movie Database
- Cinema in Focus, a social and spiritual commentary by Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman.
- Looking Closer, review by Jeffrey Overstreet, "searching for truth, beauty and meaning in the movies."
- Movie Parables review.
- Hollywood Jesus visual review.
- "Preaching Peace in Hollywood," (Terminator 3, LOTR 3, and Matrix 3), Jeff Krantz and Michael Hardin, preachingpeace.org.
- Themes
- Baptism
- There is a scene when Galadriel, the elf-queen, draws water from her fountain in a silver pitcher and pours it into a basin, encouraging Frodo and Sam Gamgee to look into it. She says something like, "The water will show you what has been, what is, and some of what might be." I used this moment during a baptism recently for a baby in our congregation who has already had several major heart surgeries and faces several more. We know what has been and what is- those are the claims that we make at baptism. But, we only see through the eyes of hope what will be for him, and there is much uncertainty in that vision. I found that analogy to be very, very apt and powerful for this little boy's baptism. (D. Mark Davis, Clive, IA USA)
- Call
- Frodo the hobbit receives a "call" to destroy the evil "one ring" before its power is able to corrupt and destroy all of Middle Earth. This call involves a long and extremely dangerous journey, and the likelihood that Frodo will not return alive. In one scene, Frodo expresses his fear and his wish that the ring had never come to him. Gandalf the wizard tells Frodo, "We cannot choose the time we live in. We can only choose what we do with the time we are given." (Pat Raube-Wilson, Auburn/Union Theological Seminary)
- Faith, Hope, Call,
Confronting Evil, Discernment, Courage
- The Lord of the Rings is a movie which in following the book well enough, addresses many issues pertaining to emotions, faith, hope, pity, call, confronting evil, discernment, and many many more themes. This movie is rich to bursting with possibilities, as it follows the book which was written around a mythical and religious basis. (Michael K. Doran)
- Judgment
- I found Gandalf?s reply to Samwise Gamgee (I think, or is it Frodo?) concerning the vile Golum very applicable to our own judgmentalism within Christianity of other believers. Golum had irritated Samwise to a murderous level and Sam was venting to Gandalf. Gandalf explained that it wouldn?t be right to kill Golum for he had his own purpose in the great scheme of things. Gandalf said, ?Even the wise cannot see the end of all things.? As it turns out Golum is the one who ultimately destroys the Ring. So our Lord states in the parables of the Tares and the Fish. For all our knowledge we cannot see the end of all things and so final judgment is reserved for the One who can. (Steven D. Hopping, Southwest Central Church of Christ, Houston, TX)
- Baptism
