LY

For PF only
2002-02-08 18:27:22 (UTC)

Characters of The Lord of the Rings

At the core of the story in The Fellowship of The Ring are
the cultures that make up Middle-earth: Hobbits, Dwarves,
Humans, Elves, Wizards, Trolls, Ents, Orcs, Ringwraiths and
Uruk-Hai.

Each culture has its own rich way of life, its own customs,
myths, ways of dress and even style of fighting. Each is
fully developed in The Fellowship of The Ring, creating the
essence of a living, breathing world just beyond our own
history.

For example, Hobbits are gentle and close to nature, an
almost child-like group who live off the land. With an
average height of 3?6", the furry-footed creatures dwell
deep in furnished holes on the sides of hills. They love
the simple things in life: smoking pipes, eating, and, of
course, storytelling. They live to around 100 years old,
with the age of 33 marking the start of adulthood.

Elves, on the other hand, are noble, elegant, magical
beings whose time is running out and who seem to possess a
bittersweet sense that they are now about to pass into
myth. Although they could be slain or die of grief, elves
are immortal in that they are not subject to age or
disease.

Dwarves are short but very tough, with a strong, ancient
sense of justice and an abiding love of all things
beautiful. Small in stature, they live to be about 250
years old.

Wizards are supremely powerful but can use that power for
good or for evil, depending on where their hearts lie.

Men in The Fellowship of The Ring are a fledgling race just
coming into their own.

Other creatures are even more fantastical: the leaf-covered
Ents try to protect their brethren, the trees; the
misshapen Orcs fight for Saruman; and the sinister, black-
cloaked Ringwraiths are neither living nor dead but cursed
to live in the twilight world of Sauron.

To bring these remarkably diverse beings to life would
require a cast of true versatility ? and also a cast
willing to spend months in the deep heartland of New
Zealand bringing life to a literary legend. It would
require a group of actors who could carry their characters
through three chapters of climactic changes.

In the first installment, The Fellowship of The Ring, the
actors get a chance to introduce their characters and their
individual quests. At the center of it all is the story?s
3?6" hero ? Frodo Baggins, the shy but forthright hobbit
who assumes the responsibility for destroying The Ring.
Despite the help of the Fellowship, it is Frodo who must
bear the burden of The Ring and resist its constant
temptations of evil. For the actor to play Frodo, the
filmmakers chose 20-year-old Elijah Wood for his energy,
innocence and charisma.

"Elijah has a sincerity of purpose that just makes him a
natural in the role," observes Barrie M. Osborne. "He is
capable of taking the character through a real
transformation, which begins with The Fellowship of The
Ring."

Wood describes Frodo as "a very curious adventurer. Frodo
lives in a time when most of his fellow hobbits want to
stay with their own kind, but Frodo is very different in
that he wants to leave and see the rest of the world and
all its wonders."

Which is exactly what he does in The Fellowship of The
Ring. As Frodo begins his journey, Wood was struck by how
much like a person, rather than a fantasy character, the
hobbit began to seem. "He became alive for me," he
admits. "The way we shot the movie, everything was so real
that we all believed that Frodo and the others really
existed in history. Once I had on my prosthetic ears and
feet for the first time, I knew what it was to feel like a
hobbit. It sounds bizarre, but it felt the same as playing
a historical character, as if hobbits had actually once
been alive."

One of Frodo?s closest allies in his plight to destroy The
Ring is the old and powerful wizard Gandalf, who begins to
demonstrate his full powers and purpose in The Fellowship
of The Ring. Gandalf is played by renowned screen and stage
star Ian McKellen, who was thrilled to take on such a
magical role.

"I see Gandalf as the archetypal wizard," says McKellen. "I
think in the creation of Gandalf, Tolkien was playing with
ideas about wizards from stories and fairy tales throughout
time. Gandalf is related to Merlin, and maybe even
Prospero, but he also is very much his own man."

"When the story hops up and the journey begins and great
things are at stake, he makes a real contribution to The
Fellowship," he continues. "He shows his stuff as a
warrior." Showing off that stuff was a perfect match with
McKellen?s own innate nobility. Notes producer Barrie M.
Osborne: "Ian McKellen has the stature to make you truly
believe in Gandalf?s power and wisdom."

Frodo?s quest to destroy The Ring begins with his cousin,
Bilbo Baggins, an aged hobbit with a history of bravery
played by Ian Holm. Holm says that "Bilbo is not unlike me.
He?s quite grumpy on the outside but basically he has a
heart of gold. He is a little fellow who things seem to
happen to ? but when he?s put to the test, he comes up
trumps more than most people."

A longtime fan of Tolkien?s novel, Holm likens playing
such a renowned character to another character noted for
its many interpretations. "I think playing Bilbo is a lot
like playing Hamlet," he says. "I mean, this is my version
of Bilbo, just as it would be my version of Hamlet. He?s
an eternal character but as an actor you play it as you see
it in front of you and trust in that."

Says Barrie M. Osborne of the choice of Holm: "He brings
out all the nuances in Bilbo?s character ? he gets the
crustiness of the hobbit, but more importantly, he reveals
what lies underneath."

Three hobbit friends also join Frodo on his journey: Sam,
Merry and Pippin, played by Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan
and Billy Boyd. Astin plays one of the trilogy?s most
moving characters, the ordinary seeming Samwise Gamgee, who
turns out to be the most extraordinary of friends to Frodo.

"Sean Astin is a wonderful choice for Sam because he brings
a real joviality to the role, as well as an empathy for
Sam?s struggles," says Osborne. "I think it?s also a real
bonus that he and Elijah Wood are such good friends ? that
closeness really shows in the relationship that develops
between their characters."

Astin was drawn to a character that seems to define the
best of hobbit-hood. "To me, he personifies decency,
simplicity, honesty and loyalty, the ultimate hobbit," says
Astin. "Most of all, he has an undying friendship with
Frodo that is so strong, he?s willing to face the
adventure of the unknown to help him."
Astin also sees Sam as a man of the land. "I look at him as
this kind of pastoral figure, a farmer whose hands are
always in the soil," he comments. "He?s not the most
sophisticated being in the fellowship, but he makes up for
it with his earnest steadiness."

Dominic Monaghan, a young British actor who comes to the
fore in The Lord of The Rings, brings out the quick-witted
cleverness and fun-loving spirit of the hobbit Merry,
formally known as Meriadoc Brandybuck, another of Frodo?s
closest friends. "Like most hobbits, Merry always looks on
the bright side of life," says Monaghan, "but I don?t
think even he realizes at first how brave he can actually
be. As situations arise at the beginning of their journey,
he starts to become pretty important."

Monaghan continues: "The main thing I wanted to get across
in the beginning, with The Fellowship of The Ring, is that
Merry is just this very sharp, sarcastic and funny boy who
hasn?t grown up yet. But he?s about to go through
incredible experiences and adventures that will change him
into a new person."

For the comical hobbit Pippin, or Peregrin Took, the
filmmakers chose rising Scottish actor Billy Boyd. Boyd was
amused by his character?s "knack for doing the wrong thing
at the wrong time" but also moved by Pippin?s
transformation throughout the odyssey. "One thing about
Pippin right from the beginning is that his whole life
revolves around friendship," points out Boyd. "He loves his
friends in the Shire more than anything."

But when Pippin embarks on the journey to destroy The Ring
with Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship, he discovers a
world unlike anything he?s ever imagined. "Suddenly,
things turn very serious and dark for Pippin. He?s falling
in marshes and meeting magical creatures and he?d rather
be back at the pub chatting with the ladies!" admits
Boyd. "But that?s what makes him so dynamic a character.
He tunes into the fun and beautiful side of life, even in
the middle of a war."

Also joining the Fellowship is the man Boromir, a valiant
warrior who lacks respect for The Ring?s devastating
power. Boromir is portrayed by Sean Bean, who liked that
the character "brings the human element into the
Fellowship. Boromir has the human qualities of being
honorable and brave but also having a very clear opinion
about everything." "In the beginning," he continues, "he
sees The Ring simply as a solution to the problems of his
people. But he finds out that it isn?t quite so clear-cut,
especially as he becomes susceptible to its powers."

Then there is Elrond, the elf of great powers who knows
much about The Ring. Elrond is played by Hugo Weaving.
Weaving adored playing such a wise yet wistful
hero. "Elrond is so wise, so good, so noble and yet he also
has, for a lack of a better word, a real humanity to him.
There is a side of him that has been made desperate by the
perpetual state of war. He has a real sense of how hard it
is for people to get out from under evil," Weaving says.

The Fellowship is completed by an elf and a dwarf: Legolas,
the sword-fighting son of an elf king, played by Orlando
Bloom; and Gimli, the stout-hearted axe-man who comes to
represent the Khazad, the dwarves of Middle-earth, played
by John Rhys-Davies. The comic contrast between the
boisterous dwarf and the elegant elf becomes a constant
source of humor and delight. Orlando Bloom explains: "Elves
see dwarves as these muddy creatures who steal from the
earth without giving back. But Legolas and Gimli grow to
respect one another?s differences. They learn to rely on
each other in battle ? and to laugh together."

Rhys-Davies loved that The Fellowship of The Ring kicks off
something many people haven?t experienced in a long-time ?
an epic, serial adventure. "I think today there is an
enormous hunger for adventure and a dynamic life that can
only be met in the imagination . . . or in movies like this
one. Tolkien feeds that hunger, because in our hearts we
want to be part of a heroic civilization like the elves,
hobbits, dwarves and men of Middle-earth."

Facing off against the Fellowship is the evil Saruman, once
the head of the Council of the Wise, who has since
succumbed to the dark temptations of Sauron?s power.
Saruman wants Frodo?s ring and is willing to use his
specially bred Uruk-Hai ? grotesque, war-like creatures --
to get it. Perhaps no one could embody Saruman better than
that long-time master, Christopher Lee.

Lee had played many mythical creatures before but had never
been involved with a project like The Lord of The
Rings. "This is the outright creation of an entire world,"
he says. "It brings together history and languages and
cultures and makes a dreamscape come true."

Although Saruman lived around 7,000 mythical years ago, Lee
sees his dark reflection all over the place in the modern
world. "To my way of thinking, the evil that exists today
isn?t that different from what you see in Middle-earth.
People will always crave power and Saruman wants Sauron?s
power," he explains. "To me, he is not just the physical
force of evil personified, he is also very real."

Another mysterious character introduced in The Fellowship
of The Ring is Aragorn, a heroic man and warrior, played
with trademark intensity by Viggo Mortensen. Mortensen got
so into the role it was rumored he was living in the forest
in Aragorn?s torn, mud-stained clothes! Says Peter
Jackson: "Viggo embraced the character so completely it?s
difficult to imagine the two being separate now." Adds
Barrie M. Osborne: "Viggo is the perfect actor to play a
man who is struggling to redeem himself from his ancestry
and his heritage. He?s incredibly dedicated. He?s the
kind of an actor who one day had his tooth knocked out by a
sword and actually asked if they could superglue it back on
so he could finish the scene. He became Aragorn, and he
brings a real power to the role."

Mortensen felt a strong personal connection to the
project: "I?m Celtic and Scandinavian, so I was raised on
the myths Tolkien used to inspire The Lord of The Rings,"
he says. "It?s part of my heritage." The actor was also
intrigued by Aragorn?s primal, self-reliant brand of
heroism. "He can survive in nature, live from it, read its
signs and live happily, not needing anyone, not relying on
anything but his own knowledge and discoveries," he
observes. "But now he has to take on more responsibility,
and it?s not clear where it will lead him."

Two of the major female characters in The Lord of The Rings
are also introduced in The Fellowship of The Ring: the
brave she-elf Arwen, who falls in love with Aragorn, played
by the luminous Liv Tyler; and the powerful, soul-probing
Elf Queen Galadriel, played by Academy Award nominee Cate
Blanchett.

Tyler was drawn to Arwen, the immortal elven princess. "To
me, Arwen brings a real touch of femininity to the tale of
Middle-earth," says Tyler. "In the midst of a war, she has
fallen in love, and become the backbone and motivation for
Aragorn?s fight."

Cate Blanchett was also drawn to her character?s
fascinating strength. "I loved playing Galadriel because
she is so iconic. She is the one in The Fellowship of The
Ring who truly tests Frodo," says Blanchett. "I also think
she has a profound message to give about taking
responsibility for ourselves and our actions. And, Yes, I
have to admit I have always wanted to have pointy ears!"

Blanchett was astonished by how completely the world of
Middle-earth and its many cultures had been thought out by
the filmmakers. "By the time I started working, there was
such a strong and real-life sense of the various cultures,
their histories and their hopes for the future," she
notes. "It was really like becoming part of a whole
different universe. I?ve never experienced anything like
it before."

The entire cast underwent intensive training in ancient
arts and languages for their roles. This included studying
sword fighting with veteran sword master Bob Anderson;
learning horsemanship with head wrangler Dave Johnson; and
practicing the Elvish language with dialect and creative
language coaches Andrew Jack and Roç–„in Carty.

Jack and Carty developed a unique accent and cadence for
Elvish, based in part on Celtic, yet entirely unique in the
world. In also training the actors in other dialects, they
gave exercises during which the actors stood in front of a
mirror, making curious noises and faces, learning to use
their facial muscles in completely new ways. The result was
that the actors each found their own accents spontaneously.
Jack and Carty taught the actors as if they were learning a
language from scratch, not just having them memorize script
lines.

In addition to the technical training, every actor involved
in The Lord of The Rings had to be in top physical
condition ? not just because the Fellowship scales
mountains, fords streams and fights physically intense
battles throughout the trilogy, but because they had to
withstand the 274-day shooting schedule. Says Dominic
Monaghan, who plays the hobbit Merry: "We all started
fitness programs well before production began and we worked
with physical trainers throughout. Not only was the shoot
physically challenging, with huge leaps and big battles and
stuff like that, but the hours alone required physical
conditioning and fitness. Anybody out of shape wouldn?t
have made it!"




Ad: