A friend pointed out to me this past weekend marked the 20th anniversary of the LOTR films, beginning with The Fellowship of the Ring. It was released 19th December 2001. 20 years. If you are like me and sometimes think of 20 years ago being the 1980s this feels all the more jarring. Measurements of time aside, the film version of one of the more influential books of the past century holds up remarkably well. In some ways I would argue it is one of the more ‘right wing’ films of the past 60 years. A key component of the story is the restoration of a bloodline monarchy - the third film being so boldly titled as “The Return of the King”. Hierarchy and order are important parts of this world. Theoden’s poem (although abridged in the film) is preceded by him questioning his peoples desire to follow their King. This short scene, with the montage of white men and boys preparing for battle, is a great piece of cinema that almost feels completely out of time in the modern world. The films aren’t perfect - Jackson struggled in particular in directing the Frodo and Sam story arc - but they remain rough diamonds with great aesthetics that speak to the European soul.
Aforementioned scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVEYcTyj1Do
