Rating of
4/4
One of the Greats
James - wrote on 09/08/22
Return of the King is one of my favorite films of all time. It isn’t the strongest cinematic achievement of the trilogy but does best embody the spirit of why I love it. There is a deep passion that Jackson has for this universe and in his directing you see a man who truly enjoys being allowed to finish this story. Nothing in the way the film is shot suggests that Jackson was tired of this trilogy. With Game of Thrones you could see the disinterest the two show runners had in completing the series. It isn’t just Jackson who deserves credit. Without all the cast and crew who worked tirelessly for three years there would be no trilogy.
When you look at Cirith Ungol and Minas Tirith you can tell the people who designed the miniatures still had the dedication. The costumes and production design felt as fresh as they have throughout the entirety of the trilogy. The make up team was on point with the way they handled the more practical looks of the Orcs. Even the CGI felt more crisp and clean since that moment in Fellowship of the Ring. The crew of below the line workers who made this film deserve as much respect as anyone else for pulling off what they did.
I haven’t had a chance to wax poetic on Howard Shore yet. His score is a masterclass per usual. The most notable track of the film for me is the music that plays for the ride of the Rohirrim. Once again the music becomes its own character, adding a personality to already compelling visual language.
Something that goes with the score that I never mentioned yet was the original song that went with the film. While the Oscars don’t define quality a film has, since it’s all subjective, I still admire them for giving Annie Lenox’s Into the West the Oscar. It is probably one of the most notable film songs of the century along with Lose Yourself and Skyfall. It might seem small, but when you’re walking out of a theater the music that accompanies the credits is important. This song is.
I have praised all the usual suspects and wanted to quickly dive into the story itself. A movie can have a story that is devoid of moments and still provide from a compelling film. Groundhog Day is simply the same day over and over again yet still works because it is a well made film. This movie’s story and moments are some of the most memorable in film history. The most amazing thing about all the moments is that they are driven by simple words. “You bow to no one”, “I am no man”, “For Frodo” “Death!”, “Flee, flee for your lives!”, and “Don’t let go.”
It is amazing how a few words can stick with you simply because Jackson knew exactly what he was doing with each moment. He truly did pull off a masterpiece here.
