Summary
- Gandalf's fight with the Balrog as they fall deeper into the Mines of Moria is immortalized in a stunning piece of Lord of the Rings art.
- The Balrog sequence remains thrilling today due to the build-up of fear and anticipation regarding the monster's arrival.
- The Balrog's VFX and sound design help to make it one of the most memorable creatures from the franchise.
A gorgeous piece of Balrog in the Mines of Moria.
A piece of art from Geek Fine Art on Instagram recreates the showdown between Gandalf and the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings, bringing the scene to life with bold colors and an epic pose from McKellen's wizard. Check out the art below:
The art captures a moment just after Gandalf and the Balrog fall from the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, with the wizard shown about to bring his sword down upon his fiery foe. Gandalf's sword strike is evidently not the killing blow, however, with the pair eventually ending up in the waters of the abyss before finishing their fight atop Durin's tower.
The Lord of the Rings' Balrog Still Holds Up
Why Gandalf's Fight With The Balrog In Fellowship Of The Ring Is So Memorable
Released more than 20 years ago now, all three entries in the Lord of the Rings trilogy hold up remarkably well today from a visual standpoint. The Balrog, in particular, is one of the highlights of the first film (though he also appears in The Two Towers as Gandalf recounts their battle), with Jackson making some key decisions that make the creature's unveiling all the more powerful. Crucially, the creature is given a big build-up that adds to its menace before its fight with Gandalf even begins.
All three Lord of the Rings movies are currently available to stream on Max.
In the caverns of Moria, the Fellowship finds itself surrounded by an army of Orcs. The heavy footsteps of the Balrog and its fiery orange glow, however, prompt the Orcs to retreat in fear. Gandalf, too, normally a brave-faced fighter, shows signs of fear, and this helps to build anticipation. The sound design and score contribute to this sense of anxiety and anticipation, with the monster's thundering footsteps echoing throughout the chamber. Only after the Fellowship makes it to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm is the Balrog fully unveiled, and it certainly isn't a let-down.
Much of the Balrog's body is obscured by fire and smoke, and Moria itself is very dark, meaning any VFX shortcomings that may exist are hard to spot. The pure heat of the monster is made clear by the shimmering air and the sweat on the brows of the Lord of the Rings cast. Another aspect that makes the Balrog so memorable as a villain is that he seemingly pulls Gandalf to his death. As the latest piece of art reinforces, Gandalf's fight with the Balrog remains one of The Lord of the Ring's trilogy's most memorable moments.
Source: @julienverge_art/ Instagram
- Created by
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- First Film
- The Lord of the Rings (1978)
- Cast
- Norman Bird, John Hurt
- TV Show(s)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Video Game(s)
- The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
