The conclusion of the powerful One Ring is signaled as the major point of contention and plot motor for the series. Frodo receives the heirloom and sets off on the dangerous journey to Mount Doom.
It is a never-ending debate about where The Lord of the Rings: The ranks in the series. The Fellowship of the Ring is singularly complicated in that it makes the audience first care about the characters, understand why they break away from each other, and it sets up the pieces for three different story threads that will be shown in parallel in the subsequent movie. While The Lord of the Rings ultimately ties its events back together, understanding the varying threads is crucial to continue.
Gandalf Lost To The Balrog (Is He Really Dead?)
Gandalf Was Dragged Into The Depths Of Khazad-dûm
Gandalf the Gray is partially responsible for sending Frodo on the quest with the Ring. Fate may have played a part in delivering the One Ring to Frodo, but Gandalf discovers the true identity of the Baggins family heirloom and sets Frodo off to destroy the One Ring. The Fellowship’s confidence in Gandalf is one of the reasons they all agree to band together and journey to Mordor. His role as the leader mirrors his part in The Hobbit, and while that story is designed for younger audiences, Gandalf’s fate here alludes to darker thematic material.
When the Balrog pulls Gandalf into the chasm of Khazad-dûm, the Fellowship looks on in horror and despair. Their guiding light for the journey has been taken away, and they are left alone. No member of the band of nine suspected that the angelic and powerful Gandalf would be the first to die over the mortal of the group. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring subverts the audiences’ expectations by removing the character that was ostensibly the leader. At the same time, Gandalf's death is necessary for his path forward.
Why The Fellowship Breaks Up In The Fellowship Of The Ring's Ending
Frodo Can't Risk Letting The Ring Corrupt The Fellowship
When Frodo Baggins and the emissaries of other races meet together at the Council of Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring, the assumption by all present is that the nine will travel together until the Ring is thrown into Mount Doom in Mordor. Frodo and Sam’s breaking of the Fellowship is unique in that the pair choose to leave. This difficult decision is the first of many that Frodo will have to make, putting the destruction of the Ring above all other ideals, including friendship. The way forward for the hobbit only becomes more arduous after this ending.
The Ring does not count on Samwise Gamgee defying its will and ing Frodo.
Throughout The Fellowship of the Ring, the manipulative power of the Ring is shown in many characters. The duo leaving the rest of the Fellowship is heroic, but it’s also disheartening. This reveals another dark aspect of the object: its capacity to sever the bearer's ties with the rest of the world. Despite the power of the One Ring, the hobbits don't become fully corrupted, a theme of the series. The Ring does not count on Samwise Gamgee defying its will and ing Frodo. Sam's loyalty will play an important role in their friendship and the fate of the Ring.
Boromir Dies After Trying To Take The Ring
Boromir Is Corrupted By The Power Of The One Ring
Once again, Sean Bean plays a character who dies on-screen when he plays Boromir, the grayest member of the Fellowship in Fellowship of the Ring. His part in the story is to show how even those with good intentions can be swept away by the evil influence of the Ring. Boromir's death is a hard lesson for the Fellowship; while they may believe all men will be naturally opposed to the will of Sauron, there is still an element of weakness in them that can be corrupted.
The scene also conveys the theme that those brought low by the evil of the Ring can find a way to redeem themselves. Instead of chasing after Frodo or fleeing in regret, Boromir turns around and immediately repents by defending Merry and Pippin. His death is a terrible price to pay for his courage, but it shows the stakes of what it will require for good to triumph over Sauron. Boromir's final acknowledgment of Aragorn as King of Gondor presses Aragorn to realize he cannot keep running from his destiny in the next film.
All Extended Edition Changes In Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring's extended cut adds 30 minutes of runtime. Here's every scene that's altered by the added time and what the changes are.
Merry & Pippin Are Abducted By The Orcs
Merry & Pippin Demonstrate Their Bravery Against The Orcs
Merry and Pippin’s fate at the end of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings separates them forcefully from the other of the Fellowship. Their story gives Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas a new purpose in the sequel. Merry and Pippin’s innocent relationship with the Fellowship mirrors how there are innocent people all over Middle-earth, and their fate could be everyone’s if the Ring isn’t destroyed.
The rashness of their actions in the first half of Fellowship of the Ring is brought full circle in the end when they attack an army of Uruk-hai alone. It's a decidedly un-hobbit-like action that is quickly ended by the stronger orcs. This example of the young hobbits directing their reckless abandon toward the evil forces of Mordor is the first time the audience sees that Merry and Pippin could make a difference in the war on their own. The journey that leads the two to start an Ent uprising would be unbelievable without this first instance of heroism.
Legolas, Gimli, & Aragorn Are In Pursuit of Merry & Pippin
The Fellowship Is Broken, But This Trio Is Still Bound To Their Loyalty
The last portion of the Fellowship to split off in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas. The trio is near despair until Aragorn, honoring Boromir’s dying last words, takes the mantle of leader for the first time. All three of those characters gave their oaths to destroy the Ring and never betray the Fellowship. The end of the film sees the trio alone and without direction.
Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas decide that their oath of Fellowship still stands even if their goal has been modified.
This marks a change in the plot for these characters, as they will no longer be going to Mount Doom. Their story changes to one of gathering the broken realms of Men to their cause. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas decide that their oath of Fellowship still stands even if their goal has been modified. They pursue the Uruk-hai holding Merry and Pippin with a suitably stirring quote by Aragorn, "Let's hunt some orc." For Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, that means striding into the second film, formidable and dangerous, ready for a sequel centered around war.
How The Fellowship Of The Ring's Ending Compares To The Books
Much Of The Movie's Ending Battle Is Explained In The Two Towers
Many of the events of The Fellowship of the Ring bear similarities to their book counterpart, though the action sequence at the end of the movie is mostly original. In most cases with Peter Jackson's movie trilogy, the action is heightened compared to the amount in the novels. In this case, Boromir's death happens at the start of The Two Towers, with Fellowship ending with Frodo's departure. He and Sam leave before the battle occurs, and it isn't until the next book that readers find out what happened.
Much of Tolkien's writing involves characters sharing tales in retrospect. In The Two Towers, readers learn from Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli what fate befell Boromir. Then, it isn't until Merry and Pippin's chapters that it is revealed how his death actually occurred. As for Gandalf's fate and many of the other narrative elements in the film, the book follows similar beats. Frodo's departure and the dispersion of the Fellowship are for the same reasons.
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The Real Meaning Of Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
The Quest Was Never Going To Be Easy, But There Is Always Hope
The ending of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring sees the Fellowship fractured. Howard Shore's haunting score plays over each character, and the last time the audience sees them, they are grimacing in desperation or grief, and the situation appears completely lost. However, Jackson's films are centered around the idea of hope. The of the Fellowship may die, desert, or be abducted, but they do so hoping and striving for the completion of Frodo’s quest.
Sauron's evil in Lord of the Rings may seem too great for anyone of Middle-earth to bear, but the Fellowship proves they can suffer any defeat. The small glimpses of hope in the dire ending are an encapsulation of the themes in the Jackson film series. In these movies, even when it is darkest, there are rays of light. The heroism in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring doesn’t come from knightly deeds; it comes from the unwavering faith that good can triumph over evil, even when things seem hopeless.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first film in Peter Jackson's critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movie follows Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) as he is tasked with destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom after he inherits the ring.
- Runtime
- 178 Minutes
- Director
- Peter Jackson
