There’s no question that Tolkien’s important (if not the most important) work of fantasy of the 20th century. Given its enormous influence and popularity, it’s rather strange to think that it has really struggled to find screen adaptations. To date, the two most notable are the trilogy released by Peter Jackson in the early 2000s, and the single film version produced by Ralph Bakshi in the 1970s.
Which one of these is the definitive version? As it turns out, each of these interpretations has a good claim to be the best adaptation of Tolkien’s magnum opus.
Bakshi: Seems To Have More Love For The Novel
Jackson: Better CGI
It’s probably not entirely fair to give Jackson’s version more points based on CGI, considering the thirty years that elapsed between Bakshi’s version and his, but still, you have to give Jackson credit for the magnificent way in which he orchestrated special effects.
The viewer immediately feels as if they are immersed in the magnificent, grand, and also terrifying realm of Middle-earth. Bakshi’s version, on the other hand, is far more limited, and some of its animation feels very dated indeed.
Bakshi: The Ringwraiths Are More Terrifying
The Ringwraiths, as the chief servants of the Dark Lord Sauron, are some of Tolkien’s finest creations. They are like creatures sprung directly out of a nightmare, rendered all the more sinister because they are largely invisible (except when Frodo puts on the One Ring in their presence). While Jackon’s Ringwraiths are scary in their own way, there’s no question that the ones that Bakshi managed to create exhibit all of the terrifying unknowability and sinister affect that made them such great villains in Tolkien’s book.
Jackson: Less Ridiculous Hobbits
Anyone who has seen the Bakshi film knows that the hobbits don’t come out of it very well. In fact, except for Frodo they are all extremely ridiculous (this is especially true for both Bilbo and Sam). It’s very difficult to take them seriously, still less to see them as the heroes of this magnificent epic. In Jackson’s version, on the other hand, the hobbits, while prone to some ridiculousness, are still serious characters that the audience can like without mocking them or finding their antics irritating.
Bakshi: The Experimental Animation
If Bakshi’s version is known for one thing, it’s for its use of the technique known as rotoscoping, in which the filmmaker shoots a scene in live-action and then paints animated cels over it. While the effect can be very jarring for those who don’t know what to expect, and while it appears very dated from the standpoint of 2020 and the many advances made in animation, one still has to give Bakshi some respect for being willing to try out this technique on Tolkien’s work.
Jackson: More Emotional Heart
Despite the fact that he can, at times, be a bit self-indulgent as a filmmaker, Jackson does have an eye for what makes a powerfully emotional scene. His trilogy is full of such moments, though obviously those between Sam and Frodo are the most notable (in part because of the chemistry between Elijah Wood and Sean Astin). As a result, Jackson’s trilogy invites the viewer to have more emotional investment in the characters and in what happens to them than is the case with the Bakshi version.
Bakshi: Helm’s Deep Isn’t Quite As Excessive
In Jackson’s second film, the Battle of Helm’s Deep is one of the climactic moments in the trilogy, when the forces of good and evil clash in a terrible armed conflict. Though it is executed with finesse, it has to be said that it’s also a bit excessive, taking up far more running time than it really deserves (particularly in comparison to how it plays out in the book). Bakshi also includes this incident in his movie, though here it manages to be both understated and suitably climactic.
Jackson: Ian McKellen As Gandalf
For better and worse, there will never be anyone who inhabits the role of Gandalf quite as well as Ian McKellen. From the moment that he appears on-screen driving his cart into the Shire for the celebration of Bilbo’s birthday party, McKellen is Gandalf. This phenomenon holds true for the entirety of the trilogy, right up until the moment that he departs from the Grey Havens.
McKellen imbues this popular character with grace, humility, and a steely strength that makes him utterly believable as the wizard determined to lead the peoples of Middle-earth against the conquering might of Sauron.
Bakshi: The Screenplay Was Written By Peter S. Beagle
Fantasy fans everywhere know of the works of Peter S. Beagle, particularly his beloved novel 'The Last Unicorn' (which was also made into an animated film in the 1980s). Those who love the Bakshi film probably owe Beagle quite a lot, since he was the one responsible for writing the screenplay. His own fantasy bona fides, as well as his own debt to the work of Tolkien, no doubt allowed him to craft a screenplay that would do justice to the incredible story, characters, and world his predecessor created.
Jackson: The New Zealand Landscape
If there’s one thing that Jackson’s films are known for, it’s for their poetic evocation of the New Zealand landscape, and perhaps no other place on earth has become so associated with Middle-earth. It’s not just that the country has the sort of grandeur that one associates with epic fantasy, it’s that Jackson knows how to capture it with the camera in such a way that it literally takes the breath away. It’s a fitting testament to the brilliant world that Tolkien created.
