National Geographic Beyond the Movie - The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

Starring:John Howe (II), Phil Crowley, Peter McHugh, Oliver Muirhead, Alan Lee (II), Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, John Garth, Martin Carver, Richard Taylor (III), Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Pekka Huttu-Hiltunen, Jussi Tuominen, Wade Davis, Markku Nieminen, Tom Shippey, Liv Tyler
Director: Lisa Kors
Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The connection between National Geographic and The Lord of the Rings may seem tentative, but this illuminating TV special proves otherwise. While incorporating cast and crew interviews and film clips from director Peter Jackson's 2001 blockbuster The Fellowship of the Ring, this hourlong documentary transcends timely opportunism to explore the myriad inspirations for J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy classic, beginning with the influence of Tolkien's idyllic childhood in rural England, which served as the model for Tolkien's threatened Hobbit paradise. Equally fascinating are the influence of Tolkien's experience in World War I, the "evil" of industrial development, and especially the influence of Anglo-Saxon poetry (notably Beowulf) and the mythology of the Finnish Kalevala, which formed the basis of Tolkien's elfish culture. Tolkien's passion for nature conservancy and cultural preservation is what ultimately serves the National Geographic agenda, but eloquent testimonials by archaeologists, anthropologists, and filmmakers make this a most agreeable hour of justified propaganda. --Jeff Shannon

Description

National Geographic Beyond the Movie: The Lord of the Rings explores throught provoking questions for viewers who want to go beyond the richly fanciful film into the world that started it all.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting.......2004-12-26

I thought it was very interesting. I was intrigued by the ideas of Tolkien'a life as presented by National Geographics. As well as the influences that went into the "Lord of the Rings." I found it very insightful. I've studied Tolkien before maybe that is why I enjoyed this more than other reviewers.

Has nothing to do with the film.Do not buy it........2004-04-10

This National Geographic DVD has nothing to do with the actual film. It just compares the characters with real life characters.
Save your money and do not buy it for it is irellevant to the film. Tolkien repeatedly said that his Lord Of The Rings books were not allegorical and yet we still have those that like to use it to make up their own revisionist history.
Shame on you National Geographic for selling this piece of tripe.

Not quite what I wanted........2004-01-31

I purchased this DVD hoping to find an exploration into the historical and anthropological background to Lord of the Rings. Did it deliver? Well...sort of.

It gives us some information (precious little) about the life and times of J.R.R. Tolkien - but nothing much that we did not all ready know: he fought in World War I, he was from the English countryside and was not a fan of industrialization, he was educated and taught at Oxford, etc.

Some insight is provided into the historical aspect of the Trilogy. Tolkien was heavily influenced by Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon history. Most illuminating was the discussion of the Nordic Kalevala, and the possible roots of Elvish. (For all you MST 3K fans out there, the Kalevala is the source of the Sampo).

Where I feel the documentary went wrong is that there is not enough of such material. Instead, it comes off as too much of a plug for the movie The Fellowship of the Ring. It is chock full of interviews with Peter Jackson and the cast and would certainly be at home as an extra on the DVD. It also tries to justify its existence by providing parallels between themes in the book (like nature conservation) and our world today.

Unfortunately, we live in a time when we seem to be at war every other year. Sauron's and Saruman's abound. It is not too hard for us to find the parallels between Earth and Middle-earth for ourselves. As Christopher Lee puts it at the end of the documentary, "Where is the Ring Bearer now?"

Where indeed?

LoTR Fans: Save Your Money.......2003-12-17

This is getting one star because you can't give it a half star.

The worst part about this DVD is that it doesn't do a good job at masking the fact that's its not really educational- it feels more like a long winded commercial for the movie. It hits on historical bits and points here and there but never goes into much detail. Additionally, it just seems to wander from point to point without a lot of structure.

Sleep inducing, really.

Save your money.
LoTR can easily sell itself without the help.

About history more than myth..........2003-12-07

How sad that so many so-called fans of LOTR don't want to think about the actual meaning of the story. Tolkien's passions, his influences, the things he most valued and most feared, permeate the Lord of the Rings, and it is his life and influences that this documentary explores, not a behind-the-scenes look at the movies. If you want to see how the movies were made, there are plenty of other dvds to watch. One review said Tolkien would be horrified at this documentary; on the contrary, he would probably be fascinated by all the "boring" parts about nature, language and vanishing culture!

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