Return to Middle-earth and a ‘showdown’

One of the most ambitious and high-budget TV series of 2022 ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ The first two episodes premiered on Prime Video on September 2.

It was a project I’ve been waiting for since it was first announced in 2017. I remember a lot of talk about Amazon paying $250 million just for the series rights.

As the process evolves, ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ When I learned that the series version of the trilogy will not be made, new stories within the same world were aimed, my curiosity increased even more. ‘New story’ His expression was frankly a bit confusing. But as details about the project come, how can we ‘something’It started to become clear what he was waiting for. J.R.R. Tolkien‘of Middle EarthTV series rights were purchased, not for all of his works in . According to the agreement, each new story to be written would never go beyond the Middle-earth history described in these two novels and would in no way contradict what Tolkien wrote. Also, other works of Tolkien set in Middle-earth were not to be used.

For those who know how the three-volume ‘Lord of the Rings’ opens into the distant past and different ages of Middle-earth, these were obviously not very significant limitations. Moreover, Tolkien’s ‘historical flow framework’ In it, writers would have artistic freedom to come up with new stories and shape details. Thus, loyal readers of Tolkien knew that while there were limitations, there was much that could be done within those limits. What really matters is intent. Undoubtedly, the era in which the events took place, the characters and the direction the story would take were also important. For example, the first news Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf Some ideas were developed on the past stories of characters such as He was the director of trilogy until a few years ago. Peter Jacksonwas also named. But in the summer of 2018, those involved in the studies JD Payne and Patrick McKay with the duo taking the helm ‘last table’ appeared. In JD Payne and Patrick McKay’s history, not even their names written on the credits. ‘Star Trek Beyond’ (2016) There is no other work that can be accepted as a reference. It is clear that they impress Amazon executives with their concepts and ideas rather than their careers.

When you watch the first two episodes of the series, we see that the primary aim of Payne and McKay is not to build a new story from scratch within the determined limits, but to develop and deepen the past stories that Tolkien talks about in his novels. The events take place in the Second Age of Middle-earth, hundreds of years before the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and its prequel ‘The Hobbit’ movies. Actually, it’s all about the story told in the prologue of ‘Lord of the Rings’. Galadrielin the first scene of the first movie directed by Peter Jackson Rings of PowerIt tells about the making of ‘ and the great war that broke out in the following years. Therefore, it can be said that Payne and McKay set sail for a 5-season series through the history of Middle-earth, which is summarized in about 5 minutes. Right here, let’s point out that the only part of the story that is not faithful to Tolkien is that it fits the events of hundreds of years into a much shorter period of time.

In the first two episodes, we see that the script is set up in accordance with the story route we are accustomed to from the previous six films. Aforementioned, ‘route’I can summarize for myself as follows: All the peoples of Middle-earth must unite against the evil that threatens their habitat. However, it is not easy for them to form alliances due to past wars, problems and endless tensions between peoples. In this process, we follow the stories of the characters who take action against evil.

‘Star Wars’ As we have seen in their trilogy, the producers do not want to deviate from the formulas that have been held before. Because they know that the audience is conservative about the movies they like. There is a similar approach here.

Moreover When we look at the production design, visual atmosphere and images, we see that there is a very clear commitment to the images of Middle-earth in Peter Jackson’s films. He signed the music of the series Bear McCrearywho also composed the music of the movies Howard ShoreLet’s say you benefit from the themes of . Obviously, the goal is not to introduce a new interpretation of Tolkien’s works. ‘same world’To tell a new story that comes from within.

But innovation has its limits. for example, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’; They are basically novels about the Hobbit people, despite the existence of elves, humans, and dwarves. It is not easy to imagine a Middle-earth without Hobbits living in their own world, far from everyone else. Payne and McKay know this very well, so we can be traced back to their ancestors in the Second Age, when the Hobbits had not yet appeared. With the Harfoots they are introducing. From the very first scene we understand that they are the ancestors of the Hobbits. Because we witness that they hide incredibly well from two hunters roaming the area. As you know, Tolkien especially underlines their ability to hide and disappear in his novels. It’s about the Hobbits’ survival skills… In the new series, we see that the Hairfoots have not yet established a settled life, far from the other inhabitants of Middle-earth.

It’s certainly impossible to judge the overall level of the series over two episodes. It is also unclear whether the strong kinship established with the previous trilogy in terms of script format and visual atmosphere will continue in terms of themes and subtexts. But I can say that the story and characters give hope for now. an action hero Galadriel (Morfydd Clark)is a main character who can drag the series with his stubborn and independent personality. Elrond (Robert Aramayo) It also provides continuity between the previous movie trilogy and the series. The one who doesn’t care much about elven customs and traditions, ‘Go where your heart takes you’ determined Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) I can say the same for you. healer single mother Bronwyn‘I (Nazanin Boniadi) do not forget. If we exclude Elrond, whom the elven king commissioned in the project of the Rings of Power, for the sake of what all these characters are right ‘to leave the herd’ We understand that they can afford it. in the first trilogy Frodo and Bilbotaking the place of Nori (Markella Kavenagh) same goes for. He is also constantly trying to survive by hiding; It stands apart among its people, who do not tolerate individualism and do not like the sense of curiosity and discovery.

The strongest aspect of the series for now is that it promises a richness of characters that will not disappoint those who love Middle-earth, and that it can establish the visual atmosphere we miss. The city of dwarves in ruins in ‘Lord of the Rings’ Khazad-dûm and the capital of the Elves Lindon There is no doubt that it is a different pleasure to see places such as these.

It should be kept in mind that ‘Rings of Power’ is first and foremost a 21st century TV series. Regardless of where and in any era, I think that the series will ultimately reflect the problems of the world we live in and today. Moreover, as of the first two episodes, it is clear that the writers want to put the series on a ground that is based on political correctness, defends multiculturalism, and is against racism and discrimination. I hope they don’t lose this route, but in order to be successful, they have to go beyond the guaranteed formulas and take risks. Because no one likes a set of formulas tied to political correctness.

As of the first two episodes, I can say that they are not afraid to take risks and that they intend to fly with their own wings. LucasFilm If the executives tried to please the fanatical Star Wars fans who dislike anything but the first trilogy and despise every new Star Wars movie, they wouldn’t be able to go a step further; they would get stuck in the question of what the magic of the first trilogy was. I’m sure Amazon isn’t referring to Tolkien fans over the age of 40, but to today’s younger audiences and ‘Game of Thrones’ fans. That’s why it’s not easy for me to find that the series captures both ‘Tolkien’s literary spirit’ and today’s audience at the same time. When writing ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Tolkien had in mind the history of 20th century Europe, with its wars, atrocities, industrial societies, fascism and controversial democracy. The Second Age of Middle-earth was for him perhaps the 19th century, perhaps earlier European history. As a good reader of Tolkien, Peter Jackson chose to stick to all these subtexts and references throughout the trilogy; He stopped worrying about commenting and focused only on storytelling.

McKay and Payne’s job is obviously much more difficult. They have to capture the 21st Century within the world Tolkien created. Moreover, it is not possible for them to remain limited to European history like Tolkien. They need to tell a more global story that engages everyone. For the first two episodes, it feels like that was their intention.

The first film in the Jackson-directed series ‘Fellowship of the Ring’tells the coming together of characters who take risks for a mission framed by the wise Gandalf. In the first two episodes of the series, there is no wise man who puts a roadmap in front of the young people. There are just bold and very brave young characters who are ready to take any risk. The emphasis on heroism and bravery compared to the original work is frankly a bit worrying. Because Tolkien specifically stays away from the classical heroic narrative as we know it.

On the other hand, I cannot say that the characters in the series are not worthy of attention. Galadriel’s rejection of the illuminated Elven Heaven for the sake of her intuition, the fact that Arondir neglects her chance to return to her homeland and knocks on Bronwyn’s door, and young Nori, who is ready to push any limit to get to know the world, gives hope for the future of the series for now.

‘The Orphanage’ (El orfanato – 2007), ‘The Judgment Day’ (The Impossible – 2012) and ‘Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom’ (2018) Spanish director we remember with J.A. Bayonamakes two episodes of special effects that do justice to the fantasy genre; It establishes the visual world of the series and offers a roadmap to other directors. Bayona, like the previous 6 movies New ZelandHe knows how to stay true to the images of Peter Jackson in the series shot in . The fact that he often uses a fast-paced parallel plot to describe the events that happened to different characters is a clear indication that he takes contemporary action cinema as a model.

The series, which is not much different from a big-budget Hollywood summer movie in terms of production quality, is a candidate to be one of the symbols of an era where online services compete fiercely for the number of subscribers. Whether you like it or not, that’s a separate issue. But It’s hard to deny that ‘Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’, which is said to cost $100-150 million a season, is an exceptional show of power in this competitive era.