13 - 19 December 2001
Issue No.564
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 13 - 19 December 2001 Issue No.564 |
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Limelight
The hobitts are coming
No one has ever seen them, yet hundreds of millions of fans know exactly what they look like, and await their arrival with great anticipation. The longest lasting magic spell may have been cast when English author and scholar J.R.R. Tolkien first introduced the inhabitants of Middle-Earth to the inhabitants of this earth - "The Hobbits" in 1937. But it was not until 1954 that Tolkien delighted his growing army of fans with his strikingly brilliant tale that ranks amongst the greatest annals of literary fantasy, his haunting trilogy known as "The Lord of the Rings".
Seamlessly crafted, and utterly believable, Tolkien's enchanted Middle-Earth lives on and on in the mind of anyone fortunate enough to delve into this world of blissful fantasy, in a time before history, in a place called Middle-Earth. As rich a land as ever existed, Middle Earth is full of evocative prose and verse, fabulous characters, languages, cultures and creatures. Beneath it all is a "heartfelt message and lessons about things good and bad!" This magical trilogy is now ready to move from the realm of imagination and fantasy to enter the realm of visual imagery, inviting us all to visit Middle-Earth at last.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them.
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
For decades these words have ignited the fires and fancy, shaped the dreams and visions of over 100 million readers, creating immortal elves, stalwart dwarves, passionate men and simple lovable hobbits. Against overwhelming odds they battle evil in all its forms, prejudice, greed, fear, temptation. They valiantly struggle amidst the shadowy currents of a world turned asunder.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was born to English parents in South Africa. The family moved back to England after the death of his father in 1895 and made its home at Sarehole near Birmingham, a beautiful rural area that left an indelible mark on young Ronald, to be seen and felt and heard later in his writings. At King Edward's School, Ronald studied the Classics and Anglo- Saxon Middle English. A devoted academic, he became Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford and he would soon prove himself as one of the finest philologists in the world.
The great legends of Middle-Earth were already consuming him. "The Hobbits" published by Sir Stanley Unwin in 1937, proved to be so successful that Sir Stanley kept pressing him for a sequel. So involved was he in his scholarly pursuits, it was not to come before 1954 when he was approaching retirement. Tolkien died in 1973, leaving his first account of Middle Earth, "Simarillion" unfinished. His son Christopher edited it and completed it. Published in 1977, it brings an additional dimension to the fantasy world of Middle-Earth. His great mythological masterpiece became a unique piece of literature. Its appeal extended from generation to generation of fanatically devoted fans. So successful was the trilogy, that to date it has sold 90 million copies and has been read by millions more.
Elijah Wood -"The Chosen One"
So what does "Hobbit" mean? Tolkien defined it to his publisher as "hole-dweller" or "hole-builder". When pressed further to describe what a hobbit looks like, he wrote: "I picture a fairly human figure...a round joyful face, ears only slightly pointed and "elvish" hair, short and curling (brown). The feet from his ankles down covered with brown hairy fur." Hobbits are very real to Tolkien. Simple, peaceful creatures, courageous and skillful in times of trouble, relatively undaunted by great terrors. "Thirty-three was the age of adulthood. They lived for about 130 years." From the complete Guide to Middle-Earth by Robert Foster, 1978.
At long last, this literary masterpiece is coming to the silver screen. A long road was traveled before this dream could come true. Several years of planning and preparation are finally bearing fruit. The myths, landscapes and strange creatures that Tolkien created are so awesome, it has taken more than four decades for cinema technology to reach the necessary level of sophistication to bring them to life. New Line Productions chose New Zealander horror specialist, director Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners) for this daring undertaking. Himself a devotée of 'the Rings', Jackson chose to stay close to home, and for the past several years, together with a devoted production team has been filming spectacular landscapes of wild virgin woods all over New Zealand. A mastermind visionary, Jackson opted to make three films of 'the Rings' simultaneously "in order to capture Tolkien's soaring epic in its entirety", an unprecedented feat at the staggering cost of over $300 million.
The trilogy to be released in 3 consecutive years, each ending with a cliffhanger, will leave us on the edge of our seats, from year to year. The first of the books is The Fellowship of the Ring to be released December 19th in time for Oscar eligibility. Parts 2 and 3 The Two Towers, and The Return of the King will be released in December 2002 and December 2003. 'The Fellowship' is about Frodo Baggins, a shy young hobbit who inherits the 'One Ring' - an instrument of absolute power that could allow Sauron, the dark Lord of Mordor, to rule Middle-Earth and enslave its peoples. Frodo, together with a loyal fellowship of 3 other hobbits, 2 humans, a wizard, a dwarf and an elf, must take the ring across Middle-Earth to the Crack of Doom, where it was first forged, and destroy it forever. Such a journey means venturing deep into dangerous territory held by the Dark Lord of Mordor, where he is amassing his army of wicked, ape-like 'Orcs'. The fellowship not only has to combat the forces of evil, but internal dissension and the corrupting influence of 'the Ring' itself.
The internationally renowned cast includes English horror-film veteran Christopher Lee as the evil Saruman, Australian Cate Blanchett as Elf-Queen Galadriel and American Liv Tyler as Elf Arwen. There was talk about picking an unknown to play Frodo, 'the Chosen one', champion of the hobbits, but who could resist 20-year-old Elijah Wood who so closely resembles a Hobbit, with his wide, pale, limpid blue eyes and his elf- like diminutive frame of 5ft 6inches? Veteran of several distinguished films (Deep Impact, The Ice Storm), Wood has been acting for more than half of his life. Director Jackson raves about his 'chosen one': "Elijah instinctively understands how to act for the screen... He has awesome craft and technical ability. It's quite humbling to see so much talent in someone so young."
The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone and I must follow if I can.
These haunting words by Frodo Baggins of "the Lord of the Rings" trilogy shall warm the hearts of the millions of zealous fans this Christmas season. Hobbits shall walk and talk amongst us, and this earth is more ready than ever to welcome the inhabitants of Middle- Earth.
The craze and cravings for obscenities, bloodshed and gore have subsided for now. The new heart-warming trend for good, clean, wholesome entertainment raises the bar above the shallow murky puddles of years past. The pendulum may be swinging our way at last! Like the hobbits we must fight valiantly and tirelessly the evil forces around us, as well as those within us. Like the hobbits, we must not rest until we have triumphed over them. The course of our future history maybe entwined with the fate of the hobbits, and like them, we too shall overcome! Go Hobbits.
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