Friday 10 December 2004

Pic of the day: Cover picture from the DVD version of the movie.

Return of the ring

OK, that headline is intentionally misleading. The name of the movie is "Return of the King" whereas the series as a whole is known as "Lord of the Rings". Due to humans being a flawed race, some people are gonna mess this up and search for the above subject. Well, now you have been cured of your mistake and can return to your search engines with a better attempt. Thank you, and have a wonderful day!

***

Of course, there are other rings in this world, and their return tend to cause strong emotions. This hasn't happened to me, and I would not be happy to see it happen either. One or two of my most dedicated readers will know what this has to do with anything, so I thought I should mention it.

This day, I bought the DVD with the third LotR movie (extended version). I bought it at Outland in Kristiansand, the place where I go for manga, fantasy books and games handbooks. All kind of stuff like that, and the few anime that are to be found anywhere in Kristiansand, this is where you get it. And now also this. They sell a lot of LotR stuff like trading cards, small action figures, and of course Tolkien's books. All the stuff. So it only made sense to me that on this day, the day of the official release of the DVD in Norway, I might buy the movie there. This also came to pass, although I also bought a book by Robert Jordan and a double book by Robert Asprin. You know the saying, "take two Asprin..." so it makes sense to sell them in doubles. Wouldn't want to myth out on his humor, after all. Actually the books were what I came for, but on the way I saw the poster for the movie in a competing shop so I asked for it here.

Last year, I bought the second movie on DVD as well. This does not speak well for my intelligence, for I have not watched it again and still shelled out the rather noticeable amount that this movie cost. Logic dictates that I'm not going to see this one every year either, if I didn't with the previous one. Of course, there is the tiny difference that I saw the two first movies in the cinema, but not the third. Thereon hangs a tale.

These movies tend to play around Christmas, at least here in Norway. Since I used to visit my best friend (and her family) for Christmas, it was only natural that we went to see it together. She and her sisters supposedly watched it mainly for the hot male actors. I'm not sure this was really the only reason, but to make a girl admit that she like fantasy stories is much like making a boy gush about Titanic the movie. Of course, the movies did indeed have a bit more male than female characters, as had the books. If anything, this movie did focus more on one of the female characters than the books, not that I'm complaining. However, I did not watch it in the cinema because last Christmas, I decided to stay at home.

It wasn't an easy thing to do, it sure wasn't an easy thing to say, but it had to be done sooner or later. I think it was the right thing. But it still hurt a little. Parting is to die a bit, is that not what they say? Even though I dream different dreams now, it still feels strange.

***

So, watching this movie for the first time, alone, on my computer monitor ... It was more than just watching a movie. It was in itself a symbol, an affirmation. If things had been different, I would not have been watching it for the first time today. But I did. Things aren't different. I don't go to the movies alone, and for many years I did not go to the movies at all. Now I don't, again. The circle, or ring, is complete.

There is probably no purpose in writing a review of the movie. It largely follows the book. If you haven't seen either the book or the movie, shame on you, and you're missing out on one of the greater works of world literature. I certainly won't spoil it for you. But the movie was well made. I enjoyed it. But I wouldn't have gone alone to a movie theater to watch it. I should probably just have rented it, since I remember things pretty well after seeing them once. But it does have some sentimental value. I'm stacking it on the other side of the computer along with a very few other DVDs I have also bought, among them King of Dreams and Supergirl.

Oh yeah, and Unbreakable.