I think the title pretty much explains my idea here. I am writing alternate timeline reviews of films that don't actually exist in our world. The various reviews do not have to exist in a single timeline, so there may be mutually contradicting details in the reviews. I'd like to begin with a topic that has come up at least a couple times. Where could John Lennon's desire to produce a Beatles version of Lord of the Rings have gone? I apologize in advanced for offending any fans of the novels, it was not my intent to offend you.
Lord of the Rings
1970
While the film has met with some serious criticism from Tolkein enthusiasts in recent years for its unique way of adapting the novel’s general storyline, along with what many perceive to have been a departure from the author’s insistent emphasis on pre-modernity, the sheer beauty and ambition of the first attempt to adapt The Lord of the Rings cannot be denied. The animation is simply stunning for the period in which the film was produced, especially considering the circumstances under which the film was made. The filmmaker’s decision to think operatically allows the film to capture the emotional and thematic weight of Tolkein’s novel in the context of a single film, no easy feat. By telling the story largely through song and by imagery rather than dialogue, the film is able to condense a massive story into a fairly brief running time. No, it does not capture everything that Tolkein wrote, but it does about a good a job at adapting his massive novels as any one film could be expected to do. The film uses the template established by Walt Disney’s Fantasia to bring to the screen what was at the time considered to be a source material that defied adaptation. The film is in short, much better than it arguably had any right to be, considering the film’s origins as an attempted effort to escape a contractual obligation.
The film famously originated as a merger of two separate efforts to adapt the film, namely, John Lennon’s failed effort to coax Stanley Kubrick into creating a live action adaptation as the third “Beatle” film, and Heinz Eddelmann’s desire to create an animated operatic adaptation. Eddelmann had served a crucial role in the production of Yellow Submarine, so it is not entirely surprising that Lennon would come across Eddelmann’s nascent project after the band finally obtained the rights to create such an adaptation in the middle of 1969, following the author’s tragic death. The decision for the band to finance and appear in an animated version of the film was based largely in practical considerations. No one in the band, least of all the infamously impatient John Lennon, could stand the prospect of working on a film set for years at a time, which would have been the likely demand of a live action effort. Neither Paul McCartney nor George Harrison had much interest in the project, which is why ultimately, only John Lennon and Richard Starkey recorded dialogue for the film. By the time the film’s admittedly small amount of dialogue was being recorded, the band was on the verge of an irrevocable split. Therefore, the only real remnant of the film’s origin as a “Beatles” film is in the presence of Richard Starkey as Sam and John Lennon’s presence as Gollum, along with the use of “I Want You” as Gollum’s theme and "Here Comes the Sun" as the film's closing song. The two songs, which had originally appeared on the Abbey Road album are the only piece of popular music in the film, and as such they are a subject of some controversy. Nonetheless, they are both used effectively, and given the fact that John Lennon voices the part of Gollum, the song seems to flow naturally out of Gollum’s perspective, rather than being a distracting interpolation. And the film's use of "Here Comes the Sun" provides a satisfying emotional conclusion to the film after the Ring's destruction. Still, many have criticized the film for including the songs, again claiming that it detracts from the novel’s effort to create a decidedly pre-modern environment. The rest of the film’s score is made up of various pieces of classical music derived from various sources, with interpolations from an instrumental version of "I Want You" whenever the film explores the risks inherent in the One Ring.
While the film is largely about sound and imagery, it is not devoid of dialogue entirely. Aside from the efforts of Lennon and Starkey, each of whom is effective in their roles, the film also includes the voices of a wide array of talented actors, not the least of whom is Christopher Lee as Gandalf. The film is not a complete success, and it is not a perfect adaptation. It was a flawed effort in many respects, largely because the film’s ambitions were not quite reachable. The Lord of the Rings cannot be condensed into a single film and retain its full scope, even if the story is told symbolically. However, the film is not the total failure its troubled production suggests it should have been. The film began as an afterthought while the Beatles were breaking apart, sustained only by Eddelmann and Lennon’s enthusiasm for the project. Where the film could easily have been a mere time capsule of the period, it has a certain timeless quality to it. It is without a doubt one of the better animated efforts to adapt Tolkein’s work. Therefore, despite the film’s more recent criticisms, it is certainly a film worth seeing. I recommend the film both for fans of the Beatles as well as fans of cinema generally. I tentatively recommend the film to those interested in Tolkein's work, with the caveat that the film is a very condensed adaptation, so do not expect the film to replicate everything that occurred in the novels.
Lord of the Rings
1970
While the film has met with some serious criticism from Tolkein enthusiasts in recent years for its unique way of adapting the novel’s general storyline, along with what many perceive to have been a departure from the author’s insistent emphasis on pre-modernity, the sheer beauty and ambition of the first attempt to adapt The Lord of the Rings cannot be denied. The animation is simply stunning for the period in which the film was produced, especially considering the circumstances under which the film was made. The filmmaker’s decision to think operatically allows the film to capture the emotional and thematic weight of Tolkein’s novel in the context of a single film, no easy feat. By telling the story largely through song and by imagery rather than dialogue, the film is able to condense a massive story into a fairly brief running time. No, it does not capture everything that Tolkein wrote, but it does about a good a job at adapting his massive novels as any one film could be expected to do. The film uses the template established by Walt Disney’s Fantasia to bring to the screen what was at the time considered to be a source material that defied adaptation. The film is in short, much better than it arguably had any right to be, considering the film’s origins as an attempted effort to escape a contractual obligation.
The film famously originated as a merger of two separate efforts to adapt the film, namely, John Lennon’s failed effort to coax Stanley Kubrick into creating a live action adaptation as the third “Beatle” film, and Heinz Eddelmann’s desire to create an animated operatic adaptation. Eddelmann had served a crucial role in the production of Yellow Submarine, so it is not entirely surprising that Lennon would come across Eddelmann’s nascent project after the band finally obtained the rights to create such an adaptation in the middle of 1969, following the author’s tragic death. The decision for the band to finance and appear in an animated version of the film was based largely in practical considerations. No one in the band, least of all the infamously impatient John Lennon, could stand the prospect of working on a film set for years at a time, which would have been the likely demand of a live action effort. Neither Paul McCartney nor George Harrison had much interest in the project, which is why ultimately, only John Lennon and Richard Starkey recorded dialogue for the film. By the time the film’s admittedly small amount of dialogue was being recorded, the band was on the verge of an irrevocable split. Therefore, the only real remnant of the film’s origin as a “Beatles” film is in the presence of Richard Starkey as Sam and John Lennon’s presence as Gollum, along with the use of “I Want You” as Gollum’s theme and "Here Comes the Sun" as the film's closing song. The two songs, which had originally appeared on the Abbey Road album are the only piece of popular music in the film, and as such they are a subject of some controversy. Nonetheless, they are both used effectively, and given the fact that John Lennon voices the part of Gollum, the song seems to flow naturally out of Gollum’s perspective, rather than being a distracting interpolation. And the film's use of "Here Comes the Sun" provides a satisfying emotional conclusion to the film after the Ring's destruction. Still, many have criticized the film for including the songs, again claiming that it detracts from the novel’s effort to create a decidedly pre-modern environment. The rest of the film’s score is made up of various pieces of classical music derived from various sources, with interpolations from an instrumental version of "I Want You" whenever the film explores the risks inherent in the One Ring.
While the film is largely about sound and imagery, it is not devoid of dialogue entirely. Aside from the efforts of Lennon and Starkey, each of whom is effective in their roles, the film also includes the voices of a wide array of talented actors, not the least of whom is Christopher Lee as Gandalf. The film is not a complete success, and it is not a perfect adaptation. It was a flawed effort in many respects, largely because the film’s ambitions were not quite reachable. The Lord of the Rings cannot be condensed into a single film and retain its full scope, even if the story is told symbolically. However, the film is not the total failure its troubled production suggests it should have been. The film began as an afterthought while the Beatles were breaking apart, sustained only by Eddelmann and Lennon’s enthusiasm for the project. Where the film could easily have been a mere time capsule of the period, it has a certain timeless quality to it. It is without a doubt one of the better animated efforts to adapt Tolkein’s work. Therefore, despite the film’s more recent criticisms, it is certainly a film worth seeing. I recommend the film both for fans of the Beatles as well as fans of cinema generally. I tentatively recommend the film to those interested in Tolkein's work, with the caveat that the film is a very condensed adaptation, so do not expect the film to replicate everything that occurred in the novels.
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