PRODUCTION DESIGN CASE STUDY:
THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2001, 2002, 2003
DIRECTOR: Peter Jackson WRITER: J. R. R. Tolkien, Fran Walsh CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Lesnie EXEC. PRODUCER: Michael Lynne, Mark Ordesky GENRE: FANTASY PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Grant Major STORYLINE: An ancient Ring of Power thought lost for centuries has been found, and through a strange twist in fate has been given to a small hobbit named Frodo. When Gandalf the wizard discovers the Ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, Frodo must make an epic quest with a fellowship of companions to destroy it and end the Dark Lord's reign. |
OVERALL VISION:
The films, which really are just one long film in three parts, are an adaptation of Tolkien's novel and is, therefore, tied to his created world. However, while the novel focuses on its created world, characters, and language, the films focus much more on the theme of the corrupting nature of power. The conflict, at its heart, is the battle between the weakest of beings in Middle Earth, a hobbit, and the most powerful being, Sauron. The classic, fantasy "good vs. evil" trope, in this film, becomes "peace and the natural order vs. power and an enforced order." The overarching question is: can power be denied? Unfortunately, the film seems to argue that, even if denied, power corrupts our nature. No one who holds the power can ever be quite the same.
LOCATIONS, SETS, and LIGHTING:
The locations in this film are designed to match the thematic character of the "sides" of the conflict. The "good" side focuses on locations that look green, growing, peaceful, and natural. Specifically, the hobbits and elves seem to live in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings. The humans (some of whom are good and some of whom are evil) reside in locations that are part natural and part unnatural. Sauron's forces (and, later, Saruman's forces) are shown in locations of destroyed or decimated nature. Burned and desolate landscapes dominate the "evil" environments.
COSTUMES, HAIR, and MAKEUP:
Much like the settings, the costumes, hair, and makeup take their cue from nature and natural forms for the good characters. The evil characters' costumes take more industrial forms. From jewelry to fabrics, from hairstyles to makeup amount, each aspect of the design is careful to fit this theme. Once again, the elves and hobbits (along with Gandalf) have the heaviest nature motif, and the humans have a middle-ground mix of nature and industry.
PROPS:
Once again, the props in the film, from the jewelry to the furniture to the weaponry, indicate nature and "good" or industry and "bad." The kind of unity in design we see through the sets, costumes, and props in this film is rare. The designer(s) were obviously focused on a common idea, and the film is enhanced by that specific theme.
CHARACTER and CREATURE DESIGN:
In The Spanish Prisoner, one character tells another, "good people, bad people, they generally look like what they are." The creature design for The Lord of the Rings seems to follow that philosophy. Along with the excellent WETA designs of creatures like Shelob, The Watcher in the Water, and the Balrog, the uglier the creature is, the more evil it is. Also, creatures associated with fire, flames, and molten rock are a little extra evil.