National Geographic: Beyond the Movie - The Lord of the Rings (2002)

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This documentary explores the connections between the author, the real world, and the fictional world of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Oxford Professor J.R.R. Tolkien's boyhood and World War I and II experiences are described and detailed. Comparisons are then drawn between the… More This documentary explores the connections between the author, the real world, and the fictional world of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Oxford Professor J.R.R. Tolkien's boyhood and World War I and II experiences are described and detailed. Comparisons are then drawn between the writing and Tolkien's real experiences to illustrate how fact, in essence, often becomes fiction. Also discussed are the larger implications of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (for example, is the "evil ring" a symbol for the atomic bomb?). Beautiful cinematography, feature film footage, compelling interviews with the movie crew, and some additional mythological and anthropological history helps deepen the intrigue of Tolkien's remarkable fantasy. ~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi