Not long ago I got a chance to re-watch one of my favorite movies of all time; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. This film is a visual masterpiece. The way directer Peter Jackson uses the camera to catch his characters is amazing.

The story is about a one and only ring that has the power to rule the world. The ring was created by the Dark Lord Sauron. Sauron thought to have lost the ring when it ended up in the hands of a hobbit named Frodo. The story takes place in Middle-Earth which is a dark and stormy place. Frodo must journey across the land to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. If Frodo destroys the ring, Sauron can't rule the people of middle earth and take over the world; butif he doesnt make it, that exactly will happen.

Throughout his journey, Frodo is joined by his good friend Sam, another hobbit from the Shire. Sam and Frodo struggle through many tough times, but help each other to move on. The ring seems to turn against our protagonist many times, forcing him to want to put on the ring and rellish in its power. When he does this, Sauron's 'eye' can see where the ring is. This is why Sam plays such an important role. Many times throughout the story Sam saves Frodo from putting on the ring, and risks his own life in the process.

During this film I noticed many different uses of cinematography. Peter Jackson uses a range of different lighting to illustrate the different scenes. He goes from the high key lighting of gorgeous panning views of the frosty mountains, to the dark gloomey, low key lighting of the cave where smeegle losses his precious. The camera angles also change alot to add to the particular scene. He often panns and cranes from afar to show the huge landscapes, as well as many high angles to show the monsterousness of Mount Doom, or low angles to emphasize the greatness of Gandolf.

Overall, this film cracks my top 10 list, along with numbers two and three of the series. The make believe world that is created by Jackson really portrays the story, written by JR Tolken. The beautiful scenery and grotesque, hell like areas contrast each other well. The main characters are the ones fighting for the good and the survival of mankind. You cant help but root for the little hobbit friends to take down the mighty Sauron. The special effects make it seem so real, and you start to convince yourself it actually happened long ago. This movie is an epic experience and it will leave you wanting more. Two thumbs up for the fellowship of the Ring.