he legend of the ring not only continues, but achieves a new level of mythic proportions in this, Peter Jackson's stunning re-edit of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
This special-edition DVD is the first we've seen that truly succeeds in enhancing the viewing experience in creative and innovative ways. It's an impressive and colossal undertaking—a point underscored by the fact that there are two minutes of DVD-specific credits at the end of the last documentary on the fourth disc. Not only are the special edition's four discs jam-packed with supplementary and unique content that provides firsthand insight into the filmmaking process, but Academy Award-nominated director Peter Jackson opts to recut and re-edit the original film (also nominated for Best Picture) to add about 30 minutes of additional footage. All of the new elements are seamlessly integrated into the film, and Oscar-winning composing Howard Shore wrote and recorded new music to go along with the new sequences. Enhanced or added scenes are designated as such by asterisks alongside the chapter marks, making it easier to jump directly to the film's new content.
If you do so, however, you'll be missing quite a treat. Often, when a filmmaker cuts the theatrical release of a film due to its long running time, the cuts make the film better. In this case, the new scenes truly enhance an already enchanting film, offering additional texture and backstory to an already epic presentation.
There are too many new sequences and additional bits to enumerate here—and every one adds something else to the rich tapestry that Jackson has so carefully woven. Whether it's the extended scenes in the Shire, an emotional Aragorn at his mother's grave or Galadriel's complete gift-giving scene in Lothlorien, every frame augments the scope and vision of Fellowship.
All of the new footage boosts Fellowship's running time to three and a half hours; to avoid compromising sound and image quality, the film is split across two discs. Another advantage of doing so, though, is that there's room for an extraordinary accompaniment of four separate audio commentary tracks. Each track is like a film unto itself and provides a completely different, yet engrossing, perspective on the making of Fellowship; you can easily switch between tracks and continue the film, and each time a new speaker starts to talk, they're identified on-screen. The first offers the interactive musings of Jackson and screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens; the second includes seven members of the design team, which was spearheaded by Richard Taylor (creative supervisor of Weta Workshop); the third presents the production and post-production perspective, with 13 production members, including producer Barrie Osborne. The fourth commentary is perhaps the most inherently fun, if for no other reason than the fact that the hobbits Wood, Astin, Monaghan and Boyd taped their segments together, and play off one another in both constructive and engaging ways.
An improved film that is truly precious
Just as J.R.R. Tolkien relied on appendices to impart elements of the history and backstory of Middle-earth and its characters, Jackson is using discs three and four to provide a soup-to-nuts visual novel that delves into the making of his unique epic.
If played through from start to finish (as a convenient "play all" feature allows), "The Appendices, Part I," provides two and a half hours of original documentary content (unlike the first DVD edition of LOTR, which contained mostly recycled extras). Navigation is blissfully easy, with a main menu organized by subject and sub-menus underneath; there's also a handy index with each documentary listed alphabetically. The first disc of appendices introduces viewers to Tolkien and provides views of how Tolkien's classic novels evolved into a film. Whether you want to know about what went into "Visualizing the Story" (a section that contains storyboards, animatics, set tests and more), or you want to delve into "Designing and Building Middle-earth" (which includes set design, costume design and galleries filled with still images of concept designs dedicated to the peoples and realms of Middle-earth), there's plenty of content to keep Fellowship enthusiasts intrigued.
Some of the best bits include the storyboards for an alternate sequence that was in the books but not in the film. Presented as 90-second storyboards displayed with sound and music effects, the sequence follows the Fellowship as they're pursued by the Moria Orcs into Lothlorien. Another brilliant moment: the Bag End set test, in which Jackson reads the lines of Bilbo as he and another producer (filling in for Gandalf) give the set a dry run before the final touches are applied.
The second disc of the appendices covers the filming process through the film's release—and includes about three and a half hours of video if played straight through. Highlights include "The Fellowship of the Cast," a 34-minute piece that looks at how the cast melded together; a 13-minute behind-the-scenes look at the day in the life of a hobbit, from early-morning set calls for applying prosthetics to the camaraderie that evolved among the four central Hobbits; and a 50-minute documentary about the hardships of filming in Middle-earth.
The post-production section provides a short bit on the editing process. And in one of the best uses of DVD technology yet, the "Editorial Demonstration of the Council of Elrond" feature cleverly shows 36 separate takes of raw footage in six thumbnail-sized windows displayed above the final cut of the film. As the film's scene plays, you can watch each window highlight and see which reaction shots and lines were taken from which take to create the final edited product (you can also watch each window of raw footage individually). This feature provides a unique insight into the filmmaking process for neophyte viewers—and does so in an elegant fashion that few other DVDs have achieved.
Also valuable is the short segment on Digital Grading, which explains how the rich colors and blue hues of Fellowship were achieved through digital color grading.
Bonus points go to the DVD's producers for procuring Elijah Wood's home videos for the segment "The Road Goes Ever On," which includes views of the film's premiere in Wellington, New Zealand.
