As The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring premiered with great fanfare, over a thousand Lord of the Rings book fans staged a sit-in protest outside the Chinese Theatre.
However, passersby and media reporters merely snapped a few photos without paying much attention, which greatly frustrated Russell, the leader of the protest.
Compared to Hutchinson and Noel, Russell was more radical and had initially suggested a more aggressive approach.
He had planned to lead Lord of the Rings fans in storming the Chinese Theatre and disrupting the premiere. But those damned police officers were stationed right at the entrance, making them hesitant to act.
This was undoubtedly Gilbert colluding with the local authorities. The world was simply too corrupt—Russell seethed at the thought.
Now, they resorted to a peaceful sit-in protest, rallying Lord of the Rings fans from across the United States to express their opposition to the film.
Even if they couldn't prevent its release, at the very least, they hoped to cause some damage to its box office earnings.
That was Russell's plan, one shared by many other radical fans.
What Russell didn't know, however, was that the two biggest leaders of Lord of the Rings book fans in North America—Hutchinson and Noel—had completely defected. They had become fans of the film.
It wasn't their fault. As long as someone wasn't deliberately nitpicking, and as long as they watched with an open mind, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring had the power to win over the vast majority of viewers.
The film continued as key characters appeared one by one—Frodo, Gandalf, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.
At this point, the pacing inevitably slowed a bit. However, thanks to the breathtaking opening battle and the beautiful scenery of the Shire, the audience remained patient.
After a series of introductory scenes, Bilbo set off on his journey and decided to live among the elves, leaving Frodo to inherit his uncle's belongings and become the new bearer of the One Ring.
When Gandalf discovered the Ring's true nature, he warned Frodo to keep it hidden before setting off for Gondor to verify his suspicions.
As Gandalf rode across the vast plains, a grand, white city built into the mountainside emerged on the massive screen.
"Wow!"
It wasn't just one voice—it was the collective gasp of countless moviegoers in awe.
Hutchinson excitedly shook Noel's arm. "My God, Noel, did you see that? It's Minas Tirith! He did it! He really did it!"
Noel was equally overwhelmed, unable to take his eyes off the screen. But he still glanced briefly toward Gilbert's seat, silently expressing his gratitude.
Thank you, Gilbert. Though the film had only just begun, it had already given Lord of the Rings fans an unparalleled experience—Middle-earth felt closer than ever before.
Gandalf, having found the crucial records in Gondor, returned to burn the Ring and confirmed its true identity.
The film's pace then picked up. Gandalf instructed Frodo to meet him at the Prancing Pony, while he himself traveled to Isengard to seek counsel from Saruman, the head of the White Council.
Meanwhile, Frodo set off with his servant Sam, only to be pursued by the Ringwraiths. Along the way, Merry and Pippin joined them, forming a small party as they hurried toward the Prancing Pony. But the Ringwraiths remained relentless in their pursuit.
Elsewhere, Gandalf found himself in trouble. As a crucial force against Sauron, he had long used the palantír to challenge the Dark Lord's influence. Now, Saruman had decided to betray their cause and ally with Sauron.
Thus, a fierce battle erupted between Gandalf and Saruman. It was an intense duel, showcasing the incredible combat prowess of both wizards.
Noel had initially been upset upon hearing that Gilbert planned to turn this scene into a flashy magical duel. However, seeing it now, he realized Gilbert had remained faithful to the original book.
In The Lord of the Rings novels, the Maiar were restricted from using high-level magic, and their spells required long, intricate incantations.
Reciting spells in the middle of a fight would be foolish.
As a result, wizards in The Lord of the Rings also possessed excellent close-combat abilities—something the film captured perfectly, earning Noel's approval.
It was proof that Gilbert had thoroughly studied the original material and hadn't made reckless changes.
Back on Frodo's journey, he and his companions never encountered Gandalf but instead met a ranger named Aragorn. When the Ringwraiths attacked again, Aragorn helped the four hobbits escape and led them toward Rivendell.
During their perilous journey, Frodo was stabbed by the Witch-king of Angmar, pulling him toward the shadowy realm between life and death.
At the critical moment, Aragorn drove the Ringwraiths away using fire.
Then, Arwen—played by Anne Hathaway—made her entrance.
The moment she appeared, every eye in the theater was transfixed.
The elven princess was breathtakingly beautiful. There could be no such woman in the real world—she belonged only to Middle-earth.
"Oh, God! If I could marry a woman like her, I'd die happy."
Another moviegoer scoffed, "Forget it. You'll never have that chance. A woman this stunning shouldn't even exist in our world."
Yet another audience member disagreed, pointing toward Gilbert's seat. "Isn't that her sitting next to him? I think her name is Anne Hathaway."
In his past life, Anne Hathaway had a somewhat polarizing reputation, with many North American audiences not particularly fond of her. It was uncertain whether playing the Elven princess would alter her trajectory.
Anne Hathaway, of course, heard the discussions behind her. Feeling a bit proud, she secretly glanced at Gilbert's profile—this was all thanks to him.
The moviegoers had underestimated the character of Arwen in the film. As Arwen took Frodo away, the Ringwraiths gave chase, leading to a breathtaking pursuit sequence.
Finally, as Arwen reached the center of a river, she chanted an incantation, causing the water to transform into a stampede of galloping horses that swept the Ringwraiths away.
Frodo arrived at Rivendell, where he received medical attention from Lord Elrond and was nursed back to health.
Once again, the breathtaking beauty of Rivendell left the audience in awe. It was even more stunning than the Shire, outshining it by several levels.
Noel found himself captivated by Rivendell, and he even heard a fellow moviegoer nearby exclaim, "I want to live here! I want to settle down in this place!"
"There's no way such a beautiful place exists on Earth. Where is this?" another moviegoer wondered aloud.
A nearby audience member, who seemed to know a bit about the filming process, provided an answer: "I think it was filmed in China. Most of the scenery was shot on location."
"My God, China? That sounds so far away. I must visit at least once."
If someone familiar with the location were present, they would have told the moviegoer that this was Jiuzhaigou. But unfortunately, at that time, Jiuzhaigou's breathtaking beauty was still largely unknown to the world.
The Fellowship of the Ring was officially formed, and the nine members embarked on their journey. From this point on, the film showcased a vast number of aerial shots, fully displaying the stunning landscapes of Middle-earth.
As word spread, more and more people realized that these breathtaking locations were real and located in China.
Xu Qing was sitting in the back row. She had attended the premiere and listened to the enthusiastic discussions around her. Though the rapid English made it difficult for her to catch every word, she clearly heard the repeated mentions of "China."
From this, she inferred that they had realized the landscapes were filmed in China.
Judging by the reactions in the theater, they were quite interested. Xu Qing felt that an opportunity was emerging—surely many foreigners would want to travel to China because of this film. That was undoubtedly a good thing.
Of course, Gilbert was not an absolute purist about filming everything on location. He used CGI liberally where necessary. For example, the grand halls of Moria and the Balrog were showcases of cutting-edge visual effects.
In Moria, the Fellowship suffered a great loss—Gandalf, to protect the others, fell into the abyss alongside the Balrog, his fate uncertain…
In Moria, Legolas took on the role of the film's eye candy, replacing Arwen in that regard. The reactions of the female audience members in the back row made it clear just how captivating the Elven prince was.
Every time he nocked an arrow and drew his bow, the women in the back row screamed and cheered enthusiastically. It was almost exaggerated.
This was another key aspect of the film's appeal—most female audience members, under normal circumstances, would not be able to resist the charm of an Elven prince, just as male viewers found it impossible to look away from the Elven princess.
After the battle in Moria, two-thirds of the film had passed, and over two hours had elapsed.
For most movies, this would be the natural point to conclude, but The Lord of the Rings was still far from over. Yet, the audience didn't feel the length—they wished the movie would never end.
With a soft, ethereal female chant playing, the Fellowship arrived at the Golden Wood, where they met the legendary Lady Galadriel.
Nicole Kidman, portraying Galadriel, instantly captured the attention of everyone in the theater. Her beauty was striking, but unlike Arwen's—it was an entirely different kind of elegance, stunning the audience.
There was no doubt—Nicole Kidman's appearance and aura made her a perfect Galadriel.
It was difficult to say whether she outshone Cate Blanchett's original portrayal, but in terms of sheer beauty, Nicole Kidman was the clear winner.
Tom Cruise stared at the screen, completely mesmerized. He could hardly believe that this was his wife. Gilbert had captured Nicole Kidman's most breathtaking side.
"Mary, you look stunning! Absolutely stunning!" Tom Cruise marveled.
Nicole Kidman shot him a glance, then whispered playfully in his ear, "I took the Elven Queen's dress home. I'll wear it for you sometime."
Tom Cruise's eyes lit up with anticipation.
After receiving Galadriel's blessing, the Fellowship continued their journey. But Frodo, having received a vision from Galadriel, realized that to destroy the Ring, he would have to go alone.
At this point, Hutchinson turned to Noel and said, "Noel, you were right. This film is incredible. Gilbert has created not just a movie but the first part of a true epic."
He called it the first part because there were still two more films to come. Only when all three were complete would it be a true cinematic masterpiece.
Noel nodded in agreement. "Yes. From now on, I am not only a Lord of the Rings book fan, but also a fan of the films."
The two had made their decision—once they returned, they would disband their protest and rally fellow book fans to support the movie instead.
It would be a shame if The Lord of the Rings wasn't seen by as many people as possible.
Although Gilbert had made many changes to the story to enhance the film's pacing and emotional weight, Noel did not find these alterations problematic. On the contrary, they had made the film even more engaging, exceeding expectations.
Indeed, the internet had been right—only Gilbert could have successfully adapted The Lord of the Rings into a movie.
As the film neared its conclusion, tensions within the Fellowship reached a breaking point.
Boromir, the knight of Gondor, attempted to take the Ring from Frodo, not out of greed, but because he wanted to protect Gondor.
Frodo managed to escape, ultimately deciding to set off on his own. But his loyal companion, Sam, followed him. Together, the two Hobbits set off toward Mount Doom.
Meanwhile, Boromir fought bravely against an overwhelming force of Uruk-hai, but in the end, he fell under a barrage of arrows.
His character had been given substantial development earlier in the film. His attempt to take the Ring was not out of ambition but a genuine desire to protect his homeland.
This made his character complex—he had disrupted the Fellowship, but he had also ensured Frodo's escape, fighting valiantly to the very end.
Aragorn arrived in time to defeat the Uruk-hai, but Boromir was already dying.
In his final moments, Aragorn reassured him, promising that he would return to Gondor and protect its people.
"Rest now, Son of Gondor." Through Aragorn's words, the film honored Boromir's sacrifice.
Sean Bean, who played Boromir, discreetly wiped away tears—he was deeply moved.
When he had filmed those scenes, he had completely immersed himself in the role, and even now, he still felt like Boromir.
In the theater, many audience members were also visibly moved. The film had numerous emotional moments, such as Gandalf's fall in Moria.
Yet, at no point did the audience feel that Gilbert was forcing sentimentality. Instead, they were naturally drawn into the story's highs and lows.
Gilbert had masterfully manipulated the audience's emotions, perfectly controlling the narrative's rhythm and atmosphere.
Noel's eyes were red with emotion—though Boromir's arc had been significantly altered from the book, he felt that this adaptation was outstanding.
Hutchinson, too, was secretly wiping away tears.
In the final scene, the Fellowship had dissolved, but Middle-earth's journey was only beginning.
As the credits rolled, someone in the audience suddenly shouted, "The Two Towers!"
At first, it was only a few voices, but within seconds, the entire theater was chanting for the sequel.
Even celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Tom Cruise joined in, along with countless reporters capturing the moment.
This scene became an unprecedented spectacle in cinematic history.
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