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Take a nostalgic trip back in time to the early 2000s, when the visual wonder ofThe Lord of the Ringsfilms enthralled our souls. These epics have aged gracefully & continue to have a sustainable impact on the fantasy genre, unlike many others. That being said, can you believe it has been two decades since we first marveled at Peter Jackson’s magnum opus, starting withThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(2001)?
Nevertheless, fans are still drawn to one traditional practical effect (no CGI): the faithful depiction of Hobbit height.The scene in question? A masterful depiction of Hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) sharing a cart with Gandalf (Ian McKellen) mirrors the sheer genius of the camera trick known as Forced Perspective.
At Emerald City Comic Con 2024, John Rhys-Davies, who portrayed Gimli, recalled witnessing the jaw-dropping moment when Hobbit and wizards of different sizes came to life, eliciting a shared sense of wonder with McKellen himself.
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Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), and John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), who were reunited at Seattle’s Emerald City Comic Con, joinedPopverseto chat about everything related toThe Lord of the Ringsmovies. The lattertold a fascinating behind-the-scenesstory about a sequencethat flabbergasted him andIan McKellenalike.
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Peter Jacksonfaced the challenge of making the Hobbits appear smaller without CGI in the iconic movie series. One particular scene fromThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringshowcased a creative camera trick that left both actors and viewers speechless.
In the opening scene of the 2001 movie, Gandalf and Frodo ride together in a cart, creating the illusion of a drastic size difference between their characters (seeYouTube). Instead of relying on CGI, the special effects team built a special cart that allowed Wood to sit further back from McKellen.
By utilizing traditional ‘Forced Perspective’ techniques with different-sized props & precise camera angles, the filmmaker and his team achieved the desired effect without using computer-generated imagery.During a conversation with Popverse, Rhys-Davies recounted his astonishment, asking McKellen how he accomplishedsuch a feat:
How the hell did you do that Ian?
McKellen’s response,“I have no bloody idea” highlights the sheer magic and mystery behind the movie trick.Forced perspective is a filmmaking technique that manipulates perception to create optical illusions of size and distance. In the case ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,the filmmakers used moving sets that shifted in sync with the camera movements to maintain consistent perspective throughout the shot.
John Rhys-Davies’ Initial Hesitation TowardsThe Lord of the Rings
Did you know thatThe Lord of the RingsactorJohn Rhys-Daviespreviously expressed reservations about Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the beloved fantasy novel?
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Indeed, during an interview on theInside of You with Michael Rosenbaumpodcast, he disclosed his initial doubts about themonumental task ahead. After all, Jackson’s vision to turn J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary masterpiece into a cinematic legend was a gamble of fantastical proportions.To quote Rhys-Davies:
I went with duplicity in my heart, to be honest with you, when I heard they were making Lord of the Rings. I said, ‘Oh yeah, good luck’. And who’s making it? Peter Jackson, he’s done one or two wonderful small movies. But let’s face it, if you’ve got a cast of four and six weeks, anyone can direct a movie, and sadly do. But has he any idea of what he’s really getting himself in for?
Yet, amidst his doubts, who would have predicted that the saga would rise to cinematic glory, becoming a benchmark for epic filmmaking and capturing the imagination of millions worldwide? Numerous honors were bestowed upon the first movie; it was shortlisted for thirteen Academy Awards, of which it won Best Picture and Best Visual Effects.
StreamThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringon Max.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
