The Lord of the Rings: a lesson in life

The “Lord of the Rings” is a series of three fantasy – adventure films directed by Peter Jackson and based on the novel written by J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the greatest writer of all time. Peter Jackson could not choose a better place than New Zealand to film the trilogy. The wonderful landscapes were perfect locations for key scenes of the movies.

Set in the fictional world of Middle-Earth, the three films follow the adventures of two hobbits: Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee. The two friends are on a difficult mission to destroy the powerful “ONE RING” and save the Middle-Earth from Sauron, the Dark Lord. They have to carry the ring to Mount Doom, in the Land of Mordor, the evil place of its birth and cast it into the eternal fire that forged it. With them there is Gollum, a strange creature, once the protector of the rings. Meanwhile, Aragon (the exiled heir to the throne of Candor), Gandalf, Legolas the Elf and Gimli the dwarf mobilize the free people of Middle Earth in the war against Sauron’s armies.

Tolkien’s books and their movie adaptations have been appreciated both from critics, authors and scholars, and from simple fans of this type of books and films. The trilogy has inspired and continues to inspire books, video-games, comics, illustrations, theatre and films.

The reasons for this success are not simply the stunning scenery or the amazing special effects created by the New Zealand Company “Weta Work Shop”. The Lord of the Rings gives us hope.

Through the words of Gandalf, Thorin, Sam and other characters we can learn important life lessons. They underline the importance to give a reason to our life, to appreciate the little things more than “gold”, to find light and love even in a world that is full of grief. These heroes tell us that when we are afraid that we are not good enough, or smart enough, or beautiful or strong or funny enough we have not to give up and always work to improve ourselves and our lives. Their words remember us that revenge is not the solution, that success is not measured by fame or popularity but by how much good we bring to the world.

Hope is the most important thing we have.