Analysis of ‘Fellowship of the Rings’

Analysis of ‘Fellowship of the Rings’

In the first long shot we see the Hobbits appear surrounded and trapped as they are positioned in a tiny space in the bottom of the shot, this gives the impression that they have no escape from where they are hiding. They also appear to look very small connoting their vulnerability. They are framed with a lot of empty space around them, which suggests that they may not be alone, this builds tension indicating that something may be about to happen.

In the low angle shot where we first see the Ring Wraith, he immediately looks powerful as he is made to look bigger and dominates the frame. In comparison to the Hobbits who look weak as we are positioned close to them and distanced from the Ring Wraith. This informs the audience of the obvious power that the Ring Wraith holds over the Hobbits.

The low angle close up of Frodo focuses on his facial expressions and shows us how he’s feeling. This is because he is the only person in the shot therefore the audience has no choice but to focus on him. This also establishes that he is the ring bearer, however it makes him appear lonely at the same time as showing his importance to the film.

The high angle close up of Frodo peering through the small space directs our attention to just his eyes as everything around him is out of focus, and so makes him appear trapped and helpless. This makes the audience aware of the situation he’s in and how vulnerable he is at that moment.

The cut in close ups of the parts of the Ring Wraith and his horse creates suspense as we do not get a true sense of the scale of the characters. This is designed to create fear within the audience. The slow motion effect highlights the importance and significance of the item and focuses on the metallic features of it. This creates a sense of danger along with the loud crashes of the sound effects.

The low angle mid shot of the Ring Wraith peering over the Hobbits clearly shows his power and dominance over the others. He is over bearing and appears physically bigger than the Hobbits who are tiny in comparison. They are confined in small space in the corner of the frame, indicating that there is nowhere for them to move and their inability to escape from the situation.

The high angle shot of Frodo shows the Ring Wraith’s hand out of focus. This tells us that Frodo should be the centre of our attention despite the fact that Ring Wraith is made to look in control. The Ring Wraith shows his strength, as he is very close to Frodo, almost smothering him in the shot. This positions the audience in a way to be prepared as though the Ring Wraith is going to attack him.

The cut in shots of the Ring Wraith portray him as creepy, unnatural and scary. This creates fear within the audience as the skewed shots show that something is not right.

The series of close ups shows Frodo looking trapped and afraid and indicates the power that the ring has over people. The audience also see a visual connection between Frodo, the Ring Wraith and his horse as they are all framed in a big close up in consecutive shots.