The Lord of the Rings

My favorite movie ever is The Lord of the Rings.  I know, technically it’s a trilogy, but I like to consider them as one incredibly long movie. 

At its heart, the movie is about an unlikely hero braving a world-changing quest, a king seeking his throne, and good destroying evil, but it also touches on several justice issues including racial stereotypes and gender stereotypes. 

Within the movie, there are exactly three female title characters compared to the dozens of main actors who are male.  Males comprise the entire Fellowship of the Ring.  Only Galadriel serves as a female ruler, and she even performs that role with her husband alongside her.  Arwen’s main function is to support her fiancé; she never has a role in any of the battles.  Eowyn is the sole female character who goes to war, but she must do so in secret.  Although she is the one character capable of defeating the Witch King, a powerful enemy, her presence as the lone female on the battlefield seems detrimental to her cause.  Why is she the only female to experience the drive to fight for her beliefs?  It makes her participation seem almost abnormal.  At the same time, however, the movie conforms correctly to the times it loosely portrays.  There were not many female warriors in existence during medieval times.  Those who did dare to fight probably had to hide their identities. 

Racial stereotypes arise as well.  Initially, Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf hate each other because of ancient grudges between their people, but they eventually overcome those prejudices.  Their situation speaks to the stereotypes many Americans hold today which prevent them from creating lasting bonds across racial barriers. 

Although the point of The Lord of the Rings trilogy remains the hero quest, it does manage to advance modern day concerns, albeit in a fantastical setting.