Movie Suggestion -The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

What does the film bring to the table?

From the armor and clothing worn by the characters to the horses of the Rohirrim and the fantasy creatures, this animated film is astounding through its masterfully-done visuals, owing to the involvement of WETA Workshop and artists John Howe and Alan Lee, without which the original trilogy would not have been the same. The team’s efforts to recreate the style of the films have clearly yielded results and are most welcome:

The Gothic and Saxon-influenced breastplates, tunics and swords from Peter Jackson’s masterpiece make their grand return, while Helm’s warhammer that the warrior king brandishes to smith down his foes recalls Mjolnir, the famous weapon of the Norse god Thor. With regards to the Hill Tribesmen (Wildmen), the filmmakers similarly “decided to maintain the visual continuity from the previous depictions”: primitive and under-resourced, with ragged clothing made from fur and bones, the Dunlendings echo the historical “Pict peoples, the Celts”. 

We also get to feast our eyes upon several iconic locations from The Lord of the Rings: from the capital of Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld, seat of the Kings of Rohan, to the frost-covered walls and causeway of the Hornburg (Helm’s Deep) shaken by the cold winter wind and encircled by enemy camps. We also get a glimpse of a Isengard, “fallen into disrepair” and currently a haven for the Hill Tribes from Dunland. 

The story is a completely new one. In the foreground we find the world of Men, plagued by petty rivalries, wars and power-struggles, while in the background the well-known tale of the Dark Lord Sauron and his Ruling Ring of Power unfolds. People are not idealized because one of the great lessons that emerge from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien refers to people’s ability to choose. In addition to heroes such as Helm, his two sons (Haleth and Háma) and especially his daughter, Héra, and his nephew, Fréaláf, there are also well-defined villains such as Wulf.

“Raised alongside two brothers by a warrior king the girl could ride a horse before she could walk. ‘Wild,’ some called her. ‘Headstrong,’ railed her father. Though, in truth, he was so proud of his tearaway child.”

In this regard, one of the film’s screenwriters and a longtime collaborator of Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, stated that the protagonist Héra is the heroine par excellence, based on historical figures such as “Aethelflaed, the lady of the Mercians. Alfred the Great’s daughter”, who inspired people in times of hardship. In the same way that the real-life Aethelflaed stepped in when “all the men were slain”, to take the reins, so too does Héra. By expanding her role beyond a fleeting allusion in the appendices (where she actually goes unnamed), the screenwriters’ portrayal of Héra also echoes other female characters from Tolkien’s works, such as Éowyn. What Héra lacks in physical prowess, that is one of the key strengths of her father, Helm, she more than makes up for in courage and quick-thinking. With regards to the character’s name, Boyens said that, rather than being influenced by the Greek goddess Hera, it was chosen by Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson’s life partner, as “a nod to the Anglo-Saxon” culture, being likely derived from heoru (‘sword’).

“First, I will kill your brothers. Then, I will kill your father. And then, I will take the throne.”

Boyens also observed that, in contrast to previous villains such as Saruman and his “dark master” (Sauron), Wulf is an intriguing antagonist precisely because he is “not an evil wizard or a dark lord”, but a human character driven by ambition and a thirst for revenge, who nevertheless displays great cunning. The filmmakers tried as best as they could to conceal his twisted personality through his fair countenance: “He had good looks at the beginning […] but they are marred by madness” said Miyako Takasu who worked on the project as an animation character designer. In a way, Wulf is a character stuck between worlds due to his mixed Rohirrim-Dunlending heritage: he feels marginalized by the Horse-lords, but at the same time he does not fully belong to the Hill Tribesmen (Wildmen) nor does he care for their petty grievances. In spite of his dark hair and swarthier appearance, Wulf’s very apparel betrays a longing for acceptance within the Rohirrim court, stemming from his father Freca’s tenuous claim of “descent from King Fréawine”. Boyens also remarked that Wulf’s warmongering exemplifies “a lot of the crises we face today”: vicious beings that, consumed by greed, vendettas and the craving of affirmation, are hardly constricted by moral boundaries or honor.

“Everything you’ve ever done was for Rohan. For those you love. When I was little, you told me, ‘You only fail when you stop trying.’ You never gave up. Never.”

As for the mighty Helm Hammerhand, Boyens said that “he was the true manifestation of the king-protector”. Stoic, the warrior king nonetheless displays great love and concern for both his family and the realm to the point that he is willing to risk his own life and protect the people “even with [his] bare hands”. Helm does not suffer from the feeling self-entitlement that gnaws the hearts of Freca and his son, Wulf – he sees it as his duty to “hold [the] lands together”. Even in the face of unfavorable odds, the king stands firm, “His will unbroken, his knees unbent.” The screenwriters kept several of Helm’s best lines from the source material, especially in his confrontation Freca – further proof of the filmcrew’s commitment to staying as true to Tolkien’s vision as possible:

“Now, Dunlending, you have only Helm to deal with.”

King Helm Hammerhand is also a tragic hero, gnawed by the loss of those he holds dear, and his valiant last stand brings to mind the epic poem La Chanson de Roland (Anglicized: The Song of Roland). The decision to have actor Brian Cox breathe life into this iconic character was absolutely brilliant, on a par with the late Bernard Hill’s perfect casting as Théoden King in the original trilogy.

“You will always have my sword, Uncle, whether you value it or not.”

The motif of kinship between the peoples of Rohan and Gondor is strengthened through the half-Gondorian character of Fréaláf, Helm’s sister-son. The visual companion by Chris Smith goes as far as to suggest that Fréaláf’s father may have been “a Gondorian prince from the city of Dol Amroth”. Further credence is lent to the filmmakers’ take given that his appellation in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, “Hildeson”, strictly highlights his maternal Rohirrim heritage. It is worth mentioning that a half-Gondorian character within the royal house of the Rohirrim is not unheard of, as the mother of the renowned Théoden, who belonged to the very same line of kings as Fréaláf (that being the Second Line), was the Gondorian noblewoman Morwen of Lossarnach, known as Morwen Steelsheen in Rohirrim tradition. Overall it is an interesting tidbit on the filmmakers’ part for readers of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium.

Thus, the story adapted by Peter Jackson is brought closer to completion, with the animated film bringing to the stage emblematic figures such as Helm Hammerhand (the namesake of the great fortress of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), Saruman the White in a cameo appearance (made based on recordings by the late actor Christopher Lee with the blessing of both his wife and his estate), and an older Éowyn returning as the narrator – likely passing on the tale to “her grandson, Barahir”.

 

In an age where many adaptations fail to do justice to the source material, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a shining beacon of hope that there are still people who can successfully bring the incredible world of Middle-earth to the big screen. The filmmakers made good use of the degree of creative liberty that J.R.R. Tolkien granted them, fleshing out the tale beyond what is sketched in the appendices. Now I am aware that animes might not be to everybody’s taste, but trust me that it is worth it – I had my own misgivings when the announcement came that it would be an animated film and not live-action, but I was not disappointed! I think that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a must-watch for hardcore Tolkien and Jackson fans. Hopefully, it will herald the grand resurgence of The Lord of the Rings the motion picture franchise under the direction of Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and their team – when they promise a treat they sure deliver it! We already know that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is in the pipeline! Cannot wait for it to come out!

Sources

You can find my original article here.

• The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
• Art of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, by Daniel Falconer
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (motion picture), “The Three Hunters”
• TheOneRing.net: The first Philippa Boyens The War of the Rohirrim interview
• TheOneRing.net: Philippa Boyens talks The War of The Rohirrim with TheOneRing.net
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, “The Voice of Saruman”, by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Entertainment Weekly: Meet the ‘rebellious’ heroine and ‘fascinating’ villain of Lord of the Rings anime prequel
• The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim: Official Visual Companion, “Fréaláf”, by Chris Smith
• The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A “The House of Eorl”, by J.R.R. Tolkien