This weekend I had a Lord of the Rings movie marathon with my kids. I know the fantasy genre isn’t for everyone, so I won’t go into a lot of detail. I think the underlying message of the story is important. Honestly, I’m surprised that it was captured so well in the movies.
In a nutshell, the story J. R. R. Tolkien tells is about how people deal with a ring made by a Satan-like being who poured his evil power into it. This ring was evil in its nature and had a will of its own. It tempted all but one of the characters who saw it in the books. Some thought they could use this power for good while others risked their lives to destroy it. Ironically, the person who held the ring the longest called it “Precious.”
The beauty of the story is that while the main characters battled the external evils of the ring and its maker, they were also battling their own shortcomings within themselves. Each one grew as they were put to the test. Even the one that failed made a big change for the better. There were bitter rivalries between several of the characters initially, but by the end of the story they had grown a deep love and respect for each other.
The character that intrigued me the most in the books was named Tom Bombadil. He didn’t show up in the movies. He helped the heroes early in the story and was not tempted at all by the ring. He even put it on and it had no affect on him. He was always lighthearted, but he was one of the most powerful beings in the book. He kept to himself along with his wife in the forest and didn’t care at all about what was going on in the rest of the world.
Later in the story the group discussed what to do with this ring. They didn’t trust Tom to care enough to protect the ring. He was quickly dismissed as an option. Tom was powerful and seemingly good, but unfit for the challenge.
I mentioned that I was surprised by how the movies captured the theme of the story so well. In our day there is no absolute truth. Evil is called good and good is called evil. Yet here was a box office hit that knew what evil was and fought against it. This evil could not be used for good, and its temptation had to be avoided or else it would do serious damage.
The story has a lot to say about human nature and courage and weakness. You might expect that in the end the good guys conquer evil and destroy the ring, but that’s not exactly how the story ends. Without spoiling the ending, I think Tolkien captured the frailty of human nature well in the conclusion of the story.
Here are some questions I’m left with that I ask you to join me in asking. Are there bad things or temptations in my life that I have tolerated and they’ve become precious to me? Do I know what is truly evil? Am I willing to do the hard work of fighting against it in my own life and the world around me? Am I more like Tom Bombadil than I’m willing to admit? If I’m ready to face my fears and do the right thing, who will help me? And lastly, do you agree with my son that the Lord of the Rings movies would have been better if they had light sabers?
Alan Sparrow is co-owner of the Polk County News. Find his column, Alan’s Anecdotes, each week in the newspaper and online at www. polkcountynews.net.
