The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

In the second part of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the fellowship is split up, and in narrative terms "The Two Towers" is without doubt the greatest challenge for director Peter Jackson, but even though it is difficult to create a coherent story out of three independent plotlines, he has succeeded surprisingly well.

There is nothing resembling an introduction or a gradual build-up of suspense in "The Two Towers", for the film begins right where "The Fellowship of the Ring" ended.

On Frodo and Sam's perilous road to Mordor they acquire the unwanted company of Gollum, who is still utterly blinded by the Ring. He does agree to show them the way, but his personality is split between the obliging hobbit Sméagol and the malicious monstrosity Gollum. Thanks to Frodo's kindness, Sméagol gains the upper hand - but for how long? In the second part it is clearer that Peter Jackson has added a psychological dimension to the characters; for example, Gollum's schizophrenia and Frodo's inner struggle against the powers of the Ring play an important role. Without this aspect the characters would be rather two-dimensional.

Pippin and Merry have been taken prisoner by Saruman's orcs, whom Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas have set off in pursuit of, but they arrive too late! An army of Rohan warriors has killed the orcs, but there are signs that the hobbits alone have survived the bloodshed.

The film's dramatic high point is the siege and battle of Helm's Deep, where the people of Rohan, together with the rest of the fellowship and an army of elves, must defend themselves against Saruman's hordes. This has produced some magnificent battle scenes. On the other hand, the Ents' attack on Saruman's fortress Orthanc is less convincing. The Ents are neither fearsome nor mysterious enough, but in the film's defence it must be said that it is a thankless task to conceive them on the basis of Tolkien's very sparse descriptions.

"The Two Towers" is less fairy-tale-like and more violent and sombre than "The Fellowship of the Ring", where the magical world of the elves formed a kind of counterweight to the darkness, but the difficult second instalment has nonetheless also turned out to be a breathtaking experience.