The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the second chapter in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and is the story of Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee being led to Mordor by Gollum while the other members of the fellowship fight against Saruman and the Uruk-Hai of Isengard. If you watch The Lord of the Rings films as one movie, which is the way I look at it, The Two Towers is the second act in the story. Usually, the second act is where everything goes to hell, and we see the characters at their lowest points. From the death of of Theodred, to the battle of Helm's Deep, to the conflicts between Frodo and Sam and their subsequent capture by Faramir and his men, this entire film is extremely grim. Did the protagonists achieve victory at Helm's Deep? Yes, but at an extreme cost. The fortress was nearly taken, and if Gandalf had not shown up with backup in time all would have been lost. The Two Towers also splits up the screen time between the three separate groups of the fellowship with perfect precision, and also manages to end on a cliffhanger for each group. When I saw this movie in the theater I wondered how in the world this movie would not buckle under the pressure of having to tell three separate stories, but thanks to the director and screenwriters this movie flows perfectly. We also get to see the forming of a friendship between Gimli and Legolas, which brings levity to the movie. There is also see a flashback scene with Boromir, Faramir and Denethor which adds more evidence to Denethors' reasoning for his feelings towards Faramir. Also, there is an incredibly moving sequence where we see what will happen if Aragorn and Arwen are together. This is a sorrowful sequence that shows that, even if they end up together, Arwen will always be alone. When you combine this sequence with Hugo Weavings' monologue and Howard Shores' music, this is one of the most powerful sequences in modern cinema. Sams' speech at the climax of the film is also incredibly moving for a couple of reasons: First, if any other actor was delivering this monologue this sequence would have fallen completely apart. Sean Astin lends such an emotional weight to this particular piece of dialogue that you cannot help but wipe a tear from your eye. Secondly, during this sequence there are a couple of shots of Gollum with a sad expression on his face. The takeaway from these shots is that even though Gollum will stop at nothing to get The Ring of Power back into his grasp, he still does not understand all the evil that is spreading in the world. This film has the most emotional core of all the films, and you will find it hard not to weep before the end.
Obviously, the standout performance in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is Any Serkis as Gollum. The fact that this was done as motion-capture, and not just as a visual effect, is why the entire film works so well. Elijah Wood and Sean Astin were not acting against a bluescreen. They were alongside a real actor that could convey emotion, and make us as the audience believe in the character. Gollum looks incredibly realistic because of this, and Serkis' performance has been etched in stone as the man who revolutionized the motion-capture technique.
Peter Jackson is the director of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. I love the way Jackson starts this film because we see what happens between Gandalf and the Balrog, and this adds more emotional weight to his reveal later on in the film. The wide shots of all the different landscapes are breathtaking to see, and all the set pieces and costumes are designed with meticulous detail. Also, the sequences in which the characters are preparing for battle at Helm's Deep are quite well done because we see all the characters individually getting ready, and then we see the wide shot of the orcs slowly marching on the fortress. This builds tension for the battle sequence and feels like you are experiencing it in real life because the characters are feeling it right along with you. In my opinion, this film feels more personal than the other two films in the series, which probably has to do with how hard Jackson and the screenwriters worked to craft this particular story, and Jackson once again does a masterful job of bring the world of Middle Earth to life.
It feels to me as if The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the underappreciated chapter in this film series. There is so much going on within the three separate groups of characters that it can be difficult to take it all in. However, I can honestly say that if you enjoyed the books, and the first film, then you will at least like this particular chapter in one of the greatest film trilogies ever made.
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