Chapter 397: Stunning Beauty

Brad Miller had pulled a lot of strings to attend the premiere. As the leader of the protests against the adaptation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy into films, he certainly couldn't appear outside the theater among the protesters.

Hearing his companion's words, he thought for a moment before saying, "Pete, have you seen the trailer?"

"I have." The man named Pete nodded.

Brad Miller asked, "What do you think of the trailer?"

"Uh..." Pete opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Brad, are you planning to change your stance?"

Brad Miller shook his head slightly and replied slowly, "These days, I've been thinking about our protest actions. If it were just simple protests, I would persist. But the nature of the protests outside has changed."

Someone like him, driven purely by conviction, couldn't be swayed by minor benefits.

"I still believe adapting the original work into films is not the right choice, but we must see the film with our own eyes for our protests to be more reasoned and justified..."

"Reasoned and justified?" Schiller couldn't help but interject. "You're protesting against Hollywood's best director, and you still talk about being reasonable?"

"Hey, what are you saying?" Pete raised his voice slightly.

Brad Miller quickly stopped him and said, "The Lord of the Rings is universally recognized as the most difficult literary work to adapt into film..."

"Duke is the most suitable director for the adaptation!" Schiller interrupted him. "If there's anyone in this world who can successfully adapt The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it's Duke Rosenberg!"

Before the conversation could continue, the lights above began to dim. Schiller pointed at the big screen and said, "No matter how much I say, it won't be as convincing as the film itself. Let's watch it. After the movie, your opinion might change."

"I hope the movie is excellent enough to change my stance!"

Muttering softly, Brad Miller turned his gaze to the big screen.

The logos of Warner Bros. and Duke's Studio flashed one after the other. The screen turned dark greenish-black, and a low chant began. A female voice speaking an unfamiliar language recited an introduction with a rhythmic cadence.

"This is..." Brad Miller raised his eyebrows immediately. "This is Quenya!"

Tolkien's masterpiece included the Quenya language he created, complete with marked tones and English comparisons. Even before the visuals appeared, Brad Miller was pleasantly surprised.

Someone was actually reciting Quenya on the big screen!

Next to him, Pete was also excited. He, too, was a loyal fan of The Lord of the Rings.

Schiller glanced at the two men beside him and let out a soft snort. What was a little Quenya? With Duke's production style, there were bound to be countless surprises later. Would these book fans protesting for the sake of protesting be moved to tears when their dreams unfolded on the screen?

He waited eagerly to witness this moment!

"The world has changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air... The story begins with the forging of the Rings of Power..."

As Galadriel's monologue progressed, the opening visuals slowly unfolded. Before The Lord of the Rings trilogy, there were The Silmarillion and The Hobbit. However, the film couldn't depict everything. Through Galadriel's narration, the film provided a brief description of the story's background.

And this was more than mere description. After explaining the origins of the Rings of Power, the grand opening battle began—a scene prominently featured in the trailer. Now, on the big screen, its impact was even more shocking.

The alliance of elves and men clashed with Mordor's monstrous armies. Isildur fell, and Elendil cut off Sauron's finger, only to falter under the One Ring's temptation, missing the best opportunity to destroy evil.

Human hearts ultimately succumb to corruption. The Ring seemed almost alive as it led Isildur to his doom during an ambush.

Using the simplest and clearest approach, Duke briefly showed how Bilbo acquired the Ring, including a fleeting glimpse of Gollum. Despite Gollum's brief appearance, this tormented creature elicited many gasps of amazement.

The narrative transitioned to Bilbo Baggins' perspective, showcasing the idyllic Shire. Accompanied by Howard Shore's composition, "Old Friends," performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the scenery appeared vividly on screen.

Lush greenery, dense shrubs, neat crops, clear rivers, rustic bridges, and the leisurely lives of hobbits...

"This place is like heaven!" Schiller exclaimed in admiration.

Brad Miller tightly pursed his lips, unsure of what to say. From the very beginning, it was clear that the film took liberties with the original story, even glossing over Bilbo's acquisition of the Ring. Yet, the soul-stirring opening battle far exceeded his imagination of the final alliance of elves and men.

When the Shire and Hobbiton appeared, Brad Miller had to press his lips together to suppress his excitement.

This was the Shire in the book! This was the Shire of his dreams! This was the Shire he had envisioned countless times! This was the best and most beautiful Shire!

He couldn't imagine a pastoral landscape more beautiful than the Shire.

"My God, it's so beautiful!"

As someone involved in the production, Ivanka hadn't expected the unimpressive scenery she saw during filming to look this stunning in the finished movie.

This beauty wasn't refined—it was leisurely.

She turned to Duke and asked, "How did you achieve this?"

Duke responded with a smile but said nothing further; there was no way to explain it clearly to a film novice.

The initial part of the movie had an inevitably slow pace, but thanks to the opening battle whetting the audience's appetite and the picturesque scenery of the Shire, it didn't feel boring at all. Looking around the entire screening hall, whether they were guests or regular viewers, book fans or non-book fans, everyone was watching intently.

Especially for book enthusiasts, as Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam each made their debut, all received their approval. It seemed as if Tolkien's original descriptions were brought to life perfectly on the big screen.

From costumes to language, from landscapes to living habits, none of these elements belonged to the real world. Just one corner of Middle-earth was enough to captivate everyone's attention.

The idyllic pastoral life came to an end with the appearance of the One Ring. Bilbo left Hobbiton, deciding to go traveling and live with the elves. Frodo, who inherited all his possessions, became the Ring's new bearer. After Gandalf discovered the Ring, he instructed Frodo to hide it well and hurried to Gondor to confirm its authenticity.

When Gandalf galloped toward Gondor, Minas Tirith made its first appearance!

Though the panoramic shot was brief, the majestic and magnificent White City still elicited countless gasps of admiration from the audience.

"No imagination could surpass the reality on screen!"

Brad Miller, seeing the long-yearned-for White City, thought about hearing the silver horn blow, the White Tree banners fluttering above the city, and witnessing much more…

Gradually, he began to realize that the movie might not be as bad as he had feared.

The narrative pace quickened. After finding the description of the Ring in the White City, Gandalf rushed back to Hobbiton without stopping. Using fire to test it, he confirmed it was indeed the One Ring!

Frodo, inevitably, stepped onto the path of his destiny. Fortunately, he had a companion, Sam, by his side.

Gandalf arranged to meet Frodo at the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree before heading to Isengard to seek the help of Saruman, the head of the White Council.

However, what he received was bad news.

"The nine Ringwraiths, disguised as Black Riders, have already crossed the Gap of Rohan!"

The gates of Minas Morgul opened. Amidst the black sky and eerie green glow, nine faceless Black Riders charged forward, heading straight for the Shire.

"Oh, my God!"

The Black Riders stormed into the Shire, decapitating someone. Ivanka grabbed Duke's arm in fright. "Dad's character died so horribly…"

While the Ringwraiths searched for Frodo, Gandalf faced immense challenges of his own!

As a key figure of the righteous side, Saruman, the head of the White Council, was one of the main forces against Sauron. However, he decided to side with Sauron and engaged in a wizard's duel with Gandalf.

Brad Miller widened his eyes in astonishment. He had heard a rumor claiming that this scene would be turned into a magical fireworks display, akin to a video game…

But the scene unfolding before him gave him relief. Unconsciously, he grew even more appreciative of the movie.

In The Lord of the Rings, wizards possess formidable close-combat abilities. Although the books don't describe this in detail, based on the two Maiar's background, Brad Miller found it easy to deduce that in such a confined space, wouldn't they rely on their close-combat prowess rather than cumbersome spells?

If the movie had chosen the latter, both Gandalf and Saruman would have been portrayed as fools.

Fortunately, the film didn't disappoint. The hand-to-hand combat style between Gandalf and Saruman was highly consistent with the image of wizards.

At the Prancing Pony Inn, Frodo didn't meet Gandalf, who was imprisoned by Saruman, but instead encountered Aragorn, entrusted by Gandalf. The King of Men made his entrance!

Then came the Nazgûl's night attack. Aragorn led the Hobbits toward Rivendell. On Weathertop, Frodo was stabbed by the Witch-king of Angmar, starting his descent toward the boundary between life and death—the realm of the Ringwraiths. Aragorn drove the Ringwraiths away with fire, carrying the Hobbits urgently toward Rivendell, as only Elrond could heal Frodo.

"Wow, such a beautiful elf."

Amid a flash of white light, Arwen made her grand entrance. Her close-up shots were abundant; her slender, graceful figure and her meticulously refined face instantly captivated every man in the audience.

She was so beautiful, so dreamlike, so ethereal and enchanting…

Such beauty shouldn't exist in the mortal world. She belonged solely to the elves of Middle-earth!

Seeing Evenstar, even someone Brad Miller's age felt a string in his heart suddenly tighten. Even though this scene didn't feature Arwen in the original work, in the face of such a stunning elf, he harbored no resentment whatsoever!

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