National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema released Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, adapting the first volume of Tolkien's beloved trilogy. The film marked a turning point in epic fantasy filmmaking, demonstrating that large-scale literary adaptations could achieve both critical acclaim and enormous commercial success. Its theatrical trailer generated significant anticipation, offering audiences their first sustained look at Middle-earth rendered with practical locations and ambitious production design.

This cell, titled Boromir and Aragorn by the operator, captures Sean Bean as Boromir against a mountainous, snow-covered backdrop. The title card reading The Return of the King overlays the frame, which repeats across three nearly identical compositions. The strip offers a quiet, atmospheric portrait of one of the Fellowship's most conflicted figures, preserved here in the original 35mm trailer format.