Each member of the fellowhip realises that they each have a part to play in the overall drama, and even seemingly insignificant figures such as Sam and Gollum turn out to play pivotal roles at crucial moments. The underlying theme is one of vocation, use of one's gifts and the selfless service of others in the achievement of the common good (destroying the ring of power). Afterwards, there is no individual glory, just the palpable sense of deep friendship, love borne out of the common struggle and inner peace in having “done the right thing”. Jackson's prolonged ending movingly portrays this aspect in the film.

The fullness of humanity is most easily seen in the figure of Aragorn, a Christ-like figure of selfless service to others, wandering in the wilderness for years before reclaiming his rightful position as king. His obvious sense of honour, courage and love permeates the film, selflessly putting others before himself, undertaking desperate missions (recruiting ghouls from the Dead City), leading by example in the battles and yet tender-hearted in relation to Arwen and Eowyn.

The hobbits represent ordinary humanity, insignificant and seemingly powerless but possessed of great strength, courage and determination when focused on the quest (witness Sam's heroic delivery of Frodo to Mount Doom). Significantly, authentic humanity consists in service: forgetting oneself, performing heroic acts out of love for others, working together and overcoming failure/doubt.

Redemption is a very concrete concept in the films, a recovery or a loss of being able to love. Particularly in the scenes of Gollum dialoguing with himself, the ex-hobbit Smeagol versus the de-humanised Gollum, we see this aspect of the fight for the soul of the person dramatically portrayed. It is a struggle against bitterness, anger and cynicism with the underlying “goodness” of Smeagol, almost redeemed by Frodo's love and compassion. Other figures such as Boromir, Wormtongue, Theoden, Sauraman and Denethor (Steward of Gondor) vividly portray this fight for their soul, the struggle to choose selfishly or selflessly. Like faith, it is a free choice of how the characters choose to commit to a cause, act out of love or fear, and fight evil or be its servant.

fan site and info portal for Lord of the rings

The Ring Zone – a Tolkien Fan site/Portal

Nine Companions – a Tolkien fan site