“Frodo Baggins, a true and noble hobbit, is the bearer of the One Ring. It
falls to him to do what no one else can: destroy the evil artifact by casting
it into the fires of Mount Doom. This burden lies heavy on the little hobbit,
as he struggles against the might of the Ring, the single greatest peril in a
world full of dangers. As he treads the perilous path to Mordor from whence the
Ring first came, he is accompanied by eight companions who form the fellowship
of the Ring: the hobbits Merry, Pippin and Sam, the wizard Gandalf, the elf
Legolas, the dwarf Gimli and the humans Aaragorn and Boromir. The quest to
Mount Doom is fraught with danger as the forces of darkness close in on the
little hobbit and his friends. Evil Orcs, Uruk-hai, Trolls and Ringwraiths
stalk Frodo and the fellowship as they edge ever close to the fires of Mount
Doom.
Recreating
the journey to Mount Doom in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy “The Lord of the
Rings” (based on the book written by English author J.R.R Tolkein) required nothing less than a bit of modern magic. The iconic looks,
weaponry and armoury of the vast array of races and cultures were convincingly
created using portions of latex rubber, silicone, gelatin and polyurethanes.” ~ Excerpt from the Chemistry and Industry Journal,
Issue 24, 15 December 2003
I recently
moved house and while going through old stuffs, I came across this Chemistry journal
(where the above excerpt was taken from) which I had kept. I was fascinated
again with the story of the wonders of Chemistry utilized in the film ‘The Lord
of the Rings’ and wanted to share some of the information to my friends. The diversity and outlook of the various
beings depicted in the film is quite wonderful. And to think that all those
devilish and out-of-this-world looks were achieved using rubber latex (from the
rubber tree which was one of Nigeria’s major economic commodities some years
back) is even more magical (yes, magical!). Familiar products of rubber are
gloves, sandals and rubber bands. Foam latex (used in mattresses) was used to
create special effects and illusions which captivated the viewers and kept them
in awe (I was awed when I watched the film. Did you watch it too? It's such a long time now). Large round ears and big hairy
feet of the hobbits were made from this product with some yak hair. Human
actors wore prosthetic faces to depict the other creatures. Also used was a
compound called alginate which is derived from seaweed and used as a thickener
in food. And silicone helped to create the translucent skin look which is almost
passable for the movement of the real skin.
It is
interesting to note that for all the foam suits and props made for this film,
three foam ovens were on 24 hours a day, seven days a week for three and a half
years. (hmmm)
The more I reread stuffs like these, the more the words in the scripture that
says ‘ye are gods’ resonate through my soul and affirm my belief in the power
of the human mind. These scientific technologies did not fall down from the sky;
they were rather painstakingly researched and developed upon (and will continue
to be). A scientist is a curious being who doesn’t allow difficulties and
rejections stop their quest but find ways to solve the problems thereby giving
something to the world which wasn’t there before. And just check out children
around you, they are natural scientists but the environment of their growth
limits some of them and stunts the inquisitiveness of the nature which is all
around them (Africa in mind). Coupled with the early indoctrination of some
religious beliefs, the child then caps some thoughts as she has been taught they
are ungodly and devilish. But one wonders how the child is able to express her
creativities in a world so vast and endless? The thought is the world. Change
the thought and see the world change (positively or negatively).
“YOU ARE AN ARTIST OF THE SPIRIT - Find yourself and express
yourself in your own particular way. Express your love openly. Life is nothing
but a dream, and if you create your life with love, your dream becomes a
masterpiece of art.” ― Miguel Ruiz
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