The best movie of all times! This analysis is about Peter Jackson’s work, The Lord of the Rings. The primary purpose of the paper is to discuss communication concepts portrayed in the films and describe how characters in the movies overcame communication issues. Events that occur throughout the movie influence how the characters perceive their conflicts and determine what actions they undertake to solve their problems. Some of the concepts that are present in the movie and are discussed in the paper are interpersonal conflict, managing emotions, managing cultural differences in relationships, social judgement theory, and social comparison theory. Besides the portrayal of the mentioned concepts, Jackson’s work shows that a common goal can help overcome any misunderstanding and conflict.
While members of a single team conflict with each other, it is not possible to achieve the team’s goal. This statement is proven by Sam and Gollum, who dislike each other from the very beginning of their relationship. Gollum, initially, tries to lead Frodo and Sam into Mordor. However, due to constant arguments between him and Sam, Gollum sets a new objective to kill them. Only when one of these conflicting party members is eliminated, the company is able to achieve the goal.
For successful communication, it is imperative to be able to manage one’s emotions. Frodo’s spite toward Sam throughout the movie leads to communication issues and tempts Frodo into believing that Sam wants the ring for himself. Gollum, in this context, can be seen as the inner voice of Frodo that tries to cause disbalance in his emotions. The result is that Sam is sent away, and Frodo is almost killed by Shelob.
When trying to solve a problem in real life, people often work in a team that consists of individuals from different cultures and nationalities. Often the success of the endeavor is directly related to how well team members are able to cope with cultural differences (Saylor Foundation 1010). Legolas and Gimli, for instance, seem to be in conflict with each other at first because of the history of their ancestors’ relationship with each other. However, their ability to set aside their past in favor of working toward a common goal is a crucial factor of the fellowship’s success in destroying the ring.
There is also a reference to the social judgment theory throughout the trilogy. For instance, the way Faramir perceives the information about the Ring from Frodo is the process of comparison with his own attitudes and initial rejection. In the beginning, Faramir genuinely believes that the Ring will bring power to the hands of Gondor and that it can be used to destroy Sauron (Jackson). These beliefs, however, are replaced when Faramir goes through another attitude formation (Jackson). After witnessing the Ring’s destructive power over and over, Faramir releases Frodo and Sam eventually.
Merry is among the characters who develop the most throughout the movie. A regular hobbit, in the beginning, he becomes a Rohirrim rider in the end. His progress can be viewed through the prism of the social comparison theory because he continuously engages in self-evaluation through comparison with other hobbits (Tolkien 792). Merry states that he cannot be left behind while his hobbit friends are at war (Tolkien 792). In order not to harm his self-esteem, he engages in self-enhancement – he rides to battle before the walls of Minas-Tirith.
The trilogy contains examples of crucial communication concepts and potential ways of resolving communication issues. Through the use of many characters, the author of the trilogy portrayed how various situations can be handled. Furthermore, the author also shows the consequences of ignoring communication issues. By watching the trilogy, it is possible to learn about managing one’s emotions, ignoring cultural differences in favor of a more critical problem, and how to handle interpersonal conflicts.
Works Cited
Jackson, Peter, director. The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy. Warner Bros. 2004.
Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel. The Lord of the Rings: One Volume. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.
Saylor Foundation. Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies. Saylor Foundation, 2013.