The Rings of Power and the war inside
The Rings of Power and the war inside
18 October 2022
Morfydd Clark stars as elven warrior Galadriel in The Rings of Power. The complex character showcases humanity’s inner turmoil as we choose between darkness and light. Credit: Matt Grace/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
“It darkens the heart to call dark deeds good. It gives place for evil to thrive inside of us. Every war is fought without, and within, of that every soldier must be mindful.”
These are the sobering words of the character Galadriel, an elven warrior who picked up a sword to avenge the death of her brother and husband. Many know her as the wise, transcending voice from J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings book series and recognise her as the luminescent Cate Blanchett in the movie trilogy from the early 2000s. Yet, in the new Amazon Prime series The Rings of Power that tells the story of Middle Earth thousands of years prior to the days of the hobbit Frodo Baggins, we meet a character who embodies the place where dark and light meet.
The Harfoots (early iterations of hobbits) are unassuming nomads in The Rings of Power, but their propensity to choose goodness over safety means they are essential in Middle Earth’s fight for goodness. Credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
This is a younger, more hardened Galadriel played by Morfydd Clark, who chooses to give up eternal rest because she believes darkness is about to overcome Middle Earth once again. And, of course, she is right. Spread across Middle Earth and the ocean, each race sees signs that evil is returning and are slowly brought together with the realisation that they can only defeat this when united. But how do they defeat evil when both light and shadows live in each of us?
In episode six, Galadriel repeats these words to the mysterious man Halbrand: “Sometimes to fight the night, we must first touch the darkness.” And in The Rings of Power, we see the truth that has shaped humanity since the fall of creation play out: that we are either refined by the night or consumed by it.
The Rings of Power has been a long time coming. Since J.R.R Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937, and later the corresponding trilogy, humanity has resonated with the fantastical realities of Middle Earth – filled with mystical rings, elves, wars and, of course, hobbits. This spawned six wildly successful movies, countless memes, and a theme park-like experience in New Zealand.
The race of men is represented by the people of the Southlands (pictured) and the kingdom over the sea, Numenor. Unlike the original films, The Rings of Power prioritises women, bi-racial relationships and people of colour as the heroes and leaders of their people. Credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
For Christians, the love of the fictional world carries even deeper themes knowing that Tolkien had a deep faith. Some have even learned the meticulously curated elvish languages (Tolkien was very committed to his craft). The Rings of Power then is an artistic interpretation of Tolkien’s lesser-known writings about the second age of Middle Earth. We’re talking 2000 years before The Hobbit even took place. It’s a bit like someone creating a cinematic masterpiece about the times of Ancient Israel circa the era of King David – but with orcs and dwarves. And The Rings of Power truly is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
Costing more than $89 million per episode, the season supersedes the budget of the first film. And it shows. Because the set design, production and costumes are bafflingly believable. It’s fair to say the original films needed an intermission to help us get through the content, but the series is made of easier-to-swallow episodes at approximately one hour each. This gives us time to delight and revel in the beauty of each storyline to the fullest extent.
An unlikely alliance between the dwarves (pictured) and elves could be the difference between the destruction of an entire race. Credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright:Amazon Studios.
For newbies to Middle Earth, episode one is crucial viewing and steers us through the early years of Tolkien’s universe. This is the first age where young elves are born and live in harmony until a powerful being pursues evil (sound familiar?). At great cost, the evil being Morgoth is defeated, and his lieutenant Sauron is killed.
It is here that we meet a young Galadriel. While it could seem odd that a different actor has stepped into the role for The Rings of Power, this decision carries the intrepid series with bravado and strength. And though she is steely-faced, and her words are measured, she communicates the war inside every human (and apparently elf) as we live as both spirit and flesh until the day we see Glory.
The Rings of Power promises to show us the events leading up the forging of the 20 famous rings of power, and this will undoubtedly take a handful of seasons eventually leading to the demise of Middle Earth under Sauron.
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In the wake of devastation, Galadriel personifies humanity’s wrestle between darkness and light. Credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
But while the end result is predictable, the inner war of each character is not. In the face of death, pain and a loss of innocence, even the most faith-filled characters can embrace revenge over justice and mercy. And one may even perceive this as being good if we are so consumed by the ash of our heartache.
In a fallen world where desire births sin, which when full grown births death (James 1:15), Christ is the victor, and the Spirit our weapon in warfare. But in the midst of the fight, let us never get so consumed by the darkness that we become what we hate. Let us cling to what is good – no matter how much darkness surrounds us.
The Rings of Power is streaming now on Amazon Prime.
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