A gorgeous piece of The Lord of the Rings art recreates Gandalf’s fiery battle with the Balrog. Serving as an adaptation of the works by J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released in 2001, marking the start of an epic trilogy. The trilogy features dozens of memorable moments and iconic scenes, including the fight between Ian McKellen’s Gandalf and the Balrog in the Mines of Moria.
A piece of art from Geek Fine Art on Instagram recreates the showdown between Gandalf and the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings, bringing the scene to life with bold colors and an epic pose from McKellen’s wizard. Check out the art below:
The art captures a moment just after Gandalf and the Balrog fall from the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, with the wizard shown about to bring his sword down upon his fiery foe. Gandalf’s sword strike is evidently not the killing blow, however, with the pair eventually ending up in the waters of the abyss before finishing their fight atop Durin’s tower.
The Lord of the Rings’ Balrog Still Holds Up
Why Gandalf’s Fight With The Balrog In Fellowship Of The Ring Is So Memorable
Released more than 20 years ago now, all three entries in the Lord of the Rings trilogy hold up remarkably well today from a visual standpoint. The Balrog, in particular, is one of the highlights of the first film (though he also appears in The Two Towers as Gandalf recounts their battle), with Jackson making some key decisions that make the creature’s unveiling all the more powerful. Crucially, the creature is given a big build-up that adds to its menace before its fight with Gandalf even begins.
In the caverns of Moria, the Fellowship finds itself surrounded by an army of Orcs. The heavy footsteps of the Balrog and its fiery orange glow, however, prompt the Orcs to retreat in fear. Gandalf, too, normally a brave-faced fighter, shows signs of fear, and this helps to build anticipation. The sound design and score contribute to this sense of anxiety and anticipation, with the monster’s thundering footsteps echoing throughout the chamber. Only after the Fellowship makes it to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm is the Balrog fully unveiled, and it certainly isn’t a let-down.
Much of the Balrog’s body is obscured by fire and smoke, and Moria itself is very dark, meaning any VFX shortcomings that may exist are hard to spot. The pure heat of the monster is made clear by the shimmering air and the sweat on the brows of the Lord of the Rings cast. Another aspect that makes the Balrog so memorable as a villain is that he seemingly pulls Gandalf to his death. As the latest piece of art reinforces, Gandalf’s fight with the Balrog remains one of The Lord of the Ring‘s trilogy’s most memorable moments.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
- Movie(s)
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The Lord of the Rings (1978)
, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
, The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim - Created by
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J.R.R. Tolkien
- First Film
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The Lord of the Rings (1978)
- Cast
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Norman Bird
, Anthony Daniels
, Elijah Wood
, Ian McKellen
, Liv Tyler
, Viggo Mortensen
, Sean Astin
, Cate Blanchett
, John Rhys-Davies
, Billy Boyd
, Dominic Monaghan
, Orlando Bloom
, Christopher Lee
, Hugo Weaving
, Sean Bean
, Ian Holm
, Andy Serkis
, Brad Dourif
, Karl Urban
, Martin Freeman
, Richard Armitage
, James Nesbitt
, Ken Stott
, Benedict Cumberbatch
, Evangeline Lilly
, Lee Pace
, Luke Evans
, Morfydd Clark
, Mike Wood
, Ismael Cruz Cordova
, Charlie Vickers
, Markella Kavenagh
, Megan Richards
, Sara Zwangobani
, Daniel Weyman
, Cynthia Addai-Robinson
, Lenny Henry
, Brian Cox
, Shaun Dooley
, Miranda Otto
, Bilal Hasna
, Benjamin Wainwright
, Luke Pasqualino
, Christopher Guard
, William Squire
, Michael Scholes
, John Hurt - TV Show(s)
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Character(s)
-
Frodo Baggins
, Gandalf
, Legolas
, Boromir
, Sauron
, Gollum
, Samwise Gamgee
, Pippin Took
, Celeborn
, Aragorn
, Galadriel
, Bilbo Baggins
, Saruman
, Aldor
, Wormtongue
, Thorin Oakenshield
, Balin Dwalin
, Bifur
, Bofur
, Bombur
, Fili
, Kili
, Oin
, Gloin
, Nori
, Dori
, Ori
, Tauriel
, King Thranduil
, Smaug
, Radagast
, Arondir
, Nori Brandyfoot
, Poppy Proudfellow
, Marigold Brandyfoot
, Queen Regent Míriel
, Sadoc Burrows - Video Game(s)
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The Lord of the Rings Online
, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
, The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum
, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
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