There has been a general consensus that The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a more successful and engaging reimagination of Medievalism than some of the earlier films we have watched. It has been pointed out that introducing the element of fantasy accounts for part of the improvement in the watchability of the film, but I propose that the inclusion of friendship bonds that portray a sense of goodness attract and invite the viewer in even more. The various friendships not only provide a counterpoint to the evil of Mordor and his accumulating army, but also act as a means to draw the audience in to support the efforts to save Middle-Earth.
The most important friendship is that between Frodo and Sam. It is an unwavering bond. Much has been written about this relationship and its connection to both Medieval lord/retainer relationships such as Beowulf and Wiglaf as well as WWI trench relationships (Smol). It is through the inclusion of further relationships, though, that my level of engagement was increased. These friendships include: Merry and Pippin; Aragon and Gimli; Faramir and Frodo; and, Gollum and Frodo.
The friendships of both Merry/Pippin and Aragon/Gimli are lighthearted in nature and provide some comic relief – a stark contrast with the looming darkness of the impending war. While these friends watch each other’s backs, there is also a sense of camaraderie, as seen in the fighting scene on the castle walls. Against a backdrop of the impersonal masses of soldiers, these vignettes of friendship add a personal level to the movie, as well as lighten the overall mood.
In the case of Faramir and Frodo, the nature of the friendship is different and we see it evolve from a relationship as enemies to a relationship of understanding. Faramir, who is motivated by trying to gain his father’s approval, takes Frodo as a prisoner and is intent on keeping him from completing his quest to deliver the ring. With the pleadings of Sam, we watch Faramir soften his resolve, eventually releasing Frodo even though it means not gaining the fatherly recognition he desperately seeks. This conversion of Faramir acts as a means to draw the audience into the spirit of rooting for victory; even those opposed are now on the side of the good.
Lastly, I mention the peculiar relationship between Gollum and Frodo, even though it does not really qualify as a friendship because it lacks constancy and mutuality on the part of Gollum. However, what makes the interaction between the two engaging from the audience’s viewpoint is the verbal battle between good and evil that Gollum experiences and participates in. Frodo treats Gollum with kindness, allowing Gollum to trust Frodo more.
All of these very different friendships attracted and maintained my attention; they add sparks of goodness to a rather dark and desolate plot. Do you agree that in watching the relationships develop in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, we too, want to hold onto the good and feel that it is worth fighting for?
Getting Medieval 
Emotionally intense, ideally positive inter-character dynamics are always my point of entry for a work, especially for genre fiction works like The Two Towers. Though I do love worldbuilding and its little nuts-and-bolts details, what really makes or break a work for me is the characters. While I don’t think this is a rare opinion by any means, it is relatively less common in works of genre fiction than in other realms of writing. Part of my apprehension about LOTR was that it seemed to be about X, Son of Y, fighting for Universal Good and Right in the Battle of Z, which is preluded by A, Son of B’s, glorious victory against Evil McBadBad in the battle of C. I believed it was about Great Men Doing Great Things, and maybe shedding a single tear or having one whole emotion. Which, while it does it for some people, is very much not what draws me to a piece of media. And in the case of the first part of the movie, I felt correct in my apprehension. However, the greater emphasis on intra-character dynamics (specifically Sam and Frodo and Legolas and Gimli) sold me on the second half. People determinedly doing good things in the face of an inhospitable world is one of my favorite things in literature and something that fantasy tends to do exceptionally well (especially Terry Pratchett books, in my opinion). I’ll admit it, I cried at Sam’s little monologue near the end. What makes fantasy fiction truly great is the ability to combine fantastical worlds with people-are-always-people scenarios, and I think that was accomplished in the final half of the movie.
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