"Here, Tolkien scholars discuss English place names and landmarks the author would have encountered during his childhood in the Midlands and later at Oxford, explain Tolkien’s fascination with ancient languages, and make pedantic speculations about things that may or may not have piqued the writer’s creativity. Due to the popularity of all things Tolkien, however, this should still be considered a strong optional purchase." Two and a half Stars - Video Librarian
"This is a technically beautiful work. This very interesting, well-written, information-rich documentary would be a useful addition to a course on the works of Tolkien, or for a program during a meeting of the Tolkien Society or a fan group. Recommended." - Educational Media Reviews Online
"The film features the places where Tolkien lived and the locations he loved, such as Warwick, Oxford, an ancient Lancashire school, and Saxon burial sites, which may have influenced the imagined world of his books. One of the many Tolkien scholars interviewed offers an interesting notion that the dark side of Middle Earth may have come from Tolkien's experience in the Somme Valley during World War I." School Library Journal
"Any library with and interest in J.R,R. Tolkien will want The Real Middle Earth, a documentary that investigates the places, names, and worlds which helped shape Tolkien's Middle Earth. The visuals on this DVD are stunning, the concepts lend great insight into the making of this classic world, and extra features include a profile of the official mapmaker of "Lord of the Rings" the team behind the epic film's special effects, and extended interviews with Tolkien scholars." California Bookwatch
The Real Middle Earth
A Quest for the Magical Places That Inspired The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is the most popular work of fiction ever created. It is a tale of epic proportions held together by its unforgettable setting, Middle Earth. The great trilogy introduced the world to Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn, but arguably the book's true star does not utter a single word. It is Middle Earth itself -- The Lord of the Rings' unforgettable setting -- that remains Tolkien's greatest achievement. This fascinating documentary takes us in Tolkien's footsteps and investigates the landscapes and buildings, the places and names that helped shape Middle Earth.
Sir Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring) narrates this fascinating exploration into an imaginary world that seems so real we pore over its maps and contemplate its journeys and its quests. Is this because the foundations of Tolkien's imagined world were inspired by very real places? Was there a real shire in the English countryside that inspired the Shire of Middle Earth? What influences shaped the darker and more troubled lands beyond its borders? How did European languages fuse in Tolkien's creative genius to create a vocabulary that evokes extraordinary places and heroic adventures?
The quest for The Real Middle Earth takes us to England?s west midlands, to Warwick and Oxford, to an ancient Lancashire school, to Saxon burial sites and many other places, including the real Dead Marshes, otherwise known as the Great War battlefields of the Somme.
Extra Features
• Profile of Stephen Raw, the official mapmaker of The Lord of the Rings
• Profile of the prosthetics team behind The Lord of the Rings special effects.
• Extended interviews with Tolkien scholars Helen Armstrong, Patrick Curry, and John Garth.
