Warner Bros.
Hera, the heroine of the first “Lord of the Rings” film in Japanese animation.
CINEMA – Forget the cold and monolithic Galadriel of the Rings of Power. Also forget the quasi-divine figures of Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler at Peter Jackson. In The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim in theaters since Wednesday, December 11, the new female figure to be reckoned with in Middle-earth is called Hera.
The Rohirrim War is the first animated film adapted from the legendary saga of Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson version. Its main specificity is to be made in Japanese animation. A curious proposition which, however, allows this umpteenth appendix of a successful franchise to escape the pattern of tasteless sequels imposed by the Hollywood laundry machine.
Beyond its immersive animation (but not free from criticism), the film sheds new light on the role of women in this universe where they have almost always been relegated to the background. Whether in the writings of JRR Tolkien or in the film adaptations of Peter Jackson.
Hera, Éowyn… same fight
“ I’m not a man! “. This line released by the character of Éowyn facing the terrifying Witch-King of Angmar in The Return of the King at the time was only scratching the surface ofa concern that is well known in Tolkien’s universe : the place of women. It is therefore no coincidence that Éowyn, the only truly significant female incarnation in Peter Jackson’s films, returns to service as narrator in The Rohirrim War.
The plot takes place in the kingdom of Rohan, almost 200 years before the trilogy. Helm Hammerfist, powerful king of the Rohirrim, is called upon to defend his people against the usurper Wulf, a young lord seeking revenge. It is in this context that Éowyn’s voice introduces us to the king’s daughter, Hera. Here, it is therefore not a question of a ring of power, of Mordor or of Sauron, but of a war between several factions of Men.
In Tolkien, women are so minor that Hera did not even have a name, despite a central role in the plot told in the appendices of the novels. Lord of the Rings. A ” oversight » from the author which the many women who worked on this film wanted to remedy. Allowing us to create an obvious (and deliberate) parallel with Éowyn, as scriptwriter Phoebe Gittins explains in the production notes: “ We took a lot of inspiration from Éowyn because these two women are fiercely independent and have strong characters. “.
Visually impeccable (or almost)
It is with this same concern for a more feminine approach that young Hera is almost always accompanied by Olwyn in this adventure: an elderly servant in the service of the royal house and discreet protector of the young woman, due to her past. of warrior. A final detail that highlights a forgotten feminine heritage in Middle-earth. And which gives even more substance to the place of women in this particularly masculine fantasy universe.
But these efforts to introduce a strong female character would not have as much panache without striking music and a style of animation unprecedented in the franchise. The film takes the challenge of sticking as closely as possible to the New Zealand landscapes discovered in the early 2000s with Peter Jackson, while bringing a welcome touch of originality thanks to the hand of Japanese director Kenji Kamiyama.
Warner Bros.
The wide open spaces of Middle-earth are particularly highlighted in “The War of the Rohirrim”.
Enough to offer breathtaking visuals of the capital Edoras, the plains of Rohan, Isengard or Helm’s Deep (which we thought we knew well). However, we may regret that this visual bias is not always impeccable, particularly on the movements of the characters which sometimes cruelly lack fluidity. Even more so compared to other animated films released in recent years: Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse, The Bad Guys Or Puss in Boots 2 to name just a few. Despite several notable imperfections, The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim does not lose the epic breath that makes us love this universe so much.
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