20 Opening Movie Scenes That Are Totally Flawless
16. The World Is Changed - The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
Exposition at the start of a movie runs the risk of sounding clichéd, unnatural and narratively lazy, but The Fellowship of the Ring easily overcomes the typical issues of laying everything out on the table to create one of the most enrapturing scenes in the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy - which is saying an awful lot.
Starting in darkness, the trilogy begins with a monologue from the elf Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), who recounts the dark and era-defining history of the infamous One Ring over the top of sweeping battle scenes and haunting images of moral corruption and evil.
Considering Peter Jackson's eye for epic set pieces and the trilogy's monstrous scale, The Fellowship's opening scene makes perfect sense, and not only makes it clear how dangerous the Ring is, but introduces the entirety of Middle-earth, teases the existence of Gollum (Andy Serkis), and gives a delicious taste of the excellence to come.
Pure poetry.