"There is our Hope."
Hello everyone!
Man it's like someone had to open a valve somewhere to let the pressure out and have it dissipate into the ether. Not that it's completely changed tunes of course, but it's definitely better than it was before in any event.
One can breathe, at least!
So I can sit and type on the computer without melting or having some of the components melt, which is basically all that I wanted.
Which means that without further ado, we're heading straight back to Middle-Earth with the fans, to another fan-made movie that's definitely made it into the top favourites since its release, because it tells the story right out of the Appendices, and tells it correctly, too, unlike some adaptations nowadays.
We head into the tale of Born of Hope.
Born of Hope, like Hunt for Gollum, was made by the Independent Online Cinema, and man is it a good one for being a fan film.
It gives us the story of the Dúnedain in their waning years, when Sauron was desperately trying to figure out if the line of Isildur might still be kicking about somewhere.
To his everlasting chargin, it is at the time of the movie, when Gilraen and her family are trying to find a safe haven after their settlement is attacked and destroyed, and her brother killed. They're rescued on the road by Arathorn, son of their chieftain and their kinsman, actually, because Gilraen's father is related to the old Lord through ... some twists and turns.
Anyway, you can see an immediate spark and attraction between the ruggedly handsome Arathorn and classically beautiful Gilraen, but nothing happens immediately, though pretty much everyone and their mother around them can tell two plus two equals for.
Elgarain, for example, the only female Ranger in this group, is immediately forlorn because she's had a crush on Arathorn since forever, but he's never seen her that way, and now DEFINITELY never will, considering.
Arathorn opens up his heart to Gilraen before leaving on a perilous journey to figure out why the Orcs that they've encountered and fought so far seem to be hunting for some sort of ring.
Now, you might be mistaken into believing this to be the One Ring story, but it actually isn't, as Arathorn realizes when he discovers another cache of the trinkets after getting rid of some more Orcs: one of the rings looks to be two snakes trying to meet in the middle.
He finally figures out why that seems familiar, because the Ring of Barahir, an ancient heirloom of his own house and currently on the finger of his father (as every Chieftain before him), is depicted with two snakes, intertwined, crowned with golden flowers and decorated with green jewels that came all the way out of Valinor.
Hastening home and cautioning the old geezer, Arathorn then proceeds to court Gilraen, though trying to get her dad's permission is rather hilarious since he's a bit nervous about it LOL.
BUT luckily, Gilraen's mom has the gift of foresight and warns her husband that he shouldn't oppose the union, since it may still bear fruit that will help them in the long run, but if he stands against them, then their people will surely fall.
After the wedding, Arathorn's father unfortunately meets his end at the hands of a troll, and Arathorn claims the Ring of Barahir, while Gilraen gives birth to their son, Aragorn.
It's when the boy's about three that things start looking bleak again as Orcs multiply and the Rangers dwindle as a result; unlooked-for, the twin sons of Elrond, Elrohir and Elladan, rush up to the settlement and explain that it's been found and Orcs are marching towards it.
No one knows just how close said Orcs are, however, except for Elgarain who, just as she's decided to yeet off because she can no longer watch Arathorn and Gilraen's happiness, and found her own, rushes back into the settlement screeching about an ambush and their enemies.
The Rangers manage to defeat their attackers, but not without heavy losses, Elgarain included, and enraged, Arathorn leads a counter-attack that further complicates things when he takes an arrow to the eye.
They bring him to Gilraen again, and he passes the Ring of Barahir to little Aragorn before breathing his last, and Gilraen takes the advice of Elrond (finally!) which his sons had also initially brought, leaving her people and going to Rivendell with her son, where he'll be fostered, his lineage hidden from him to confuse Sauron and lure him into a false sense of security.
And so the movie comes to a close as you realize the story's been narrated by Gilraen all along, telling it to her son and finally naming him Estel, Hope, because that is what he represents for all his people.
Seeing as we know he goes on to not only help defeat Sauron but also being crowned King of the Reunited Kingdom, you know he's gonna win big in the end!
Succint, to the point, but utilizing what Tolkien wrote about the Rangers incredibly well while still adding its own twists to the story, Born of Hope showcases a time before The Lord of the Rings that's equally as rich in storytelling and legends. Arathorn is a shadowy figure that we don't get to hear a lot of aside from being mentioned as Aragorn's father, so it's nice to see some of his life depicted on screen.
For a low-budget fan film, Born of Hope is also remarkably well made and definitely immerses you in the world of Middle-Earth. The CGI is a bit clunky but, all the same, the story's conveyed as it should be, and if you haven't seen this already, I highly suggest it. It's a definite must for any true Tolkien fan!
xx
*images and video not mine
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