Religious Themes in Film

Lesson 2: Lord of the Rings II

The Symbols of Evil

Symbols of Evil: Metallurgy and Physical Disintegration

Throughout the first two films, Saruman is seen destroying the area around his castle by mining for metals (and digging for Uruk-hai ). As well, he is cutting down all the nearby forests in order to power the industry of war. Fire, soot, and ash darken his kingdom. The parallels with Christian images of hell are striking.

In terms of metallurgy: Mining and the working with rare metals is often equated with Lucifer or with Fallen Angels. In Genesis 6:1 through 6:4, the “Sons of God,” often interpreted as fallen angels, “came to earth and taught men.” Jewish and Christian legend has it that the fallen angels taught men how to mine and develop metallurgy as well as develop jewelry of rare metals for women. These “Sons of God” also “saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.” This is one of the reasons why God decided to send a flood.

It is no mistake that Saruman’s mines are finally destroyed by… a flood.

Milton used the symbolism of metallurgy in Paradise Lost. When Satan and the fallen angels are thrown down to hell, they immediately begin to mine for gold in order to erect the buildings of hell. Milton says that Satan taught humans to mine. In fact, the images in LOTR of both Sauron’s and Saruman’s kingdom’s are strikingly similar to Milton’s description of Hell:

“There stood a hill not far whose grisly top Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign That in his womb was hid metallic ore, the work of sulphur… Soon had his (Satan’s) crew Opened into the hill a spacious wound And digged out ribs of gold…” Paradise Lost, Book I: 670-690.

As discussed before, there is a physical element to characters reaching their true identity, their destinies. Consider Aragorn throughout the movie (looking a bit like a drunk) and his final scene when he is crowned (and finally combs his hair). Consider also, the bad guys: the Orcs and the Uruk-hai and how far away they are from their true destinies (and from good).

And of course, there is the tragic story of Gollum, i.e. Smeagol, who represents this physical transformation graphically. Gollum has denigrated so much spiritually that he has become a different creature all together. He used to look much like Frodo, but, tempted by the ring, he veered from his path. Ironically, he has a destiny in that form as well.

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