The Lord of the Rings Had a Perfect Bilbo Baggins Scene

by

For many years after it was published, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings was thought to be impossible to make into a movie. Several people tried, including director John Boorman and even the Beatles, but none succeeded until Peter Jackson. When Jackson announced his plan for a film trilogy, many were surprised. He was known for making low-budget horror movies and a serious drama, which seemed very different from Tolkien’s fantastical world.

Those who doubted Jackson were quickly proven wrong when The Lord of the Rings became a huge critical and commercial hit, and it continues to be popular today. Despite being a departure from his previous films, Jackson used his skills as a horror director, notably in a particularly startling scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

The One Ring Brought Out Bilbo Baggins’ Dark Side

As Frodo said goodbye to Bilbo before leaving Rivendell, Bilbo briefly saw the One Ring and felt its pull, begging to hold it “just one last time.” When Frodo wouldn’t let him, Bilbo suddenly reached for it and cried out. This moment was created using special effects, digitally combining the face of actor Sir Ian Holm with a frightening puppet.

This disturbing scene is inspired by a passage from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, specifically the chapter “Many Meetings.” Frodo was shocked to realize he no longer recognized Bilbo, as if a darkness had grown between them. He found himself staring at a gaunt, unfamiliar figure with a craving to harm him.

Jackson made this scene more dramatic, showing Bilbo’s change in a way that mirrored how Frodo saw it. The moment became famous – and for some, frightening – and quickly spread online through memes and reaction videos from people watching it for the first time. Its impact was so strong because it happened quickly and wasn’t what viewers anticipated.

Audiences expected scary moments when Frodo was running from the Nazgûl or navigating Shelob’s cave, but not during calm scenes with family. Peter Jackson, having worked in horror, understood that a sudden scare is most effective when the audience feels safe and relaxed beforehand.

Peter Jackson Used Horror to Highlight the Danger of the One Ring

While Jackson likely enjoyed the dramatic effect of frightening audiences, Bilbo’s brief, unsettling moment had a key role in the story. It demonstrated that the Ring’s influence would always be present, no matter where Bilbo was or who he was with.

Although Peter Jackson was known for horror films, he didn’t rely heavily on frightening moments in The Lord of the Rings. The only comparable instance was when Frodo offered the One Ring to Galadriel, but her reaction wasn’t as dramatic or immediate. Jackson understood that too many sudden scares become predictable and wouldn’t fit the tone of a fantasy epic, so he used them carefully and sparingly.

Frodo wasn’t a classic hero. He was a regular person suddenly faced with a challenge much bigger than he could handle, and wasn’t ready for the frightening things he encountered. Throughout The Lord of the Rings, he’s mostly driven by fear, and Peter Jackson captured that feeling in the movies by showing the usually gentle Bilbo as something terrifying.

While other Lord of the Rings adaptations, like the animated film and The Rings of Power series, have included scary scenes, none have been as memorable as Bilbo’s change. Peter Jackson’s background in horror filmmaking uniquely prepared him to bring this story to life.

Read More

2026-02-12 21:42