January 19, 2003

Is there anyone on the face of the Earth who hasn’t seen Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings”? What was once the domain of skivvy-clad geeks is now acceptable fare and people can spout obscure phrases in Elvish without receiving a beating.

So why are these films so successful? Is it because people relate to Frodo, the very ordinary, diminutive hero who manages to prevail despite facing overwhelming odds and having hirsute feet? Or is it because everyone likes the idea of having breakfast, second-breakfast and elevenses?

Happily, the answer is neither of these. Like all great movies, “The Lord of the Rings” succeeds because of its association with rabbits, both off and on the set.

A prime example of this association is the film's adaptation of the chapter titled "Of Herbs and Rabbit Stew". Anyone who’s seen the second installment in the series - “The Two Towers” – would have to agree that this chapter is pivotal to the story.

In this scene we see Gollum, the pathetic creature driven by his desire for the One Ring, bring Frodo a brace of freshly-killed rabbits. The dead rabbit – portrayed brilliantly by Elisa Hopper – symbolizes the growing bond between the two ring bearers. Sam Gamgee cannot understand this bond and opts to cook the rabbit, thereby earning the disrespect of Gollum: “Stupid, fat hobbit!”.

(Film buffs might be interested to learn that the rabbit in the stew was actually played by the famous stunt-bunny, Murray the Brown. Murray is well-known for his ability to portray cooked meat and has appeared in many French movies, most notably “Où est mon Ragoût de Lapin?”)

Curiously enough, one of the most popular scenes in “The Two Towers” came about purely by chance. When the people of Rohan are attacked by a group of orcs on the way to Helm’s Deep, we see Legolas (played by Orlando Bloom) somersault onto the back of a moving horse. What most people don’t realize is that the elf actually leaps onto a rather large hare.

“We had finished principal photography,” explains director, Peter Jackson , “when we realized we didn’t have a shot of Legolas mounting a horse. What we did have, however, was a shot of Legolas playing leapfrog with his childhood friend – Harvey BigEars. We’d originally cut the scene from the film but Orlando loved it so much we re-integrated it into the battle sequence using digital effects.”

And it appears that rabbits were a firm favorite behind the cameras as well. Elijah Wood (who plays Frodo Baggins) was often seen taking a nap with his female companion at the time, Furry HotPaws. “Elijah’s such a light guy,” Furry remarked, “I really didn’t mind being smothered by his legs. Plus, I was going through a bout of myxomatosis at the time, so I’d been given strict instructions to stay away from his face. You wouldn’t want eyes that big getting all crusted over.”

Another cast member who shared an affiliation with rabbits was Dominic Monaghan (aka Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck). Abandoned when only two months old, the young Dominic was raised by a warren of rabbits located on the outskirts of Berlin. At the age of twelve Dominic was reunited with his human family but he has never forgotten the rabbits who raised him.

While filming “Lord of the Rings”, Dominic was frequently visited by members of his warren. Given that the warren’s population was in excess of 2,300 at the time, that equated to a lot of visits, but Dominic was always at the ready with a bag of fresh carrots and some straw.

 

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