Ralph Bakshi Did Not Hold Back About Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings Movies

When "Lord of the Rings" adaptations come up, there are a few names that quickly come to mind — especially if you're talking about directors. The obvious one is the man, the myth, the legend: Peter Jackson. The Kiwi has become synonymous with Middle-earth movies. However, there's another Middle-earth filmmaker who is often talked about alongside Peter Jackson, too (and not in a flattering way like Andy Serkis, who is directing "The Hunt for Gollum" since Jackson passed on the opportunity).

I'm talking about Ralph Bakshi. The animation mastermind and quirky genius is a character and a half, and he's had a lot to say about Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy over the years. You can sum up Bakshi's opinions (expressed in multiple places) thusly: He really doesn't like Jackson's work.

Bakshi's own Middle-earth contribution came in the form of the one-of-a-kind 1978 "The Lord of the Rings" animated feature. He didn't just direct that movie, though. Bakshi saved the animated "Lord of the Rings" after it had been held up and nearly botched by producers and screenwriters who didn't care about the story. Ultimately, thanks to his efforts, the film proved to be a commercial success. 

Bakshi's motivation when he swooped in to take over the project was that he "was doing it to save it for [J.R.R.] Tolkien, because I loved the 'Rings' very much." In other words, he isn't just another guy who got a shot at adapting Tolkien's tome. Like Jackson, he really cared about the source material. That also means he had a unique position (and some very strong opinions) when Jackson's live-action interpretation came out.

While many folks rank Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy over Ralph Bakshi's 1978 film version, the latter director seems to feel that Jackson's adaptation owes a creative debt to his own cinematic take on J.R.R. Tolkien's literary classic. Bakshi has expressed his displeasure about this on multiple occasions as well. Indeed, back in August 2002, Bakshi told The One Ring that he had yet to actually see Jackson's big screen interpretation of "The Fellowship of the Ring," which had premiered in theaters the previous December. When the interviewer pointed out that Jackson appeared to have borrowed some imagery directly from Bakshi's movie — an often-cited criticism of Jackson's films — and asked if Bakshi was comfortable with his film "being used as a rough draft," the director replied:

"No. Because there was never an acknowledgment of that. As a matter of fact, there was a complete denial of it for a long time. Jackson avoided mentioning me or my film, or the influence it had on him until he was forced to very late in the game."

As you can see, Bakshi already had a real beef with Jackson before even watching his movies, feeling that the filmmaker had drawn a lot of inspiration from his animated "Lord of the Rings" movie without giving Bakshi his proper due. The director's ire didn't cool with time, either. In a 2006 interview with Frames Per Second Magazine, Bakshi was asked about Jackson's films once more. He started out hot, replying, "[My version] had more character, more soul, more heart. Less sneaker selling." From there, the gloves really came off.

After having had a few years to form an opinion on Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Ralph Bakshi came to a clear conclusion. Here's what he said:

"They took everything from me. The ring wraiths were taken from me. There was a lot! I mean, I designed the ring wraiths. [...] Look. I'm sitting here with a book called 'Lord of the Rings,' and no film to look at. Every f***ing thing you're looking at in 'Rings' I — the design, Gimli, Aragon, the dwarfs, the elves, all that stuff — I came up with, basically because there was nothing to look at. Peter Jackson looked at it and said, 'I like that, I don't like that, I can improve on that.' Who are you kidding?"

From there, Bakshi got granular. He critiqued the production design of Jackson's films, from big sets like Lothlórien right down to the weapons and clothing. He also brought the shot of the hobbits hiding under some roots from a sniffing Black Rider, which is nearly identical to the way his animated movie visualizes that moment. When asked if Jackson had ever contacted him, Bakshi wrapped up the tirade by saying:

"He can kiss my f***ing a**. No, he hasn't. He didn't have to contact me. He had my movie. Why would he contact me? He robbed me to begin with. What right did he have to make the 'Rings'?"

That Gollum-esque final line subtly reveals the passion that both Bakshi and Jackson brought to their projects. And, despite their differences, the results are inarguable. As a viewer, there's no doubt that the result of their adaptations has left us with some of the most exciting and imaginative fantasy films in history.