[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_1978_1978.jpg]]

The Creator/RalphBakshi adaptation of ''Main/TheLordOfTheRings'' is a combination of the first book, and half of the second book. It was released in 1978 and meant to be three films, but was forced to be shortened to two, with the intention of finishing with the sequel. Due to Executive Meddling, the original title, ''The Lord of the Rings Part I'', was tossed out, resulting in [[NeverTrustATrailer some disappointment]] from viewers who expected closure to the story. And while the film did well at the box office, grossing more than enough to break even (a rarity for non-Disney animated feature films of the time) the rest of the second book and the third book was never completed by Bakshi. Later, [[RankinBass Rankin-Bass]] produced a version of ''WesternAnimation/TheReturnOfTheKing'', and Creator/PeterJackson did [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings his own take on the story]].


The film mixes bits of {{Rotoscoping}} and live action footage. There's also a ''little'' bit of traditional animation that doesn't use rotoscoping, but it's one of those blink and you'll miss it moments in the film.

If you pay attention, Creator/PeterJackson borrowed some things from this movie for his series - particularly the famous shot of the hobbits hiding from the Ringwraiths in the roots of a tree and the shot where a Hobbit has his very large feet propped up on a table during Bilbo's birthday speech.

Viewers of the movie either LoveItOrHateIt.

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!!Provides Examples Of:
* AnimatedAdaptation
* ArtShift
* AsideGlance: After Frodo wakes up in Rivendell.
* BlindIdiotTranslation: There's a line delivered by either Merri or Pippin saying "...and nothing for poor Grishnakh, gollum". The Finnish subtitles translated the VerbalTic as "or Gollum either".
** The German dub did that, too... the tic becomes "just think of Gollum".
* ContinuityLockout: It's a major problem with this film. To some viewers, this film is difficult to understand if you have not read the book. For example, it doesn't explain why Aragorn's broken sword is important.
* ExecutiveMeddling: There was a concern that audiences would confuse "Saruman" with "Sauron". So Aruman was used. That could be understandable, but then the movie keeps switching between ''Saruman'' and Aruman.
* ExactWords: The line mentioned above really came out as "...and nothing for poor Grishnakh, Gollum".
* {{Gonk}}: Oh, Sam, what did they ''do'' to you?
** To be fair, Sam was PlayedForLaughs during what was to be the first half of the film. One may notice as Frodo gets weaker, Sam gets more assertive and less silly.
* HeyItsThatVoice: [[StarWars C3PO]] and [[Series/IClaudius Caligula]] join the Fellowship.
** JohnHurt is Aragorn.
* InconsistentDub: Saruman vs. Auruman, enforced due to ExecutiveMeddling-apparently the head honchos thought that the audience [[ViewersAreMorons wouldn't understand the different between Sauron and Saruman]], so they had the actors redub the line to pronounce it as Auruman.
* LimitedWardrobe: It's not too much of an issue for most of the movie but it's particularly glaring when the Fellowship is trying to cross the Pass of Caradhras.
* LeftHanging: Children of the late 1970's and early 1980's who saw this were left pondering things like "Who is treebeard, and is he good or bad?"
* NothingIsScarier: Unlike in Jackson's adaptation, we never really see Sauron, only his shadow.
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Oddly enough averted, Gimli is human sized and Moria has some of the most hideous faces on ''its'' walls.
* OffModel: Strange faces in order - Frodo, Gandalf, Frodo again, more Frodo, Sam, the woman in the war, Strider, Legolas, Bilbo, Sam, and Boromir.
* RaceLift: Aragorn seems to be Native American.
* {{Rotoscoping}}: Pretty well done for the most part, but during the opening exposition that is visually delivered in silouhette, it's painfully obvious that Gollum is a guy in a big rubber mask and gloves.
* ScaryImpracticalArmor/ MalevolentMaskedMen: After the Ringwraiths attack the Hobbits' bedroom in Bree, they remove their hoods, revealing frightening masks and black armor underneath their cloaks.
* SequelHook: Due to ExecutiveMeddling, this was supposed to have been titled ''The Lord of the Rings Part I'', but this was deleted from the posters; however, the end still retained a voiceover stating that this film was the end of the first part. The home video editions redubbed a new voiceover without the hook.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Saruman vs. Aruman.
** It's corrected to Saruman in the DVD subtitles.
* TimePassesMontage: "Seventeen years passed sleepily in the Shire."
* ThoseTwoGuys: Merry and Pippin.
* ToBeContinued: Unfortunately, no.
* TooDumbToLive: Merry and Pippin, at one point in the movie just run into a camp of orcs.
* TwoPartTrilogy: The film ends immediately after Helm's Deep, which most agree would be the best spot to divide the story into two parts if you had no choice.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The second part of this was planned. However, the first part received mixed reviews and the producers refused to fund part II.
** All of the live action parts were supposed to be rotoscoped, which is why the costumes are so basic. The movie as released is largely incomplete.
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