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THE MARTIAL ARTS OF MIDDLE EARTH
An Interview with Tony Wolf, Fighting Styles Designer for the Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy
by Adrian Ko
with artistic renditions of the Lord of the Rings movie characters by David
Sankey
August 8, 2002 · Article spans 4 pages
Preface
Having previously worked with director Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings) in films such as Brain Dead
(which was released in the U.S. as Dead Alive) and a mockumentary called Forgotten Silver, Fighting Styles
Designer
Tony Wolf was sought by Jackson to develop distinct fighting styles for each of the races of Middle Earth.
From the sinister Orcs of Moria to the brave and fair Elves that resisted the malevolent charge on the front lines, Tony
Wolf's work is seen in the unique fighting styles exhibited by each race to an almost anthropological depth. We
are proud to present you with this exclusive interview.
Note: this interview took place prior to the release of The Two Towers.
Interview
SFI: Tony, it's good to have you speak with us today. We realise that it's not every day
an opportunity to work on an epic like The Lord of the Rings Trilogy lands in one's lap, as it were. We see an incredible
scale of warfare in Fellowship of the Ring, ranging from Aragorn fighting the Uruk-hai to a landscape of Orcs charging a
frontline formation of Elves. You are the film trilogy's Fighting Styles Designer, which is perhaps the first time we've
heard of such a title for a movie that involves swords. How does that differ from the traditional role of a Fight
Choreographer or Fight Master?
TW: I had already worked with Peter [Jackson] on some other projects, and I knew that he was interested in
the idea of
unique fighting styles. When I heard that he would be directing LotR, I suggested that each of the Middle Earth cultures
should have its own idiosyncratic methods of fighting and of general movement as well. That gelled with what he was
thinking and it was my entry into the project. Because the styles had to be established before individual fight scenes
could be choreographed, the Fighting Style Design process was largely during pre-production, as distinct from
scene-specific fight choreography.
SFI: Yes. Given the richness of Tolkien's mythology, it would imply that each Middle Earth culture
developed its own unique martial arts. We see this with their languages and their music, so why not their fighting
methodologies as well? Would you describe your inspirations for the fighting arts for each of the individual races... for
example the styles of Men, Elves, Dwarves or even of the Orcs and other enemies?
TW: We really had two main sources of inspiration — Tolkien's novels, and the interpretation of his
world
and characters that was being collectively "imagineered" by all the different production departments — props,
costumes,
weaponry, conceptual art and so-on.
SFI: So your own conception of the fighting styles developed once you were brought on board the project and
not before?
TW: Yes, I wanted to start fresh. I re-read the trilogy before I came on board, but the actual design
didn't start until I knew how the rest of the production was conceiving the various Middle Earth cultures.
SFI: Perhaps also benefiting from and contributing back to the artistic synergy in pre-production?
TW: The design process was part of the pre-production, but synergy is a good word for it. Lots of
meetings, creative brainstorming, getting a feel for each culture.
SFI: The end result, as we all see, is a very high level of creativity. For example, in the opening scene
of FotR, we see a furious charge of Orcs towards the armies of Men and Elves, which was met by Elvish soldiers armed with
polearms. This is without a doubt one of the most eye-opening scenes for the beginning of any film. Do tell us your
thoughts on this battlefield warfare.
TW: I think that Peter wanted to create a sense of absolutely epic scale in that sequence ... it reminded
me of that fantastic opening shot in the original "Star Wars," when a Star Destroyer passes over the camera, and just keeps
on coming. That upward slash was one of the first moves I designed for Elf swordplay. As I recall, the image of the Elvish
warriors performing a synchronised upward slash was partly to demonstrate the total contrast between the Elves and the Orcs
- the former being magical, ultra-disciplined warriors and the latter being basically an insane rabble.
SFI: That's interesting, Tony, because this not only succeeded visually but adds a greater unspoken
dimension to the film.
TW: I think everyone involved in the production was going for that "unspoken dimension." The idea was that
we were not creating fantasy in the traditional sense, as a sort of anything-goes milieu, but rather producing historical
epics that happened in Middle Earth. That concept imposed a healthy creative discipline.
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