Anime prequel The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim brings a key Tolkien story to life

Among the Lord of the Rings fandom, even minor characters have the power to capture the imagination of readers. For Japanese filmmaker and animator Kenji Kamiyama, that character is Helm Hammerhand — the namesake of Helm’s Deep. Mentioned in just a dozen pages in the original trilogy, the character nonetheless looms large in the imagination; he apparently struck down an enemy in a single punch and he’s one of the two enormous figures that looms over the entryway of Helm’s Deep in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Kenji Kamiyama has made a name for himself producing Blood: The Last Vampire, and directing the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. With The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, he brings a singular vision to the world of Tolkien. Set 183 years before the events of the Ring, his feature-length anime follows Helm Hammerhand’s daughter Héra, a strong-willed and clever young woman destined for greatness.

Kenji Kamiyama got his start working as a background artist on iconic films like Akira and Kiki’s Delivery Service. The film’s feminine centering has strong echoes of Éowyn, even featuring voice work from Miranda Otto, but it’s also clear that Kamiyama takes influence from characters in anime like Miyazaki’s Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke. As a character, Héra has many tomboy qualities but never loses her femininity. Where her father (voiced by Brian Cox) relies on his overwhelming strength, she has to rely on her intelligence and charisma in order to overcome her challenges. 

Speaking over Zoom with the help of a translator, Kamiyama talks about his interest in the character. “This character is supposed to be the strongest king in the history of Rohan. He killed Rekka with a single punch with his bare fist, but at the same time, he was overconfident. It leads to an incident that cuts off his bloodline.”

In the world of Tolkien, there are many different races (or species): hobbits, elves, orcs and humans. Kamiyama’s story interests itself in the realm of humans. “Helm Hammerhead is an important character in the story (of the Ring) and his story is the turning point for human history.” The film, rather than explore a war among the different races, focuses on a story of humans fighting each other. It becomes a tragedy marked by egos, misunderstandings and betrayals. 

The film’s inciting incident has to do with a marriage proposal gone wrong. Kamiyama sees this as a turning point that brings about a shift in influence in the world. “The sort of human saga that we are talking about is about the end of the era for the gods, and going into the era of humankind.”

Though set in a fantasy world, the film reflects on the fundamentals of human nature. Kamiyama sees the film as an exploration of humanity’s propensity for war. “It tells the story of how humankind cannot avoid war,” he says. Rather than attempt to root war in something noble and beautiful, it never transcends petty egos. We watch as people suffer and leaders refuse to concede ground in service of power. It’s a movie effectively about the pointless sacrifice of war as well, as Helm Hammerhead sees his bloodline destroyed in service of empty victories. The film doesn’t present battle as noble or good, but a fraught undertaking that cheapens the value of human life.

The film is friendly for young teen audiences that want to go deeper into the Lord of the Rings universe, but it certainly doesn’t condescend to them. It’s a film that features heroism but also examines the complexity and fragility of the human spirit. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a welcome and fascinating addition to the realm of Tolkien adaptations. ■

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim opens in Montreal theatres on Friday, Dec. 13.

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