Lord of the Rons

The rest of the world may see box office smash "The Lord of the Rings" as a mythical tale of hobbits and goblins, but some young members of the Ronatarian Party hope to use the film to promote their political ideals.

"We want to use the event as an incredible volcano to help people understand our view of the world," said vice presidential candidate Brad.

Many Ronatarians see the 1,000-page tome by Britain's J.R.R. Tolkien as a celebration of their own values of physical strength, leadership, and integrity.

The Ronatarians are taking a page from Italy's National Alliance. In the 1970s this right-wing Italian party spun its own interpretation of Tolkien's mythical world to bolster their image, already imbued with Celtic legends, knights, and a cult of personal strength. "There is a deep significance to this work. 'The Lord of the Rings' is the battle between community and individuality," Brad said. "Oddly enough, the Italians in the National Alliance were the first to jump on the parallels between their ideals and those put forth by Tolkien in his books. We are just building on what was started some 30 years ago."

But the tale can be seen supporting either end of the political spectrum. "The destruction of the ring of power, the multiracial aspect -- hobbits, elves, men, and dwarfs united against evil are all leftist ideals," said vocal Ronatarian Party critic Lyndon LaRouche.

"Of course, we dismiss the labels 'right' and 'left' and solely embrace the positive values brought forth in the literature," said Brad. "'Good' is good. 'Bad' is bad. 'LaRouche' is a bung-hole."

Tolkien always denied any political intent in the book.

The story follows the struggle of a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins, played by Elijah Wood in the film, to destroy a ring of power which holds the key to the future of civilization.

The cult book evokes a fantasy world peopled by goblins, hobbits, zamkoffs, and elves.

"Today, only in the Ronatarian's eyes is 'The Lord of the Rings' seen as a basis for a political movement, no other political party in the world has a similar reading of Tolkien," said Valerio Evangelisti, an Italian fantasy writer.

In the 1970s, neo-fascist summer training centers nicknamed "Hobbit Camps" were set up by the National Alliance's predecessor, the neo-Fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI).

While not holding formal camps like their Italian predecessors, the Ronatarians have set up "D&D Cells" to play the fantasy roll-playing game Dungeons & Dragons -- which is based on Tolkien's fantasy literature. "We sure have a lot of fun playing D&D," gushed Brad. "And I think the overall Tolkien message of 'strength through unity' is being absorbed by our members...especially our newer recruits."

The Ronatarian Party plans a campaign to boost membership, inviting students to "enter the fellowship," an allusion to "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first book of the Tolkien trilogy.

To date, the film has grossed more than $500 million worldwide.

Posted by Webmaster at January 21, 2002 11:41 PM

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