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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Movie

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

2024 • Unknown

Woke Score
3
out of 10

Plot

A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and traitorous lord of Rohan seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg.

Overall Series Review

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a tale of human conflict and dynastic tragedy, set within the established moral and visual framework of Middle-earth. The story follows Princess Héra, the daughter of the hot-tempered King Helm Hammerhand, as she steps up to lead the defense of her kingdom against a brutal, human-driven siege led by the vengeful Dunlending lord, Wulf. While the film anchors itself in the core Tolkienian themes of ancestral sacrifice and the defense of home, the narrative is framed by a clear modern revisionism that elevates the female protagonist by noting her omission from the history books. Héra's journey is one of personal competence and independence, depicting a woman who defies traditional expectations to find her fulfillment in a life of action and freedom. The film offers a mix, maintaining the traditional masculinity of its heroes while simultaneously advancing a third-wave feminist theme.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics4/10

The story is narrated by Éowyn, framing the main character, Héra, as a hero who was erased from the historical record, implicitly due to a male-dominated chronicling of events. The main plot does not explicitly lecture on privilege or systemic oppression; the conflict is a human-on-human war for territory and vengeance. The diverse voice casting for characters in a historically ethnically homogenous kingdom introduces modern political visual elements.

Oikophobia3/10

The central action is the defense of Rohan and the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg, which celebrates institutions and ancestral sacrifice. The King, Helm Hammerhand, is flawed and hot-tempered, and his hubris leads to conflict, but this is a critique of a specific individual's failure, not a demonization of the entire civilization or heritage as fundamentally corrupt. The enemy is a human lord, not a spiritually superior 'Noble Savage.'

Feminism6/10

The main hero is Héra, a princess who is 'tomboy-ish' and defies societal expectations with her independence. Her character arc focuses on her individual competence and agency as she leads the resistance. The narrative suggests her ultimate fulfillment lies in remaining a 'free spirit' rather than a traditional domestic or dynastic role, promoting an anti-natalist/anti-family interpretation of female success. Many male characters remain strong and heroic, though the ruling men are initially presented as having 'toxic masculinity' for overlooking female warriors.

LGBTQ+1/10

There is no evidence of alternative sexualities or gender ideology being centered in the narrative or dialogue. The story maintains a traditional male-female pairing and dynastic structure as the standard, with all conflict stemming from issues of power, vengeance, and succession. Sexuality remains a private matter outside the narrative focus.

Anti-Theism2/10

The film operates within the implicit transcendent moral framework of J.R.R. Tolkien's world, which acknowledges objective good and evil, loyalty, and courage as virtues. The conflict is a human civil war driven by a desire for vengeance, not a theological or spiritual war. There is no depiction of traditional religion as a source of evil or of religious characters being vilified.