Mr. Lawrence might think that this reading is ridiculous, but I think it's fun.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (henceforth LOTR:FOTR) portrays men and masculinity in a positive light, while femininity takes on the role of evil. This is established through phallic imagery, the castration complex, constructions of characters and relationships within the film.

Phallic and Feminine Imagery

There are two aspects of phallic imagery that make LOTR:FOTR a masculine text: the use of imagery, and the subversion of it. The use of phallic imagery is often very straight-forward: Boromir and Aragorn carry swords, and therefore they are masculine. When the Fellowship is rowing down the big river near the end (which is called Andulin, although this is not mentioned in the film - I just feel obliged to bring it up) they are going towards a mountain and away from a valley - that is, towards the image of the phallus and away from the vagina.

A basic phallic image used in LOTR:FOTR is the staff, carried by Gandalf. The masculinity of Gandalf's staff is emphasised through its form, which is rough and has several protrusions at the end - which could be interpreted as Gandalf carrying several phalluses, making him a particularly masculine character. Saruman's staff, however, is smooth, and the top of it is curved rather than mangled. This form, particularly the curves, is feminine, and thus the conventionally masculine image of the staff is subverted to form the feminine image. This also reflects the change in Saruman's character: when Gandalf speaks of his as "the head of my order" we are given the impression that he is a strong, masculine character, although he later adopts feminine appearances and practices. While it is not subversion as such, Saruman's role in changing the path of the Fellowship is similar to this: they planned to pass over a mountain, which is a phallic symbol, but are forced by Saruman to travel through a cave, which represents the vagina.

Another phallic image is the tower - typically a tall, sleek symbol of strength, which is inherently masculine. However, at the top of the Tower of Mordor (I don't know if that's the right name, but for the purpose of the film, it's ok since the tower is never specifically named, although it can be identified as being in Mordor) is the 'eye of Sauron', which I will later demonstrate is a vagina. This has two effects: firstly, it suggests reproduction through the presence of masculine and feminine, and Sauron is essentially the creator of the orcs. Secondly, it shows that the feminine has come to dominate the masculine - and the result is evil. This is mirrored, although to a lesser extent, by Saruman living in Isengard, since Isengard has a big tower in it, and he is a woman.

The Ring is the most important form of feminine imagery in the film (the eye isn't imagery - it's too obvious to call it imagery), as it is circular. The circle is commonly associated with the feminine because of its potential to be penetrated. Like the eye, the Ring brings things into it - in this case, calling men to wear it. The Ring's ability to change its size is significant for a similar reason, as it enables multiple men to penetrate, and both of these show that the Ring is sexually aggressive, which is something to be feared because of its femininity. Wearing - or penetrating - the Ring places the bearer in a kind of nether-realm, which is somewhat reminiscent of the belief held by some religious sects and cults that the orgasm brings one into the world of the gods. Also, it shows that the feminine prescence manipulates the reality of the masculine, and the gradual corruption of Ringbearers is a reason for the viewer to fear the feminine.

The Castration Complex

The basic premise of the castration complex is the assumption (by young boys) that all people have a phallus. They are thus horrified by seeing the vagina, and assume that it is there because the phallus has been cut off and the vagina is the wound that is left. This is one of the reasons that boys resent their fathers - not only because of competition for the attention of the mother, but also fear of castration. But I digress...

The burning 'eye' of Sauron is not so much an eye as a vagina - it looks like one, so just accept it. The viewer fears this image as a result, since the presence of the wound left after castration is a reminder of the possibility that the viewer themselves could be castrated. A close - perhaps too close - examination of the 'eye' reveals that the fire around it is drawn into it: in other terms, the fire penetrates the eye, and thus the eye is feminine. This also presents Sauron as sexually aggressive, which is something to be feared, since aggression is a masculine concept, and an aggressive woman is essentially a threat to masculinity and its dominant role. We therefore have two reasons to fear the eye: it's an image that causes disgust, and its aggression threatens masculinity.

Constructions of Characters

Before you read this point, know this:
Gender is not biological. It is a constructed concept, based on actions - in queer theory, called performativities - which we recognise as establishing power relationships, most notably sexual relationships and identities. You don't wear a dress because you're a woman, you're a woman because you're wearing a dress.
If a man adopts enough feminine practices, he can be a woman, and if a woman is masculine enough, she is a lesbian.



Saruman - note that half of his name is "man", is essentially a woman. His strong voice is suggestive of the often nagging dominance that a woman typically excercises within a marriage, his spies remind us that women seem to know everything, and his hair and fingernails are too long to be masculine, and therefore they are feminine. The feminisation fo Saruman makes him evil - his transformation is seen as a perversion by the male audience, and perversion is something to be feared because it can result in the penetration of men. The leader of the Uruk-hai is also feminine, as he too has long hair, as well as an excessively developed chest, and the paint that he wears on his face resembles makeup. This is one of the things that makes this sexual reading of the film anti-feminists: that the evil men are actually representative of women.

Relationships

The most notable relationship in terms of a sexual or anti-feminist reading of LOTR:FOTR is that between Boromir and the hobbits. Boromir is seen teaching the hobbits how to fight using swords, which are a phallic symbol. This is much like the Ancient Greek fashioned teacher-student relationship often held between older and younger men, particularly that of the Spartan military, in which sexual acts between the two were an example for the older penetrator to demonstrate his power, while the younger penetratee was taught how to use the phallus. Likening the hobbits to children and giving them short-swords, being smaller versions of the phallic symbol that is Boromir's sword, along with the teaching makes Boromir a respectable masculine figure. However, the influence of the Ring feminises Boromir, and thus he becomes a threat to Frodo and others.