‘The Rings of Power’: Morfydd Clark makes role originated by Cate Blanchett in ‘Lord of the Rings’ her own
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Double Oscar winner Cate Blanchett had one of her first big film successes as the ethereal Galadriel in Peter Jackson‘s seminal “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy. Stepping into this role in Amazon Prime Video’s “The Rings of Power” must have been daunting for Morfydd Clark but she pulls it off admirably.
Set thousands of years before Jackson’s movies saw Frodo and Sam journey through Middle Earth to take the one ring to Mordor, “The Rings of Power” follows a collection of Middle Earth beings from dwarves and elves to humans and Harfoots as an ancient evil re-emerges in Middle Earth. Clark plays a younger version of Galadriel and makes the character entirely her own.
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Blanchett’s older, wiser, more-experienced Galadriel was poetic, graceful, other-worldly, balanced, and celestial. But Clark’s Galadriel is a more boisterous incarnation — she has grit and brutality, persistence, and dogged determination. She also has a headstrong willfulness and, almost, an air of arrogance. It makes for a commanding character and Clark comes out of the series as the best thing about it, critics all agree.
Ben Sledge (The Gamer) observed that “Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel is the perfect lead” in this Tolkien series. He wrote: “Morfydd Clark is incredibly capable in the role throughout the first two episodes. Comparisons to Cate Blanchett’s portrayal are inevitable, but this is a different Galadriel. This is the Galadriel who led the Ñoldor to revolution alongside Feanor, boisterous and unrelenting in her quest… I imagine that by the end of the series, she will embody wisdom more than passion, and I can’t wait to see Clark transform the character.”
Helen O’Hara (Empire) explained: “Here, Galadriel is young and fiery, with superiors who try to rein her in. Grieving a brother lost in the Elvish wars against the great enemy Morgoth, she has vowed to continue his battle against Morgoth’s disciple Sauron — but that dark power has vanished without trace. Clark is simply sensational in the role, with every bit of the force of will that Blanchett had but a little less self-assurance at this earlier age.”
And Julian Roman (Movie Web) stated: “They nailed the casting of Galadriel. Morfydd Clark is fantastic as a nascent, headstrong version of a revered character. I have been hooked.”
What may give Clark an extra edge at the Emmys is the fact that she is something of a critics darling already thanks to her turn in “Saint Maud,” which earned a cult following and hasn’t been forgotten by those who love it. She earned a BIFA nomination and a BAFTA Rising Star nomination for that performance, while she earned a Critics Choice Television Awards nomination for “The Rings of Power,” so there is some awards credential there for Clark. The door isn’t shut entirely.
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