Top Ranked Films of Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson
3 titles, 43rd in points with 17,076

These are all the films of New Zealand director Peter Jackson’s that made the top 1000 in our 2011 update of the Top Ranked 1000 Films on the Net, all polls.

1. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001) #79
2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) #92 [AA] best picture
3. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) #119

Should also be in the top 1000:
4. Heavenly Creatures (1994) #1746 Should be ranked


Jackson has made the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2003) New Zealand the work of a lifetime (and it only took a decade). After several failed or half-baked projects to film the popular fantasy trilogy, including a completely animated version, Jackson has finally done it justice, thanks to modern computerized special effects. The series, even though a trilogy, is really one long epic novel of a heroic journey, with Return of the King the ultimate in trilogy finales. The film won all 11 Oscars® for which it was nominated, tying the record count set by Titanic.

Written by J.R.R. Tolkien for adults and kids alike, it has to be seen from the perspective of juvenile fantasy literature. It's not meant to be a complex adult story, but one that the younger set can also understand. Some say it's an allegory of World War II (likely because it came out in the early 50's), but then that war wasn't much different from centuries of European wars. The world of the hobbits was small enough that everyone walked to nearby kingdoms to invade them, so one would surmise that the overall size of Tolkien's world was more akin to the European nations. Altogether, the three films won over 250 awards.

His first film, Heavenly Creatures, [photo above], was also the first for actress Kate Winslet, who sings an opera aria in one scene. It’s about two high school girlfriends who invent a fantasy world of their own, and overreactive conservative parents try to cool down the relationship with unexpected results. This was a true story and a mid-50’s ‘trial of the century’ with worldwide coverage. It’s also an overlooked and underrated crime thriller, also a very disturbing one, and should easily be in the top 500.

See the full list of top ranked 100 directors here: Top Ranked 100 Directors, 2011 Edition

Jackson with Irish actress Saiorse Ronan