Gentlemen, we are making a masterpiece

John Rhys-Davies

Rhys-Davies is best known for his role as Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, alongside Harrison Ford.

He revealed he was initially uncertain about the prospects of success for the big screen version of the JRR Tolkien classic but changed his mind.

"I am proud to say that within two weeks of being the great sceptic I think I was the first to say 'Gentlemen, we are making a masterpiece'," said Rhys-Davies.

The first part of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, has been described by reviewers as being visually stunning, having real passion and even better than rival fantasy blockbuster Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

The actors spent hours in make-up

But creating the realistic costumes of Middle Earth caused problems for some of the actors.

Rhys-Davies says he spent five hours a day in the make-up chair but ended up in agony when the prosthetics burnt the skin under his eyes.

"After about six months my face started rebelling and I developed this topical eczema.

"The eyes really became swollen."

All three films were shot over a 15 month period on location in New Zealand to save the time and expense of rebuilding the lavish sets.

The total budget was �300m, making the project the biggest in history for any film studio.

Sean Astin and Elijah Wood play hobbits Sam and Frodo

The story follows the fortunes of Frodo, a diminutive hobbit who embarks on a quest through Middle Earth under the guidance of Gandalf and a fellowship of travellers.

Frodo's task is to destroy the all-powerful ring that the dark lord Sauron covets.

The film is said to be too violent for young children.

In the UK, the British Board of Film Classification has taken the unusual step of ruling that the PG film must carry a special warning to the effect that children under eight may find it disturbing.

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring is released on 19 December.