Legend (1985)Every myth has a moral, every legend a deeper meaning. Ridley Scott's fantasy film, Legend (1985), is the story of two young innocents--the forest-dwelling boy who lives in tune with nature, Jack (Tom Cruise), and the beautiful princess, Lily (Mia Sara), who comes to the enchanted wood to meet with him, their romance in its infancy. When Jack takes Lily to view the immortal unicorns that dwell in the forest, an ambush orchestrated by the devil incarnate, known as "Darkness" (Tim Curry, results in the wounding of one of the unicorns, then the capture of the other, along with Lily. Jack must save them both and restore order to the world before it is too late for all.
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Like other films by visionary filmmaker, Ridley Scott--such as Blade Runner--Legend was released with a theatrical cut, modified substantially from the version later released as a "director's cut". (For the purpose of this essay, the theatrical cut was viewed.) The notable differences between the two versions of Legend have to do with its length and the musical score. The director's cut (and the European version) contains music by Jerry Goldsmith, whereas the theatrical release has a score provided by Tangerine Dream and the song played over the credits, "Is Your Love Strong Enough?" by Bryan Ferry. In truth, the music is the deciding factor for me in determining my preference for the theatrical release. This should not imply that there is anything wrong with Jerry Goldsmith's excellent score--his music is exceptional at evoking a true fantasy realm--but the theatrical score not only conjures forth the nostalgia of the cult hit from the Eighties, but gives definition to the fantasy film beyond its appearance as something unique and bold. The director's cut is roughly twenty minutes longer, and clarifies what might appear to be continuity errors from the theatrical release, but are in fact victims of rather severely edited scenes. The flip side of this is that those scenes--such as when Jack first encounters his eventually ally, the wise but weary elf, Honeythorn Gump (David Bennett), or when they party encounters the troll, Meg Mucklebones (Robert Picardo)--contained some content which could be viewed as distracting or uncharacteristic for some of the participants. Just as Darkness proclaims that there can be "no light without dark", Legend is a film of duality, both in content and in its eventual pair of releases, with either version enjoyable for their own distinct reasons.
Legend looks as though the images and setting were plucked from a dream. Backgrounds are meadows full of flowers and dragonflies, with dandelion seeds floating through the air. There are towers black as onyx, cloaked in shadow, surrounded by fetid mires. The makeup effects of Legend are themselves legendary; of note is Tim Curry's costume as Darkness, a regalia of demonic terror which necessitated roughly five hours of application prior to shooting his scenes. There are others as well, such as the goblin leader, Blix (Alice Playten), as well as the willful pixie, Oona (Annabelle Lanyon), whose appearances are as though they walked right out of a collection of fairy tales. The dialogue for characters also fits their connection to the supernatural. While Jack and Lily speak with little flourish, others like the pixies and goblins sound as though their words emerged from a tale of classic literature. Reminiscent of the comedies by William Shakespeare, Blix and his foul compatriots speak in rhymes, emulating the style of the "low comedy" found in works like "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The speeches of Darkness--his soliloquies, deep intonations, and lofty diction would be at home in the works of, say, John Milton's "Paradise Lost". It is significant that Darkness' lair is situated in a massive, foreboding, and twisted tree. It is itself a part of nature, albeit the black reflection of that which is purported to be "natural" within us all. The interior is a vile den of corruption, where monsters and demons call home, and skeletons of dozens of fallen warriors rot away or rise as ghouls. When Sara desperately tries to escape the unholy labyrinth, she roams through halls laden with bizarre decor. (Prior to making Legend, both Ridley Scott and writer William Hjortsberg had developed the story and design from a mutual interest in the classic, dreamlike fairy tale adaptation of Beauty and the Beast by Jean Cocteau. Legend is also reminiscent of the tale of Peter Pan; both tales deal with an eternal lad who tries to introduce a world of magic to a young girl from a civilization where magic is unknown. But his attempts to expose her to the pure elements of magic also necessitates an inevitable exposure to the perils of maturity. In this, Darkness represents a parallel to Captain Hook, a pirate, one whose values have been warped and corrupted by time and age.
The opening titles of Legend describe the fable to follow, setting the stage for a fantasy tale not just of swords and sorcery, but a tale of morality. When Jack first takes Lily to see the unicorns that guard the innocent from the corruption of evil, he prepares to blindfold her--as they are sacred creatures--which prompts her to question him as to whether he trusts her. Trust is a crucial theme in Legend; Lily does not approach the unicorn out of anything but naive curiosity, but she does betray his trust, if in the most innocent of ways. The consequences of her actions begin the disintegration of the simple, halcyon warmth which covers the world, sending it into a cold, sobering winter, a reflection of the fading of innocence and Lily's revelation at the repercussions of her choice. Jack and Lily are separated for virtually all of the remainder of Legend following this, and when the moment of truth comes at the climax, he is forced to trust Lily because he loves her. It is possible that his trust will not be rewarded, and the doubt is emphasized for the audience by Lily's descent into the depths of the dungeon; but that is the ultimate test of love. There are numerous closeups of the eyes of the characters in Legend; it is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Staring into Jack and Lily's eyes, we expect to see innocence and goodness; unsurprisingly, our estimates of Darkness when we are given a close look at his cat-like eyes reflect quite the opposite, and make clear that Darkness is the enemy of all that is good and right by his very being, reflected in his eyes. Although Jack is the "champion" in Legend, the story is as much Lily's as it is his; more even, as we are acquainted with her even before we meet Jack. Lily's story could be viewed as a metaphor for her awakened sexuality. Lily approaches the stallion out of an innate desire she does not fully understand, and her touch imparts to her a startling revelation about the unspoken dangers in the world. She runs from her feelings, but is ultimately imprisoned by Darkness--by the guilt of her unwitting sin--and she tasks herself to take on the responsibility to remedy what she has wrought. As she descends in the lair of Darkness, she struggles to understand these feelings, literally running through flames, her virginal gown becoming shredded and sullied. When she confronts the shadowy version of herself--summoned up following another desire which blooms in her--she yields to the temptation, and it transforms her before she understands what has happened. (It is no small coincidence that when Darkness comes to claim her as his bride, he does so by emerging from a mirror.) While Jack confronts his demons at the point of a sword, his struggle being one of trust, Lily's worldliness is a battle with herself, and the aspects of herself she must accept to control. Maturity is inevitable, but having the resolve to understand the duality of the self is essential in surviving the battle.
Recommended for: Fans of a gorgeous and immersive fantasy film, with stunning special effects and an engaging story. Regardless of which version you choose, the experience is like a classic fairy tale come to life, or a vivid dream.
Legend looks as though the images and setting were plucked from a dream. Backgrounds are meadows full of flowers and dragonflies, with dandelion seeds floating through the air. There are towers black as onyx, cloaked in shadow, surrounded by fetid mires. The makeup effects of Legend are themselves legendary; of note is Tim Curry's costume as Darkness, a regalia of demonic terror which necessitated roughly five hours of application prior to shooting his scenes. There are others as well, such as the goblin leader, Blix (Alice Playten), as well as the willful pixie, Oona (Annabelle Lanyon), whose appearances are as though they walked right out of a collection of fairy tales. The dialogue for characters also fits their connection to the supernatural. While Jack and Lily speak with little flourish, others like the pixies and goblins sound as though their words emerged from a tale of classic literature. Reminiscent of the comedies by William Shakespeare, Blix and his foul compatriots speak in rhymes, emulating the style of the "low comedy" found in works like "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The speeches of Darkness--his soliloquies, deep intonations, and lofty diction would be at home in the works of, say, John Milton's "Paradise Lost". It is significant that Darkness' lair is situated in a massive, foreboding, and twisted tree. It is itself a part of nature, albeit the black reflection of that which is purported to be "natural" within us all. The interior is a vile den of corruption, where monsters and demons call home, and skeletons of dozens of fallen warriors rot away or rise as ghouls. When Sara desperately tries to escape the unholy labyrinth, she roams through halls laden with bizarre decor. (Prior to making Legend, both Ridley Scott and writer William Hjortsberg had developed the story and design from a mutual interest in the classic, dreamlike fairy tale adaptation of Beauty and the Beast by Jean Cocteau. Legend is also reminiscent of the tale of Peter Pan; both tales deal with an eternal lad who tries to introduce a world of magic to a young girl from a civilization where magic is unknown. But his attempts to expose her to the pure elements of magic also necessitates an inevitable exposure to the perils of maturity. In this, Darkness represents a parallel to Captain Hook, a pirate, one whose values have been warped and corrupted by time and age.
The opening titles of Legend describe the fable to follow, setting the stage for a fantasy tale not just of swords and sorcery, but a tale of morality. When Jack first takes Lily to see the unicorns that guard the innocent from the corruption of evil, he prepares to blindfold her--as they are sacred creatures--which prompts her to question him as to whether he trusts her. Trust is a crucial theme in Legend; Lily does not approach the unicorn out of anything but naive curiosity, but she does betray his trust, if in the most innocent of ways. The consequences of her actions begin the disintegration of the simple, halcyon warmth which covers the world, sending it into a cold, sobering winter, a reflection of the fading of innocence and Lily's revelation at the repercussions of her choice. Jack and Lily are separated for virtually all of the remainder of Legend following this, and when the moment of truth comes at the climax, he is forced to trust Lily because he loves her. It is possible that his trust will not be rewarded, and the doubt is emphasized for the audience by Lily's descent into the depths of the dungeon; but that is the ultimate test of love. There are numerous closeups of the eyes of the characters in Legend; it is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Staring into Jack and Lily's eyes, we expect to see innocence and goodness; unsurprisingly, our estimates of Darkness when we are given a close look at his cat-like eyes reflect quite the opposite, and make clear that Darkness is the enemy of all that is good and right by his very being, reflected in his eyes. Although Jack is the "champion" in Legend, the story is as much Lily's as it is his; more even, as we are acquainted with her even before we meet Jack. Lily's story could be viewed as a metaphor for her awakened sexuality. Lily approaches the stallion out of an innate desire she does not fully understand, and her touch imparts to her a startling revelation about the unspoken dangers in the world. She runs from her feelings, but is ultimately imprisoned by Darkness--by the guilt of her unwitting sin--and she tasks herself to take on the responsibility to remedy what she has wrought. As she descends in the lair of Darkness, she struggles to understand these feelings, literally running through flames, her virginal gown becoming shredded and sullied. When she confronts the shadowy version of herself--summoned up following another desire which blooms in her--she yields to the temptation, and it transforms her before she understands what has happened. (It is no small coincidence that when Darkness comes to claim her as his bride, he does so by emerging from a mirror.) While Jack confronts his demons at the point of a sword, his struggle being one of trust, Lily's worldliness is a battle with herself, and the aspects of herself she must accept to control. Maturity is inevitable, but having the resolve to understand the duality of the self is essential in surviving the battle.
Recommended for: Fans of a gorgeous and immersive fantasy film, with stunning special effects and an engaging story. Regardless of which version you choose, the experience is like a classic fairy tale come to life, or a vivid dream.