Ladyhawke (1985) is a perfect blend of fantasy, a medieval setting, comedy, and romance! The film is directed by Richard Donner, this was the same year that Goonies was released, and five years after he directed Superman The Movie (1978). The story is said (according to the DVD’s production notes) to be inspired by a 13th century French tale and medieval stories.
It features a story by Edward Khmara who also has screenplay credit. Khmara also wrote the brilliant sci fi movie Enemy Mine (1985) directed by Wolfgang Petersen that year. The other screenwriters include Michael Thomas who co-wrote the horror movie The Hunger (1983) and Tom Mankiewicz who was the creative consultant on Superman The Movie.
It begins with mists or clouds, its called "cloudscape" in the DVD scenes, as a sun rises, a transition wipe turns it into the moon. Then, we get the letters forming the title in credits scene. Donner has impressive credits scenes with this movie and Superman. This goes into the rocking score produced by Alan Parsons of the Alan Parsons Project group.
Then, there is a beautiful, red-tailed hawk, back lit by intense light. We hear the mutterings of a young man called the Mouse through a rocky wall. Then, bodies are hung to the dispassionate glare of a bishop, he is played by John Wood who was also Professor Falken in WarGames. Muddy fingers reach through the wall. The captain, Marquet (Ken Hutchinson), in white and gold robes, riding horseback order three more prisoners to be executed. Hutchinson played a police sergeant in Gandhi (1982).
The muddy fingers move a block of stone from the wall. The guards are looking for Phillipe Gaston, the Mouse, in the cells. The lieutenant goes to the cell and Gaston’s insane cellmate (Charles Borromel) who says the Mouse escaped “down the drain.” He has the prisoner taken away to be executed and then wants a search of all of the sewers.
Phillipe (Matthew Broderick) pulls himself half-way out of the wall hole. Broderick starred as hacker, David Lightman, in WarGames (1983) and the next year, and he was in the comedy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). Marquet bows before the bishop and bells are rung in the city. Phillipe gets out of the hole, but falls into the sewer. He panics as he sees an alligator-like shape so Phillipe asks for the Lord to save him. His fallen faith is such a large part of his nervous, but wily thief. The comedy is all in his talks to himself and remarks to others.
It turns out to be a piece of wood and then Phillipe hears a choir and starts up a tunnel. The bells have also drawn the black-hooded stranger with a hawk and a black horse. Phillipe has reached a grill plate and Marquet’s boot crunches his fingers. He falls into a deep sewer and manages to swim around a broken grate. The Bishop meets with Marquet who says an escape would be a miracle.
The red and silver armored guards ride along with Marquet in his black and gold outfit. Phillipe reaches up to take a guard’s knife and cuts his purse talking about his promise to the Lord. The guards ride outside of the city and Phillipe emerges. Phillipe, cold from the snowy forest and hearing wolves, talks to reassure himself, funny. At sunset the stranger holds out his arm for his hawk. Morning, Phillipe walks a village and takes some clothes. He runs to a tavern seen by the stranger. Phillipe offers a drink for escaping the dungeons.
Morning, Phillipe walks a village and takes some clothes. He runs to a tavern seen by the stranger. Phillipe offers a drink for escaping the dungeons. The cloaked men he talked to are revealed to be Marquet and his men! Phillipe is clever, slipping away from the guards, until he is cornered by them. Just before Phillipe is about to be killed a crossbow bolt strikes the guard’s arm.
The crossbow is wielded by Navarre (Rutger Hauer). He had previously played, three years before, the replicant finding humanity, Roy Batty, in Blade Runner (1982). He also starred that year in Paul Verhoeven’s misogynist, brutal medieval pic, Flesh+Blood. Etienne Navarre was a captain of the guard, he is handy turning anything into a weapon, and we find that behind it all, is a man who has spent years waiting for an answer. Navarre is met by an old colleague, Francesco (Omero Capenna), but Marquet throws him on Navarre’s sword! Marquet is vicious, but petty, jealous of Navarre.
The former captain takes on the guards. He faces Marquet and throws him onto a fire. Navarre takes back his weapons and rides away on his massive horse. Phillipe is trying to pull away a horse, fails, and decides to run for it. Navarre takes Phillipe on his horse and leaps over a gate! The other guards try to open the gate, but the hawk knocks them away!
Navarre and Phillipe ride up to farm, the farmer with his axe and his wife are suspicious, but Phillipe shakes his purse with the coins. They go to the barn, Navarre has a pouch with his giant sword, pulls out his helmet, and then a purple dress which he looks upon with sadness. Phillipe interrupts him and is ordered by Navarre to take care of his horse, Goliath. The sun starts setting and Navarre says, “One day.” It is night as Phillipe is gathering wood. Phillipe is about to run away when he hears a noise, a wolf. He pretends that there is a group of mercenaries with him heading to the barn, funny!
The farmer appears with his axe when he is taken down by a large wolf, this is a Siberian wolf according to the production notes. Phillipe runs to the barn to find Navarre, he tries to take the crossbow, when he stopped by a woman in black. Isabeau, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, had starred two years earlier in the Brian De Palma crime classic, Scarface (1983) and later was in the comedy George Miller film, The Witches of Eastwick (1987).
She walks out to see the wolf, Phillipe wonders if he is dreaming, Isabeau says, “You are dreaming.” The dialogue has an almost fairy tale quality. He sees the woman with the wolf. In the morning, Phillipe tells Navarre about the wolf and the woman, and Navarre says he has been waiting for such a woman. Marquet rides through the night to Aquila. He meets with the Bishop at his garden with a strange, art display of a woman in white robes.
Marquet tells him that Navarre has returned. The Bishop tells him not to harm the hawk. He has authority, but it becomes clear that not only is he a ruthless ruler, but that he is deeply obsessed. The Bishop calls for Cezar. We later see the wolf hunter played by Alfred Molina, a short cameo, this was four years after Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Phillipe is using Navarre’s sword to cut wood.
The knight tells him that he has had the sword for five generations. There are gems including his father’s from the Crusades. He tells Phillipe that he has to kill the Bishop of Aquila. Navarre needs his help to enter the city after two years of waiting. Phillipe says he has no honor and tries to leave, but Navarre throws his massive sword at a tree next to him! Moonlight, we have Isabeau in a white tunic chasing a rabbit, she is startled by Phillipe tied to a tree. She cuts him free and Phillipe runs away.
Morning, he is captured by the guards, and Navarre rides up into the trap. Phillipe escapes and throws a rock so the crossbowsman looses a bolt that strikes the hawk! This leads to Phillipe trying to help the hawk from an elderly, drunken monk named Imperius (Leo McKern). He knows the story of the Bishop’s curse that makes Isabeau a hawk by day and Navarre, a wolf at night. Imperius had betrayed them to the Bishop, but he may find a way for redemption. A later scene, has the time before sunrise, Phillipe watches as Isabeau wakens and sees the wolf.
The sunrays part through her fingers and change the wolf into Etienne Navarre. It is surreal, but heartbreaking. Navarre turns and sees the face of Isabeu, they try to reach out, but her eyes shift into a hawk. One of the most beautiful scenes in a fantasy film courtesy of cinematographer, Vittario Storaro, whose filmography includes Apocalypse Now (1979) and the The Last Emperor (1987). Imperius has seen a day that can free the lovers from the Bishop's curse. Ladyhawke is a beautifully told story of medieval lovers, friendship, and obsession with a clever thief, and an old monk that may have the key to saving them!
Five Hawk Anklets out of Five!
#Ladyhawke, #RichardDonner, #MatthewBroderick, #RutgerHauer, #MichellePfeiffer, #LeoMcKern,
#JohnWood, #KenHutchinson
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