Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by: William Hjortsberg
Produced by: Arnon Milchan
Soundtrack: Tangerine Dream
Sophomore at UofSC Columbia Campus, English Major, looking forward to meeting awesome people, getting involved in Columbia’s arts community as much as possible, and learning from the amazing staff at Jasper.
Synopsis: Jack (Tom Cruise) and Lili (Mia Sara) are lovers in an epic fantasy world in which light and love are threatened by the presence of a dark lord (Tim Curry) who’s mission is to rid of the world of innocence and send it into an eternal night. The film begins with Lili, a princess who despite being born into a life of lavishness, spends most of her time with the forest-child Jack, deep in the woods that he calls his home. One day, Jack decides, against his better judgement, to show Lili the unicorns. In the meantime, Darkness has sent his minions to kill the Unicorns and steal their horns, as the Unicorns existence on Earth threatens his power. When Jack and Lili witness the Unicorns appearance, Lili is immediately awestricken and wishes to touch them. Jack begs her to leave them be, but Lili goes against his wishes and approaches the Unicorns. Darkness’ minions use this as a distraction and fire poison, striking one of the Unicorns and triggering an early winter. Jack then teams up with a group of forest-swelling elves and a fairy and sets off on an epic adventure to save the world from Darkness’ influence.
Legend is a fantasy film about love, lost innocence, and the coexistence of good and evil, written by William Hjortsberg and directed by Ridley Scott. The film’s dark fairytale aesthetic has been compared to The Lord of the Rings. Keeping in mind the types of characters encountered (elves, goblins, and fairies), sets, and costume choices, I can see how fans of Tolkien’s trilogy would have an appreciation for Scott’s directorial approach (I would know because I am the target audience).
Right off the bat, I find the use of costume and makeup to be one of the film’s most impressive elements. The special effects makeup, courtesy of Rob Bottin, used to create the character Darkness stands out to me. The bright red skin, giant horns, terrifying fangs, and the edition of prosthetics to change facial and ear shape, make Darkness the scariest thing to come out of Hell.
Another thing that stood out to me was the use of costume to highlight Lili’s journey throughout the film. She’s introduced in an elegant, almost medieval, white gown with tiny flowers on the bodice and golden accents throughout. The light and modest gown, perfect hair, and use of subtle glitter on her cheeks are true to Lili’s character, representing the innocence she possesses. As the film goes on and Lili finds herself running from goblins and becoming entrapped in Darkness’ lair, her dress becomes torn up to a point of unrecognition. Obviously, this would happen to anyone running for their life in the forest and being abducted by a gang of goblins. However, I’d like to point out the way that it’s reflective of her emotional journey. That innocence she possesses at the beginning of the film was slowly vanishing after she touched the unicorn and sent the world into an Armageddon like state. Another example is the dark fantasy dress that Darkness uses to woo her into marrying him. This is the final stage of her innocence being stripped away as the gown she dons during the last half of the film is a stark contrast to her normal attire; midnight black with a plunging neckline that ends past her belly button.
The cinematography is brilliant! Every shot is cohesive to the narrative and drew me in, allowing me to feel the presence of magic in my home. I should bring up that the special effects aren’t comparable to new-age film and the evolution of CGI.
The film’s narrative, while right up my alley, was often confusing at times. For example, in the beginning of the film Lili seems to get a glimpse of the future, however, it is never touched on. There are no other scenes that seem to foreshadow the state of the world post unicorn touching, and no implication that Lili may have a second sight. There is also a scene in which Jack encounters a goblin like creature dwelling in the waters on the way to Darkness’ lair. It was the only creature encountered on the way and was on screen for about one minute. I’d also add that some dialogue between characters seemed rushed and bland.
If you’re into experimental 80’s synth, the score is for you! The use of shakuhachi, an ancient Japanese flute, was a popular instrument to sample in the 1980s and is used a lot throughout the score. The closing song “Loved by the Sun” was perfect to wrap up the events of the film and struck me with lyrics like “Legends can be now and forever, teaching us to love for goodness’ sake.” I have no complaints about the use of sound in the film, and only wish to praise Tangerine Dream for creating music that ties together the film’s aesthetic to a T.
Overall, the writing and attention to narrative are the only critiques I have. Otherwise, I believe Legend to be one of the most beautiful films to come out of 1985 and I encourage everyone to give it a watch!