Thoughts on Ladyhawke

via IMDB

"'You must save this hawk,' he said, "for she is my life, my last and best reason for living.' And then he said, 'One day we will know such happiness as two people dream of, but never do.'"

"He said that?"

"I swear it on my life."

Philippe Gaston (Matthew Broderick), the "Mouse," is stretching the truth for the benefit of Isabeau of Anjou (Michelle Pfeiffer). He does something similar for Etienne of Navarre (Rutger Hauer). Despite being a wisecracking, on the run medieval thief, Mouse has a pretty good idea of the depth of the lovers' feelings for each other. How many men in Navarre's situation, forced to exist as a wolf from dusk to dawn, would leave the side of a woman he can only fleetingly share a species with? Isabeau, forced to exist as a hawk from dawn to dusk, also deserves praise for being so steadfast.

Ladyhawke, directed by Richard Donner, gets a lot right. It's gorgeously photographed by Vittorio Storaro. The leads are first rate. My hat is off to Hauer and Pfeiffer, for ably generating chemistry with a human co-star each barely shares screen time with, six total animal actors and Broderick. I also liked the supporting cast, including Leo McKern as Imperius the guilt-ridden monk, Ken Hutchison as Captain Marquet and John Wood as the Bishop of Aquila, who took satanically-powered revenge when Isabeau didn't return his affection. McKern in particular seems to be having fun with his role. 

"I fully expect to meet you at the Pearly Gates, little thief, and don't you dare disappoint me."

"I'll meet you there, Father ... even if I have to pick the lock."

Written by Edward Khmara, Michael Thomas, Tom Mankiewicz and an uncredited David Peoples, Ladyhawke often violates the show, don't tell rule of movies. After mulling it over, I've decided it wasn't a mistake for the Bishop's curse to be mostly explained. I considered whether a flashback was necessary, but in the end, Isabeau and Navarre's devotion and torment are so heartrendingly depicted during a excellent moment. Still, a little bit of the dialogue goes a long way and try as I might, I just can't approve of the Andrew Powell-composed, Alan Parsons-produced score.

Khmara, according to IMDB, attempted to get Warner Bros. to stop claiming Ladyhawke was based on a true medieval legend. It's one of the movie's most distinct qualities, how familiar it feels. I'm curious how the plot would come across in a tie-in novelization or storybook. Still, a movie Ladyhawke is, and a movie is how it will be judged.

"We have come full circle, Lord. I would like to think there is some higher meaning in this. It would certainly reflect well on You."

Recommended with reservations.

Thoughts:

-- "Great storms announce themselves with a single breeze, and a single random spark can ignite the flames of rebellion."

-- Box Office: Grossing $18.4 million on a $20 million budget, this opened at No. 4 and came in at No. 48 for 1985.

-- For the most part, the movie doesn't look too dated. It comes closest when Isabeau is supposed to look like she's about to fall to her death from Imperius'. Lucky for her, it's dawn.

via IMDB

-- Critic's Corner, the film: "At its best, it has a kind of old-fashioned charm," Paul Attanasio wrote. At the same time, it "never quite gets the tone right, and the pace is positively stuporous." Pauline Kael: "It's a limp and dreary movie." Siskel also was wowed by the shared transformation sequence. "Then, it achieves the dream of so many movies. It has taken us far away from our everyday lives. We are children once again, believing in a story about a man and a wolf and a lady and a hawk."

-- Critic's Corner, the romantic leads: "Hauer just looks like he's running on too little sleep," according to Attanasio. "Miss Pfeiffer, who may well be the most beautiful woman in movies today, is demonstrably someone worth risking eternal damnation for," Vincent Canby wrote. Attanasio: "Looking beautiful, though, is the limit of her role."

-- Critic's Corner, Broderick: "Most fairy tales don't have a role for a stand-up comedian," Siskel wrote. Including the Mouse, he felt, was the movie's biggest mistake. Attansio didn't mind Broderick, writing that he played the role "with a fun, theatrically hammy style." Kael also liked Matthew, calling him a "happy, ingenious young actor ... (with) more of a fairy-tale quality than anyone else."
-- Castmember Connections: John Wood's previous movie was WarGames, opposite Broderick. He'll show up in next week's selection, too.

-- Hey, It's ...!: Alfred Molina as Cezar, who ends up killed by one of his wolf traps.

-- Awards Watch: Oscar-nominated for its sound and sound effects editing, this lost to Out of Africa and Back to the Future, respectively. This won Saturn Awards for Best Fantasy Film and its costumes, while Pfeiffer lost to Coral Browne in Dreamchild and the score lost to Bruce Broughton's score for Young Sherlock Holmes.

-- This is the first of two 1985 movies produced by Lauren Shuler, who married Donner that year. The second is St. Elmo's Fire. After that, Shuler produced Pretty in Pink, which has a scene where the Ladyhawke soundtrack is prominently featured.

-- "She loves you more than life itself. She's had to."

-- Next: The Purple Rose of Cairo. On deck: Just One of the Guys.