Released: April 1985
Director: Richard Donner
Run Time: 121 Minutes
Rated PG-13
Distributor: 20th Century Fox/Warner Bros.
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Cast:
Rutger Hauer: Navarre
Michelle Pfeiffer: Isabeau
Matthew Broderick: Gaston
Leo McKern: Imperius
John Wood: Bishop
The 80’s was a very special time in terms of film, especially in film quality. The world saw some of the biggest movies ever released during this decade: Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Willow, The Terminator, Conan The Barbarian, Aliens, Rambo, and a slew of many other movies. A lot of these films ended up being very successful and launched the careers of various film-makers like James Cameron. There were also a number of films that were NOT as successful, especially in the fantasy genre. Legend, which was directed by Ridley Scott after he did Blade Runner, was not particularly well-received at home or abroad. In fact, the film that Europe got was a very different cut than what we got here in the States. I didn’t think it was a bad movie. Far from it, it was fantastic. Krull was another fantasy film that fell by the way-side, although to be fair, Krull had the misfortune of being released at nearly the same time as Return of the Jedi. Guess which movie people went to see? Again, it was not a terrible film and had some really solid execution and fantasy sequences. There is another fantasy film that was released during this decade that I think a lot of people have kind of glossed over, and it’s a shame as it is a really damn good movie: Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke tells the story of two star-crossed lovers cursed by an evil and jealous bishop. Former captain Navarre is human by day, but becomes a black wolf by night. His lover, Isabeau, is human by night, but a hawk by day. Neither one remembers the moments they spent in animal form. The film opens as a young thief, Gaston escapes from a notorious prison. As he outruns the bishop’s guards, he bumps into Navarre, who has returned to exact his revenge on the bishop that cursed him and his lover. When it comes to fantasy narratives, Ladyhawke is one of the most traditional in terms of its structure and characterizations. That’s not really a bad thing, because this is the kind of fantasy film where you just sit back and enjoy the ride. It’s not overly dark in tone. In fact, this is one of the most optimistic fantasy films that I’ve ever seen. It’s a nice break from the doom-and-gloom of such tales as Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings. When I said that the film has a very familiar structure, I mean that the film follows the basic plot of a noble warrior who returns from exile to seek retribution for the wrong that was done to him and the one he loves. Along the way, he meets a lovable roguish character and a broken down old man seeking redemption. Ladyhawke is a classic tale in every sense of the word and I enjoyed every minute of it.
The performances in Ladyhawke are really strong across the board. The highlights of the film are Rutger Hauer as Navarre and Michelle Pfeiffer as Isabeau. Despite the fact that these two don’t really share the screen a whole lot, there is some really strong chemistry between the two characters that feels real. Michelle was(and still is) a stunning woman with striking blue eyes. For the ladies out there, Rutger Hauer was also a very striking actor during the mid-80s, also with blue eyes. You have these two characters that are pining for each other, but can’t be with each other. Hauer and Pfeiffer are able to make that kind of melancholy all the more tragic. Rutger Hauer was always one of the most underrated actors of his generation. His performance as Roy Batty in Blade Runner was nothing short of iconic. It’s a shame he never really got the break that he deserved in the States. Michelle Pfeiffer on the other hand, would go on to have a solid career, with her most notable role being Catwoman in Batman Returns. Leo McKern plays the former priest, Imperius, who was inadvertently responsible for Navarre and Isabeau being cursed. He’s absolutely fantastic as a character that’s been beaten down by life. John Wood plays the evil bishop who was jealous of the two lovers, and I have to say that he does a pretty good job at being an arrogant and overly self-righteous church leader that sold his soul to the devil. The one actor that stands out in this film, and not in a good way, is Matthew Broderick as Gaston. I don’t blame Broderick, as his performance was pretty solid, but he was not really the right person to play the character. That and the film gave him top billing despite that the fact that the film was focused on Rutger Hauer’s and Michelle Pfeiffer’s characters. It’s not as bad a casting decision as say….Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but Broderick sticks out like a sore thumb.
This film is absolutely beautiful, not just in terms of its story and characters, but also in how it’s shot. The film was shot on location in Italy, but the wide shots of the surrounding landscapes and mountain ranges are jaw-dropping. The costume designs are elaborate and colorful. Special effects are pretty minimal here, as the transformations are nothing more than camera-tricks, with occasional contact lenses in an actor’s eyes. There are also some action sequences that are pretty decent, but the best action sequence is the final sword battle at the end of the film between Navarre and the bishop’s captain of the guard. It’s pretty good, with some pretty solid choreography. Everything is filmed so you can actually see what’s going on. Movies aren’t really made this way a whole lot anymore. A lot of film-makers rely on close-ups and shaky-cam techniques to sell the action. The one thing that I can say that really does the film a HUGE disservice is the music. This is the kind of film that demands a serious composer like James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith or John Williams. Instead, they got Andrew Powell and Alan Parsons of the Alan Parsons Project. The rock and roll aspect of the film, feels really out of place in a film like this, while the orchestral stuff sounds really damn good. It’s distracting as both kinds of music seem to be fighting each other instead of complimenting one another. This was an issue that was present in the North American release of Legend that used Tangerine Dream, but at least the music there seemed to actually compliment the visual aesthetic of that particular film. Here, it’s very bizarre outside of the opening and closing credits. That’s a rather large mark against Ladyhawke.
Ladyhawke has become a bit of a cult classic over the years. Despite the fact that the film performed poorly at the box office, it was still fairly well received by audiences around the world. The film even got nominated for some Academy Awards: Best Sound, Best Effects and Sound Effects Editing. While the film is definitely not perfect, especially with the goofy soundtrack and a miscast Matthew Broderick, Ladyhawke still manages to be a very compelling, romantic, and exciting fantasy adventure that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. If you were ever a fan of Rutger Hauer and/or Michelle Pfeiffer, Ladyhawke is well worth your time. Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted and a traditional yet compelling story to boot, Ladyhawke is one of the most underrated fantasy films of all time. It’s timeless in nearly every way.
My Final Recommendation: Don’t shoot hawks, they might be people in animal form. 8.5/10