Legend (1985) ****1/2
I’m not sure how else to say this, but Ridley Scott’s vision of fantasy is exactly my taste. In his 1985 film Legend, he played with character archetypes and genre tropes in a way that is wholly satisfying. I don’t need elaborate back stories for this film, nor would I want them. The 1980s were chock-full of fantasy films (many of which I love) of varying degrees of quality and aimed at both kids and adults alike, but Legend remains perhaps the most underrated and underappreciated one (save for those of us of a very specific age that were introduced to it at just the right moment).
Legend is a film that I find impossible to be objective about—and anyway, the older I get, the more I think being objective about art is a lot of BS. This movie, along with The Dark Crystal (1982) (my review here) and The NeverEnding Story (1984), were staples of my childhood and inform who I am to this day. I'll take the darkness and danger of Legend and The Dark Crystal over a film like Labyrinth (1986) (my review here) any day. Because that's really the only way fantasy manages to work for me—if the dark aspects aren't sold with the same commitment level as the magical, ethereal ones, then audiences are only getting half the picture. That's not to say that there isn't a place for safer, more sanitized children's fantasy fare but I always preferred to be a little scared at times. On a related note, Disney passed on producing Legend because they were intimidated by the film's tone, which is ironic as they now hold the rights to the International (European) Cut—a third version of the film that I have yet to see.
It's obvious to state, but Alex Thompson's cinematography for Legend is sumptuous stuff—the massive sets, staggering production design, and phenomenal costumes are all gorgeously captured. The lovely Mia Sara (in her feature debut) was absolutely perfect casting—she was one of my biggest childhood crushes, particularly in her gothed-out scenes. Sara went on to be many more young peoples' crush in Ferris Bueller's Day Off the following year. Special effects wizard Rob Bottin's undeniably impressive and iconic (Lord of) Darkness makeup was brilliantly brought to life by the heavily-prostheticized Tim Curry via his delicious, demonic delivery. Meg Mucklebones, another Bottin creation (played by Robert Picardo), is also a wonderful—albeit brief—highlight of the film.
Tangerine Dream's evocative synthesized score is another memorable and important part of Legend. Their soundtrack replaced Jerry Goldsmith's, which the studio rejected. Goldsmith's orchestral score—which is excellent in its own right—gives the Director's Cut (which I plan to revisit tomorrow night) a totally different flavor. The Bryan Ferry (of Roxy Music fame) song "Is Your Love Strong Enough?" (featuring David Gilmour of Pink Floyd) that plays over the film's closing credits is great, but the vocal version of Tangerine Dream's "Unicorn Theme" called "Loved By The Sun" which features Jon Anderson (of Yes) has always stuck with me more, due to its specific placement in the finale, and because of Anderson's incredible singing range and his appropriateness for the material.
All this said, I know the film has flaws. Some of the editing is choppy, some of scenes are a bit lacking in cohesion, the dialogue is pretty simplistic (though I've often quoted it)—and I have no idea why Tom Cruise is perpetually crouching throughout the runtime. But none of that matters to a child who is captivated by the imagery of the world created in Legend (and in the case of this particular film, doesn't matter to me now either). It's one of those films that—regardless of what star rating I’ve awarded it and where I place it (or omit it) on a list—is one of my absolute favorites. Scott's fairy tale still captures my heart and imagination, and continues to entertain and delight me in equal measure, more than 35 years since its release.
♥
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