Director Ridley Scott’s “Legend” (1985) is among the many most intriguingly out-of-character works of his exceptional profession.
What do I imply by that?
If “Alien” (1979), “Blade Runner” (1982) and “Gladiator” (2000) are the signature works that everybody is aware of, then that is, like “1492 – Conquest of Paradise” (1992), “Matchstick Males” (2002) and “Home of Gucci” (2021) trigger cinephiles to arch their eyebrows once they understand Scott’s physique of labor has wild decisions and sudden treasures.
“Legend” takes place in a As soon as Upon a Time universe the place we meet Lili (Mia Sara), an embodiment of all that’s good. Lili’s love for Jack (Tom Cruise), , healthful forest dweller, is matched by her protecting manner with unicorns.
This steadiness is damaged when Darkness (Tim Curry) assigns his goblins to steal the unicorn’s horns and taint Lili’s innocence. Jack should be a part of a gaggle of goofy forest elves to infiltrate the citadel the place Darkness is holding Lili and the unicorns as his prisoners.
“Legend” is unrushed, even affected person in its storytelling. That’s if you happen to’re watching the Director’s Reduce and never the truncated, respectable however compromised theatrical model. The director’s reduce was launched in Europe in 1985, whereas the U.S. model appeared in early 1986.
The story of how Scott was ordered to make modifications to his movie by its studio head previous to launch turned its personal legend. Scott submitted to the type of intrusive modifications that Terry Gilliam fought towards along with his personal Common launch the identical 12 months, “Brazil.”
Whereas Gilliam fought towards the studio, ignored pages of recommended cuts and threats of a shelved launch, in a public battle he in the end gained, Scott gave in. He took the studio’s notes and allowed the U.S. launch to face in distinction to the longer, much better European reduce.
Each variations have their excessive factors and downsides, although one of many largest contrasts is how every model has a totally totally different rating, however extra on that later.
“Legend” appears nearly as good as one would think about from the filmmaker who had simply come off the one-two punch of “Alien” and “Blade Runner.” Each shot seems to be painstakingly created, like a Thomas Kinkade rendering of a Tolkien illustration.
One can think about that, earlier than Scott calls “Motion,” somebody whispers, “Okay, cue the rabbits…cue the birds…and the horses…and the smoke machine…and the butterflies, and the owl!”
Majestic one minute, unsettling the subsequent, “Legend” is rather like the fairy tales that delighted and mortified me throughout my childhood. It’s an odd movie, particularly when you think about it got here from Scott.
A few of it performs like a Disney film, whereas different moments are so terrifying, you surprise if Scott ever cared who the movie’s viewers could be.
Sara, who resembles Vivien Leigh and starred on this a 12 months earlier than “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” is great as Princess Lili, who first seems singing a stunning melody.
Jack is earnest high to backside, which Cruise, post-“Dangerous Enterprise” however a 12 months earlier than “Prime Gun,” utterly offers himself to. In Cruise’s intro, he resembles Peter Pan, as a hen lands on his shoulder. Within the subsequent shot, he’s holding a fox.
By the best way, this was my first Tom Cruise film.
Cruise is fallacious for this, however it’s an enchanting miscast. He’s all in and in whole service of his director. This isn’t a star car, and it may be argued that that is among the many uncommon movies the place he’s a part of an ensemble and never the central focus (as in “The Outsiders,” “Magnolia” and “Tropic Thunder”).
As fallacious because the actor clearly is for his position, it is a best-case state of affairs, the place the miscast reveals the actor giving all of it he’s bought, even when the fabric doesn’t go well with him. Cruise’s tearfully apologizing to a unicorn continues to be much less foolish than any scene from “The Mummy” (2017).
“Legend” has an identical story angle to “The Darkish Crystal” (1983), by which two youngsters tackle an intimidating evil, although that is, in fact, a high quality shared in lots of fairy tales. The scenes of Sara working in gradual movement throughout an enormous chess board are strikingly just like a sequence from “Krull” (1983), one other high-profile Nineteen Eighties fantasy with a loyal worldwide cult following.
Of the 2 music soundtracks: Jerry Goldsmith’s thrilling, lovely rating for the European model is amongst his biggest, most versatile works. It’s heat one minute, then thunderous and scary the subsequent.
Should you hear intently, you’ll be able to hear the “Psycho II” (1983) love theme in one in all Goldsmith’s cues.
Within the U.S., we bought the Tangerine Dream rating. I really like this group and used to take heed to their rating from “Dangerous Enterprise” whereas driving residence from Denver after a protracted day’s work. Tangerine Dream’s fundamental theme deserves the fan devotion and fits the movie simply advantageous, however Goldsmith’s rating is the one I’ve listened to probably the most.
The comparisons to the dueling variations don’t cease with the music, as there are variations that drastically differentiate how the story is formed.
Within the two-hour European reduce, Darkness’ trio of goblin employees are much more annoying and by no means scary. The colourful facet characters, in both model, are given an excessive amount of focus.
In his “Labyrinth” (1986), Jim Henson knew higher than to let his puppets overshadow Jennifer Connelly. Regardless of which model you view, the second act of “Legend” has an excessive amount of sneaking round within the snow.
Lengthy earlier than we get our first have a look at Darkness, the make-up results are wonderful. The actors are pulling off remarkably expressive turns, regardless of being buried beneath Rob Bottin’s awe-inducing, Oscar-nominated make-up.
The scenes between Sara and Curry are elegant, a distinction to the clunky bits with Cruise and the elves. Darkness resembles the satan from “South Park,” full with low bass in his voice.
As unsettling as Curry is to take a look at, not to mention take heed to (his scrumptious vocals have been considerably augmented right here), he’s one-upped by one other actor: Sure, that’s Robert Picardo, buried beneath persuasive make-up, because the terrifying Meg Mucklebones.
“Legend” is way too horrifying for youngsters however too earnest for adults. Scenes of cute facet characters screaming in terror as they’re being dragged off to execution are an excessive amount of. There are scenes right here which are as scary as something in “Alien” (1979).
How on Earth did this get a PG-rating?
Regardless of being the primary film on the field workplace for its first two weeks in theaters, “Legend” failed so arduous on the U.S. field workplace that Scott adopted it up with two modern cop thrillers.
“Legend” has an actual downside in both model, which is how its second act positively crawls. The earnest offers approach to true horror, because the tonal steadiness Peter Jackson dropped at his “Lord of the Rings” collection alludes Scott.
It’s a flawed movie, which is clear whether or not one is conscious of the 2 variations or not. Nonetheless, if you happen to’ve by no means seen it earlier than (and it must be seen at the very least as soon as, particularly if you happen to love Scott’s movies), begin with the European model, then revisit it by way of the clipped ’86 U.S. model for an enchanting comparability.