[Ladyhawke]
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This is one of my favourite movies. The story, the script, the staff, the production and the music, they all are excellent.

The Story

The story background is a region in Europe in the Middle Ages, ruled by the Catholic Church. In a city called Aquila (the Latin word for "eagle"), lived the young and prosperous captain of the city army, Etienne Navarre. He loved a young woman, Isabeau Dante, so beautiful that has attracted the attention of the bishop of Aquila.

The ambitious bishop tried to conquest the love of Isabeau and failed. He found out, from the common confessor priest of Navarre and Isabeau, Imperius, that the young couple were in love. Angry and jealous, he made a pact with the Devil and cursed the lovers. During the day, Isabeau would be a hawk; during the night, Navarre would be a black wolf. They wouldn't have any memories of their animal half-lives. They would be, although together, forever apart, almost meeting one another for a while, just before dawn and twilight. The curse could never be broken, while there were day and night.

Navarre and Isabeau ran away from Aquila, away from the Bishop. Aquila became a terrible place, damned, from where no one escaped. For two years Aquila prospered, corrupt, under the control of the Bishop. Then a boy, Phillippe Gaston, a condemned thief, escapes from Aquila, using the sewer canals under the city. Pursued by the city army, he is saved by Navarre, who asks the boy to help him to invade Aquila.

During the voyage back to Aquila, Isabeau is shot, as a hawk, by an arrow addressed to Navarre. He asks Phillippe to take her to Imperius, who has exiled himself in an abandoned church in the mountains, because of the guilt he feels for involuntarily betraying the couple. When the night falls, Phillippe discovers the secret of the hawk when he finds Isabeau hurt by an arrow. Imperius tells him the whole story and says him he had found a way to break the curse.

Phillippe returns the hawk to Navarre, calling her "Ladyhawke". Imperius tries to convince Navarre about his discovery. In a few days there would be a day without night, and a night without day. He doesn't believe the old priest and says he plans to kill the bishop, what would make the curse impossible to be dispelled.

Phillippe convinces Isabeau about the possibility of the curse to be broken. They them succeed to delay Navarre in his journey.

Imperius and Isabeau enter in Aquila, disguised as traders, carrying Navarre as a wolf. Phillippe enters the same way he got out some days ago, underground in the city sewer canals.

When the day is back, Navarre, still not believing in the possibility to break the curse, says Imperius he will try to kill the bishop during the mass, the only opportunity to meet him, with the help of Phillippe. If he fails, the church bells will ring, signing the end of the mass. He asks him to kill the hawk, not condemning her to live a half life as an animal.

In the church, Phillippe unlocks the main doors, allowing Navarre to enter, riding his black horse and wearing his battle armour. During the fight against the Bishop soldiers, Navarre sees the Sun being eclipsed by the Moon. Realizing the meaning of that, he tries to run out of the church to find Imperius and Isabeau. The Bishop also tries to leave the church, what makes the church bells ring.

Believing Isabeau is dead, Navarre goes to the Bishop. And just before he kills him, Isabeau enters the church. Completely defeated, the curse broken, the Bishop tries to kill the couple, but is first reached by the long sword of Navarre.

The Script

The script does not only tells the story, it emphasizes the love the couple still feels, the suffering of the separation and the hurry to finish it. The movie is centered in Phillippe, what makes the movie "run" very fast and "light". He uses to "talk to God" when he is in trouble, "spicing" the movie with humor.

The Staff

The actors perfectly fit the characters of this adventure. Hutger Hauer is a fighter, the ex-captain of the city guard, Etienne Navarre. Michelle Pfeiffer is the beautiful ladyhawke Isabeau Dante. Leo McKern is the disgraced priest Imperius. John Wood is the evil Bishop of Aquila. Matthew Broderick is the smart Phillippe Gaston, around whom the movie runs. And, of course, there are the animals of the movie, from the hawk to the wolf and the horses (I still couldn't find the name of the animal trainer).

The movie is directed by Richard Donner, who also directed other fantasy movies, like "The Goonies", "Radio Flyer" and "Superman". The story was produced by Edward Khmara. The screenplay was produced by Edward Khmara, Michael Thomas and Tom Mankiewicz. Photography by Vitorio Storaro. Produced by Richard Donner and Lauren Shuler.

Other actors and production crew:

The Production

There're very few special effects in the movie, most are only camera tricks, like image superimposing. The movie is supported by the actors, the story and the music, not really needing any SFX to work.

There're many beautiful scenes in the movie, like the vision of the gates of Aquila when Isabeau, Imperius and Navarre, as a wolf, enters the city. The fires that illuminate the walls give them an infernal appearance.

The Music

The music was composed, orchestrated and conducted by Andrew Powell, performed by Philharmonic Orchestra, produced and engineered by Alan Parsons. It blends the classical and the modern in the instrumentation and in the composition, not only filling the background with a marvelous music, but also adding emotion to the movie.

This page is dedicated to all staff that produced the movie, an unforgettable work art.

Page last modified on 1997-May-11 Sunday.

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