LEGEND

US, 1984, 94 minutes (114 Director's cut), Colour.
Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent.
Directed by Ridley Scott.

Legend takes up some familiar material of the 1980s.

Legend is a variation on the sword and sorcery genre. It was directed by Ridley Scott who began his career in commercials. His films include The Duellists, Alien, Blade Runner. He has an ability to create beautiful scenes with a wealth of detail. The narratives of his stories do not quite catch the visuals in their intensity, beauty or clarity.

There is a dramatising of the struggle between good and evil - in a faerie world. Tom Cruise seems rather too American as the hero. However, Tim Curry gives an impersonation of the Power of Darkness which is quite compelling. Among the goblins and creatures David Benent, the boy from The Tin Drum is effective as an elf.

Cinematography and the production design are excellent.

1. The perennial interest in fairy tales, the struggle between good and evil, chivalry? The drawing on the old stories, the sagas, mediaeval epics and folklore? Traditions of another world? For 20th century audiences? The appeal of these worlds?

2, The perennial delight of audiences in legends? Fables? The stories and the insight? The emphasis on the story - and audiences drawing their own conclusions? The traditions of the fairy tale, or folklore - audience appreciation of the conventions? Audience expectations?

3. Beauty and ugliness? The strange features of this faerie world? The forests, the castles? Magic? The beauty of the forest; the contrast with the Ice Age? The realm of the Power of Darkness? Unicorns, elves, goblins? The importance of the special effects? The action sequences? Musical score and songs? The emphasis on style?

4. The straightforward plot, the presentation of good and evil, beauty and innocence, wildness and civilisation, power and magic, the hero champion, her being bewitched, the eternal winter, the forces of light, light and darkness, conflict, the test and endurance of the hero, his quest and the achievement of his goal?

5. The effect on the audience of being swept into this world, accepting it, experiencing it, the delight of the story, the values?

6. The initial appearance of evil, the ugliness, ludicrous behaviour, appearance, manner? Darkness and the Powers of Darkness (the overtones of Disney's Fantasia)? A devil figure, powerful voice, arms, clothes, make-up - black and red, lipstick? The contrast with purity and innocence? The goblin, Jack and Lily? The unicorns? The capturing of the unicorns, the hacking of the horns? the power of the unicorn's horn? her being forced to kill the unicorn? The goblins and their response?

7. The Power of Darkness - evil, night and winter, the evil court, the mission, casting the spell on Lily, black, the struggle, the light flooding into the underground cavern? The Power of darkness and his father, his mission, failure and death? Killed by the unicorn's horn? The destruction of the symbol of evil?

8. Lily, the attractive princess, pure, delight, family and play, love for Jack, the unicorns - and her foolishness in touching the unicorn, fear, blame, the eternal winter? The ring in the pond? Losing Jack, the chase, her being caught; in the dungeons, the spell, being seduced to the Power of Darkness, the Sleeping Beauty emblems of spell, the ring, the Prince Charming and her being awakened from her spell, released?

9. Jack as ordinary young man, hero, strong, rough, innocent, the unicorns, his love for Lily, the ring and his discovery of the winter? The encounter with the elves? Their making him the champion, the armour, the goblins, the witch, the castle, the dungeon, light and the mirrors, fighting the Power of Darkness, his skills, the help of the elves, his diving for the ring and his awakening the sleeping princess?

10. The elves and their leader, their jokes, fierceness, riddles, testing Jack, help with the battles, Oona and her appearance, help?

11. The humans and their ordinary life, the homeliness of ordinary life, their being frozen?

12. The beauty or Spring-, the coldness of Winter? Light and darkness?

13. The perennial delight of fairy and folklore stories - how well do they translate to cinema styles of the 20th century?