Fantasy is a genre that follows the unnatural laws of nature. They are rules that don’t exactly align with any known world. Special abilities and settings carry an air of strict mysticism with a malleable membrane of unexpected changes. The belief in the unexpected is the fulcrum of fantasy. Expectations and curiosity are entwined in a puzzling dance, raising awareness of fears and joys. Medieval pageantry, foreign lands, kingdoms, mythological creatures, dark forces, forbidden relationships, sabotage, and warfare, all the pieces of lore that make fantasy a reality.
Films have taken to the fancies of fantasy with a playful reverence. The NeverEnding Story and The Princess Bride use the magical gateway of a book to transport and convert readers into viewers of an unthinkable realm. Willow and The Lord of the Rings trilogy leave audiences entranced by high fantasy, a sprawling world heightened by its larger-than-life characters and environments. Fantasy falls into a magisterial and whimsical arena for the 1985 Ridley Scott film Legend that is neither too kiddish nor too cynical.
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Pure Darkness
Universal Pictures
Ridley Scott presents a balancing act between the light and dark. His mise-en-scène is that of a storybook; a scene is a page is a vignette of a world that belongs to an epic fantasy. The viewer isn’t dropped into this world, but is lulled into it. A lucid dream of sing-song merriment is had through the eyes and mouths of innocence. Untouched, pristine, idyllic landscapes, and occasional talks in rhyme playfully but naturally compliment each other. The scope of Scott’s picturesque fantasy doesn’t distract with its subtle layers of glitter, measured dialogue, shadows and colors, or its rosy outlook.
A nightmare hangs in the back of the mind, and exists in the blackened heart of the animalistic sorcerer, the Lord of Darkness, played by Tim Curry. He and his goblin henchmen go in search of unicorns to poach them for their magical alicorns. Killing them would bring eternal night to the world. Scott studied classic fairy tales like those from the Brothers Grimm to designate mythologized factions and universal laws into Legend that traditional folklore followed. Darkness (who looks like the older brother of the Devil from Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny) lives the unbridled, unchecked, and unforgiving side of life, understanding its desire through self-indulgent powers of grandeur and control.
Light of the World
Mia Sara (known for her breakthrough role as Sloane Peterson in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) made her film debut in Legend as Princess Lili. Her happy-go-lucky, mercurial personality breaks royal tradition and typecasting. She is seen interacting with commoners, having no sense of classism or upturned nose towards them. Being a princess gives her the freedom to make up her own rules, ambitious and unofficial as they are. Her carefree attitude takes her from a wonderful world to a world of trouble.
She breaks the sacred boundary between mortal and magical being, introducing herself to a unicorn after meeting with her love interest, the forest dweller Jack O’ the Green, played by Tom Cruise. Her innocence drew her to the peaceful creature and it to her, which allowed the goblins to find and kill it with a poison dart, unbeknownst to Jack and Lili. Being of different worlds, the spirit of spring and princess tease and teach each other about their respective customs and quirks until the unicorn falls with an early winter. The shift in seasons, with the stark contrasts between forbidden knowledge or malice (dark) and interest mixed with spontaneity or childlike innocence (light) allows the scenery to tell the story. Fantasy favors visual storytelling and Scott’s visual storytelling, does the genre the greatest favor.
Magical Realism
A change of heart befalls the innocent lovers. Jack has to restore order to the world as a defender he doubts he can be. Lili prematurely learns about deep, dark desires and how to, and how not to, succumb to them. Darkness represents and reminds the viewer about the existence of inner demons and vices people are capable of, particularly those that should not be acted on. Fantasy uses magical realism to a degree that is part impossible and part believable. Nature has its order, and so does the nature of a strange land. Magical realism bends those laws that separate different beings and worlds to bring forth a supernatural selection. Legend shows its hero, unlikely in mind but swift in heart, adapting to his environment. His innocence and malice are revealed to him, challenges he comes of age with and overcomes. The power of belief and the strength of will are the pillars on which the pantheon of fantasy and magical realism stands. Legend stands out much the same as a legendary film in the genre.
