Joseph Engle | rawr reviews
There are a lot of things wrong with the film Ladyhawke. The soundtrack is jarring and out of place with the setting, some of the acting is a little on the campy side and the production values are sometimes severely lacking. I won’t call this movie a guilty pleasure; I am shameless in my love for it — warts and all.
Set in 12th century Europe, the film is the story of a thief named Philippe Gaston (Matthew Broderick) and his adventures after escaping the dungeons in the city of Aquila.
He inadvertently sets off a chain of events threatening to destroy two people he meets on the road.
Rutger Hauer plays Captain Navarre, Michelle Pfeiffer plays Lady Isabeau. The two lovers had a curse placed upon them by the jealous and corrupt Bishop of Aquila: at night, Navarre is transformed into a wolf, while by day Isabeau becomes a hawk. Much of the movie is about Navarre’s quest to kill the Bishop.
As a hero, Captain Navarre leaves much to be desired. He is vain, proud, stubborn and practically suicidal — and that is exactly what makes him so compelling. Matthew Broderick pulls off an excellent performance as Philippe, managing to be quick witted and cheeky while still being a likeable human.
The dialogue in this movie is nothing short of genius. It walks a fine line between crushingly serious and utterly flippant.
Filmed on location in Italy, the scenery is as much a character as any. There are breathtaking backdrops in the Alps, ruined castles and sweeping views of the countryside. Given that the movie was made in 1985, the special effects still hold up. The directors manage to accomplish sword fights, chases and even magic without the film degenerating into a total camp-fast.
If anything has dated the movie, it is surely the soundtrack. Composer Andrew Powell took a huge chance with the score, combining period music with contemporary progressive rock. It screams 1980s so hard that is actually a little embarrassing.
Truth be told, the music is probably one of my favorite things about the movie. So many movies stick to only period music, so it is actually kind of refreshing to see something that breaks with the standard and dares to be unique.
As a story, Ladyhawke scratches all the right itches. It’s a love story. It’s an adventure. It’s a political dialogue on the corruption of the medieval church. It’s got magic and swordfights, comedy and tragedy, compelling characters, brilliant dialogue and a beautiful setting. Ultimately, Ladyhawke is truly a one-of-a-kind movie.