
While genre films have always been present in the cinematic world, it wasn’t until the unexpected bang that Star Wars made, that these showcases got additional funding and viewers’ interest. Had Disney & Paramount Pictures collaborated again after the Altman Popeye, which had not gone quite as planned but in later decades has achieved a rather powerful following? Certainly yes. It was Dragon Slayer. The special effects for the movie were contracted out to Industrial Light and Magic, and this was the first time special effects were used on a film which was not a Lucasfilm production. The cinematographer of the Alien from 1979 was the man who focused the lens here as well and gave a richly detailed landscape for the camera to capture. Overall, the picture turned out to be an entertaining children’s story/adventure, although it was up against Raiders of the Lost Ark that summer which probably made it more or less invisible.
In Britain’s sixth century, Valerian (Caitlin Clarke) is the commander of an expedition that desperately wishes to recruit the last mage in their land, Ulrich (Ralph Richardson). His assistance is imperative to demolish a four-hundred-year-old beast known as the dragon, Vermithrax Pejorative that threatens to destroy the kingdom of Urland. The king, in order to control the dragon, offers two virgin girls every year to the dragon in hope of mating it. Ulrich, aware of his approaching demise, tries to find a worthy apprentice in Galen (Peter MacNichol) but unfortunately, tragedy strikes and young Galen is left with the burden of battling the dragon. With proper use of modern-day effects, a beautiful fairytale is portrayed.
Dragonslayer is not all that unique. There was inspiration taken from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in Fantasia and then from the tale of St. George and the Dragon. The writers made a stronger effort to avoid the fantasy movie conventions and try to stick to something more like how life might have been at that time. There are no heroic figures clad in armor, fortresses or anything to do with royalty. The plot is somewhat realistic and familiar to the time that comes after the fall of Rome’s dominance over Britain. The budget went into the intricate puppetry of the dragon, so this sequence is impactful when the main character battles the dragon. Dragonslayer is high fantasy and as a result, it is precisely what that type of audience desires.
It is so liberating to watch actors in real physical settings with a dragon puppet instead of staring at people covered in motion capture dots meandering inside a green room. Admittedly, there are a few scenarios that do not look great, but that isn’t going to reduce the creativity burst this movie is. The tone and atmosphere of the movie appears to be developed over a considerable amount of time and it does make all the difference the first time we see the dragon. Even without a dragon emphasizing the current life on a general slit will make the monster feel more daunting.
I find Peter MacNichol to be a rather curious choice for the lead actor. He won an Obie award for the Crimes of the Heart stage production which led him to be cast in the film adaptation of Sophie’s Choice. That movie would not be released until 1982, therefore his film debut was Dragonslayer instead. It is fascinating to trace his filmography that is consistent to some degree but has gaps across several years. The theatre seems to have been Mac Nichol’s vocation while he built a career as one of the finest character actors. Who can forget Janosz from Ghostbusters II who was perhaps the only redeeming quality of that terrible film? There are no other antagonists in the story apart from Vermithrax.
Some people from the human race are unwilling to accept Galen’s Austromancy for they are of the opinion that the proposal of murder of the dragon equals destruction of them all. The townspeople of Urland have witnessed Vermithrax’ fury during his rage. They do not consider putting all their eggs in the basket of a boy who has just received the title of sorcerer from his dying master. It is disclosed that some of the wealthier elders of the community have been bribing out the lottery to prevent their daughters from participating in it.
A priest’s rescue mission is put together in response to the mess left by galen. These small storylines aid in understanding how a single concept, a dark magic trait, molded an entire society.
Now we benefit from assembled Tyrian who was conceivably an actual monster. However, as slowly Tyrian has been approached these last few weeks or so, my negative sentiments towards him have started to dissipate. They consider Ulrich a dragon, but he is not a threat to them, so there is no problem that they have to face in maintaining the status quo. This is the reason why he has such a low opinion of sorcery, having grown up in a world full of conmen who use tricks for monetary gain rather than purpose. His first meeting with Ulrich is followed by this discussion: “There is no such thing as testing. And very few actual actions. Well, talking with your grandmother’s ghost in a dark room, maybe a love spell or two, but then some clouds, if you talk about real test, then it’s the wrong time, the stars aren’t arranged properly, the cow’s guts have not been dealt so we “don’t make real tests”!” What is wrong with him that you fail to sympathize with?
The actors confirm that there was an intent to make the movie more serious and helpful. Though there are some effects in the movie that were made the costumes were not, otherwise I would say the cast and cut make up for the lack of funds the world had.
There are very few variations of vivid fantasy books that evoke the same feeling of those books as well. One such vision was John Boorman’s Excalibur which was released in the same year as well and to be honest it is a movie that I wouldn’t much would want to rewatch over Dragonslayer any day. But, on a slightly more pessimistic note: there is much room for improvement when it comes to Boorman’s vision as it is more focused on the Reminiscent aspects. I find horseselves to be spectacular because they achieved a wonderful middle ground between fantasy and reality.
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