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Legend – There is something hypnotic about this film, despite the icky presence of Tom Cruise. The film is more similar to a Peter Greenaway pic than something by Ridley Scott, and it oozes atmosphere, with its foggy forests and hidden waterfalls, with maidens dancing innocently with unicorns… before they are stolen away by goblins in the employ of the Goblin Lord. The narrative is clumsy, and Tom Cruise absorbs the light (meaning the opposite of “he shines”). Okay.
The film starts off with the demon’s lament, “sunlight is my destroyer.” The film is full of forest sounds, strange rays of light, fairies, colours and shadows. Creatures run past like Alien creatures. Over-wrought soundtrack (there are two – I’d like to hear the one that’s done by Tangerine Dream, rather than the full Jerry Goldsmith one). Nice horny Pan creature, Honeythorn Gump. By the end of the film we get the true entrance of the Dark Lord, which is bloody cool indeed, and the strange black cathedral, with the ghoulish wedding between woman and beast. “We are all animals; most are too afraid to see it.” Great underwater shots.