"You have all the power you need if you dared to look for it."
Hello everyone!
Next week we return to the realm of The Witcher, if I manage to binge over the weekend BUT, that said and done, we have to have a little romp down Man's road for a bit.
Yeah, see, I really love these oldies. They make me cry at times, but they're the best.
And I remember watching this one when I was super too little to understand much at all, so here I am, re-watching it again and understanding things a heck of a lot more now than I ever did as a little girl.
I also want to read the book now, too. Of course all the best stuff is based off books!
So without further ado, let's hop right into it.
Let's look into the sky where through through the clouds a path is torn, look and see her how she sparkles: it's The Last Unicorn.**
Links to previous related posts (not Disney animations, of course) can be found at the bottom of the page, as per usual.
The Last Unicorn begins with America singing the title song, and the unicorn in question spotting two hunters in her woods - one of them tells her to stay where she is, because she's the last, and she wonders: excuse me, what do you mean THE LAST?
Talking to a hyper and smoked up butterfly, she learns that all the unicorns apparently passed down the roads long ago, pushed by a creature called the Red Bull, and their tracks were covered, and they were never seen again.
So our unicorn decides to go see what happened - leaving the sanctuary of her forest and taking her magic with her while she's at it. Not only does she learn humans can only see her as a white mare, or at worse just a horse, but to top off all indignity, she gets caught by Mommy Fortuna, a travelling witch of illusions who carts animals around to show them off to people.
I say witch of illusions because most of her caged beasts are just that - poor old animals, with glamours covering them to trick viewers. All of them, save two that is, which is the unicorn herself, and the harpy Celaeno.
The unicorn befriends the other magician with Fortuna, Schmendrick, who tells her he can, in fact, see her for who she is, and after several failed magical attempts, breaks her free, then scuffles with the ruffian Fortuna employs. The unicorn meanwhile frees all the animals, including the harpy, who then turns on her and wants to kill her, before diverting to kill Fortuna and the ruffian instead.
Schmendrick and the unicorn go on the road together and he tells her some of what he's heard about the Red Bull, that he belongs to King Haggard, but he can't say anything definitive.
Of course this is when they get found by outlaws, who take Schmendrick to their camp, where he attempts to produce some magic - and succeeds only because the unicorn is there to augment it, which provides an illusion of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, that completely enraptures the outlaws.
This in turn enrages their leader who ties Schmendrick to a tree, from which the unicorn saves him, and they're then joined by Molly Grue, the erstwhile company cook, who sees the unicorn and breaks down in angry tears, since unicorns usually appear to virgins, not to used-up women.
However, Molly's of great help directing them to Haggard's castle, at which point they're attacked by the Red Bull, and all would have been game over if Schmendrick hadn't cast magic, hoping it'll do SOMETHING. And it does - it turns the unicorn into a human woman.
Molly's horrified, because the body that now holds the immortal soul is mortal, and would feel like a cage to a beast who's never known anything of humankind other than we're literally born stupid and become stupider with age.
They have no other choice but to keep going, however, and seek shelter with Haggard, on the basis of him being unhappy with his current magician, so he can keep Schmendrick instead, while Molly will cook for the keep. The other magician recognizes the unicorn for what she is, and cackles, knowing she will be Haggard's doom, though Haggard himself doesn't seem to get it.
He also can't make out "Amalthea", because he can't see his reflection in her eyes, which are full of other things, but in any event, they're now his guests.
Which allows for his son, Prince Lir, to try and woo Amalthea by becoming the greatest hero that's ever lived, which impresses her jack-squat. He bemoans his fate to Molly, who advises him to try out something different, while also scolding Amalthea that she's being cruel to Lir on purpose.
Amalthea, to Molly's horror, is becoming more and more confused as to who she is and what she's supposed to look for here in the castle, and as she turns more towards Lir, begging him to silence the dreams that keep reminding her of her quest to find and rescue her brethren, she succumbs to the traps of mortality.
This comes to a head when even Haggard can tell something's different - the mark on her forehead disappears, and her eyes are as empty as everyone else's, but he maintains he knows she's a unicorn just the same, to Amalthea's despair since she's really starting to forget it all.
She's even mean to Schmendrick, who makes a fool of himself to find a way to the Red Bull, and eventually, his and Molly's efforts find the clock and the skeleton needed for the riddle, told to Molly by the talking pirate cat that's also in residence in the castle (just what we need LOL).
Knowing they may already be too late, they trick the skeleton and pass through the clock, but the skeleton raises the alarm so Haggard comes running, eventually destroying the clock itself and their only way out.
Joined by Lir, who saw where Amalthea went and followed them, they're pursued by the Red Bull who finally figures out that A-HA! DIS HUMAN ACTUALLY NOT HUMAN! and pushes them down the tunnel.
Amalthea falls and injures her ankle, and Lir is helpless against the bull, which prompts Molly to beg Schmendrick to do something, and this time, instead of asking magic to do as it wills, he casts a spell properly, turning Amalthea back into a unicorn.
Nothing and no one can save her now though, not even magic, not even a hero, though stupid Lir tries very valiantly to put himself bodily between the unicorn and the bull, only to ... well, you know it goes. Fire meets flesh. Flesh goes bye-bye.
This, however, gives the unicorn the boost she needs to stand and fight against the Red Bull, pushing it into the sea, and in doing so frees the other unicorns who come rushing out of their cage, bringing Haggard's castle down in their rush (with him in it, natch).
The unicorn revives Lir and leaves, and Lir parts ways with Molly and Schmendrick, though the trio promise to meet again someday. And in the night, the unicorn comes to bid her two friends farewell, where Schmendrick apologizes for the hurt he's caused her, and she thanks him for the lessons she learned while human.
She is now unique: because no unicorn was ever born to regret, but she does, because she's been mortal for a time.
With that, she returns to her forest, and the darkness within is dispelled with the return of her magic. And with the unicorns back in the world again, it's to be hoped that magic will persevere for a while still.
FIN
Sad, poignant and an incredible lesson on several things, from love to inner strength, The Last Unicorn doesn't spin its tale forever, but makes it an intriguing rescue mission over an hour and a half. Add in the impossible circumstances of a prince and unicorn falling in love, and you might just have yourself some really good stuff.
With the voice talents of Christoper Lee, Angela Lansbury and Jeff Bridges, among others, this is a tale for the ages that describes all the ways Man can fall if he lets himself, and alternately, how well he can be rewarded when he takes the hard, correct road, rather than the easy way out.
It also provides a lot of humour, in my personal opinion, because there's something about Schmendrick getting himself engaged to a tree and Lir attempting to write sonnets that brings out the giggles.
And the animation is stunning. 10/10 recommend!
xx
*images and video not mine
**lyrics from the title song, by America
Quest for Camelot - The Swan Princess - Thumbelina - The Land Before Time
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