The Last Unicorn (animation): Difference between revisions

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[[File:TheLastUnicorn.jpg|frame|Of all unicorns, she is the only one who knows what regret is -- [[Cursed with Awesome|and love]].]]

 

{{quote|'''Molly''': ''Then what is magic for? What use is wizardry if it cannot save a [[Unicorn]]?''

'''Schmendrick''': ''That's what [[The Hero|heroes]] are for.'' }}

 

 

In a certain lilac wood, the leaves and snow never fall. This eternal springtime is watched over, and caused by, its magical resident--a unicorn. Having never left her forest, the unicorn is surprised to overhear two hunters speaking about the disappearance of the unicorns. In fact, they believe her to be the very last.

 

The film's script was written by Peter S. Beagle himself. In July 2011, he finally got paid.

{{tropelist}}

* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: The animated version is held in high regard as being faithful to the text, even though significant parts of the book, such as the poetry and songs, were left out.

* [[Anachronism Stew]]: Intentionally, in the same vein as ''[[The Once and Future King]]'', there are references to tacos, trains, magazines, [[Child Ballad|Francis James Child's ballad collection]], etc. in a medieval-Renaissance-Arthurian-whatever age.

* [[Animesque]]: Although always intended for an English-speaking audience, the dirty work of animating the film adaptation was done by a Japanese studio called [[Topcraft]] (members of which became founders of [[Studio Ghibli]], incidentally). The anime influence on the movie is unmistakable.

* [[Anti-Magic]]: Arguably the main power of the Unicorn, which it used several times during the story, in order to destroy magical locks, turn back an enchanted tree to normal, and prevent the use of magic against her.

* [[Anti-Villain]]: King Haggard, as shown in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP3DhTq8mXg this scene] where he explains ''why'' he {{spoiler|captured the unicorns. Not from greed, or power... but because they're the only thing that makes him ''happy''}}.

* [[Counterpoint Duet]]: "Now That I'm a Woman"/"That's All I've Got to Say"--Amalthea's mixed feelings about being human and Lír's song about failed attempts to court her. Becomes a love duet at the end.

* [[Creative Closing Credits|Creative Opening Credits]]: The opening of the movie is drawn to resemble [[Shown Their Work|a series of medieval tapestries come to life]] (and a few images from the Book of Hours)--specifically, [[wikipedia:The Hunt of the Unicorn|the Unicorn Tapestries]].

** Schmendrick's magic only works on occasion, and when it does, something usually goes wrong with it. {{spoiler|But by the end of the book, he is able to return the unicorn to her true form.}}

** Lír starts off as a lazy schmuck, but eventually {{spoiler|fights the Red Bull, [[Heroic Sacrifice|lays down his life to save the unicorn,]] and becomes King.}}

{{quote|'''Haggard:''' "I ''know'' you! I almost knew you as soon as I saw you on the road coming to my door. Since then, there is no movement of yours that has not betrayed you! A pace, a glance, a turn of the head, the flash of your throat as you breathe... even your way of standing perfectly still--they were all my spies!"}}

* [[Herald]]

* [[Hero's Journey]]

* [[Humanity Ensues]]: The unicorn is transformed by Schmendrick into a human woman, against her will.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fantasy Animated Films]]

[[Category:Films of the 1980s]]

[[Category:The Last Unicorn]]

[[Category:Western Animation]]