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Dragonslayer
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Dragonslayer is a 1981 live action fantasy movie set in a fictional medieval country. It follows a young wizard (played by Peter MacNicol) who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon.
A co-production between Walt Disney Productions and Paramount Pictures, Dragonslayer was more mature and realistic than other Disney films of the period. Because of audience expectations for a more child-friendly film from Disney, the movie's violence and adult themes were somewhat controversial at the time - even though Disney did not hold US distribution rights, which were held by Paramount (it was rated PG in the U.S.; TV showings after 1997 have carried a TV-14 rating).
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Encyclopedia
Dragonslayer is a 1981 live action fantasy movie set in a fictional medieval country. It follows a young wizard (played by Peter MacNicol) who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon.
A co-production between Walt Disney Productions and Paramount Pictures, Dragonslayer was more mature and realistic than other Disney films of the period. Because of audience expectations for a more child-friendly film from Disney, the movie's violence and adult themes were somewhat controversial at the time - even though Disney did not hold US distribution rights, which were held by Paramount (it was rated PG in the U.S.; TV showings after 1997 have carried a TV-14 rating). The film grossed just over $14 million in the U.S. with an estimated budget of USD$18 million. Often regarded as a commercial failure, it later became a cult classic on home video.
The film was directed by Matthew Robbins (later director of *batteries not included), from a screenplay he co-wrote with Hal Barwood. It starred Peter MacNicol, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam and Caitlin Clarke.
Dragonslayer also featured then-unknown actor Ian McDiarmid as the minor character Brother Jacopus. McDiarmid's next film role after Dragonslayer would be that of the villain Palpatine in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, a role which he would reprise in the subsequent Star Wars films.
The special effects were created at Industrial Light and Magic, where Phil Tippett co-developed an animation technique called go motion for the film. Go motion is a variation on stop-motion animation, and its use in Dragonslayer led to the film's nomination for the Academy Award for Visual Effects; it lost to Raiders of the Lost Ark (another Paramount film). The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Original Music Score; Chariots of Fire took the award. Including the hydraulic 40 foot model, 16 dragon puppets were used for the role of Vermithrax, each one made for different movements; flying, crawling, fire breathing etc.
The film was also nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Once again, it lost to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
In October 2003, Dragonslayer was released on DVD in the U.S. by Paramount Home Video.
Plot
A medieval kingdom called Urland is being terrorized by a dragon named Vermithrax Pejorative. An expedition led by a young man calling himself Valerian (Clarke) comes to the house of sorcerer Ulrich of Craggenmoor (Richardson), the only remaining wizard alive. They explain to the sorcerer that their king, Casiodorus (Peter Eyre), desperate to assuage the monster, offers it a virgin chosen in a lottery twice a year. The wizard foresaw their arrival and his own death but agrees to help. Before he can do so however, a brutish knight from Urland named Tyrian (Hallam), who has followed the expedition under orders from the king, turns up to intimidate him. Ulrich invites Tyrian to stab him to prove his magical powers, and dies instantly, to the horror of his young apprentice Galen Bradwarden (MacNicol) and elderly servant Hodge (Sydney Bromley). They burn Ulrich's body and place the ashes in a leather pouch.
Galen decides to take the job himself when the wizard's magical amulet begins to obey his Latin incantations, and travels to Urland with the villagers and Hodge in tow. On the way, he accidentally discovers Valerian to be a woman: her father passed her as a man to spare her the lottery. The poorer villagers suspect that the daughters of wealthy or powerful people are secretly kept out of it as well.
In an effort to discourage the expedition, Tyrian kills Hodge from a distance using a crossbow. Galen witnesses the murder through a vision in water but is not fast enough to intervene.
Arriving in Urland, Galen inspects the dragon's lair and attempts to seal its entrance by causing rocks to fall from the cliff. Manipulating the amulet inexpertly he nearly kills the whole delegation and himself but apparently succeeds in entombing the monster. The village celebrates in the evening, and Valerian abandons her manly disguise. However the feast is interrupted by Tyrian who drags Galen to the court of King Casiodorus. After seeing Galen's clumsy efforts at magic tricks, King Casiodorus guesses that he is not a real wizard and complains that his attack may have angered the dragon instead of killing it, as his own brother and predecessor once did. The king then confiscates the amulet and has Galen locked away. His daughter Elspeth (Chloe Salaman) comes to taunt Galen, but is shocked when he informs her of rumours the lottery is rigged. Casiodorus is unable to lie convincingly when she confronts him.
Meanwhile the dragon has stormed its way through the rubble and emerges from its lair with a vengeance. An earthquake ensues, and Elspeth releases Galen in the confusion. Galen narrowly escapes on horseback, but without the amulet.
When Galen returns to the village, he finds that Vermithrax has already begun to retaliate by setting it on fire. Valerian and her father the blacksmith (Emrys James) conceal Galen from the king's soldiers. Galen still wants to kill the dragon, but must steal back the amulet from the king to do so.
When the lottery begins anew, Princess Elspeth rigs the draw so that only her name can be chosen, in reparation. Her father is appalled but unable to oppose her decision.
When shortly afterwards Galen is caught searching the king's quarters for the amulet, the monarch returns it to him so that he might save Elspeth. Then, with the blacksmith's help, Galen uses the amulet to enchant a heavy spear (dubbed Sicarious Dracorum, or "Dragonslayer") that the blacksmith has forged strong enough to pierce the dragon's armored hide. Meanwhile, Valerian gathers pieces of dragon hide and uses them to make Galen a shield. She makes a discovery while doing so: Vermithrax has a litter of kits.
Galen sets out to kill the dragon and rescue the princess. Valerian thinks his plan is suicide, but gives him the shield. They admit to having feelings for each other.
As Galen attempts to rescue Princess Elspeth by cutting her chains, he is confronted by Tyrian, who demands that the sacrifice be made to save the kingdom. The knight is considerably more skilled at combat, but Galen surprises him by cutting with the supernaturally sharp Dragonslayer right though a wooden pole, spearing him. The Princess however, instead of fleeing, has descended into the dragon's cave to her death. Galen follows her and finds the young dragons feasting upon her corpse. He kills them with considerable difficulty then finds Vermithrax nesting by an underground lake of fire. He manages to wound the monster but the spear is broken and only Valerian's shield saves him from incineration. Vermithrax loses Galen but finds her children's bodies and flies away to rampage.
After his failure to kill Vermithrax, Valerian convinces Galen to leave the village with her, with her father's blessing. The blacksmith believes the time for magic and dragons is over; like other villagers he is turning to the newly arrived religion of Christianity. As the two lovers board a boat together however, the amulet gives Galen a vision that explains his teacher's final wishes. Ulrich had asked that his ashes be spread over "burning water", and Galen realizes that the wizard had planned the whole thing. He was too frail to make the journey himself, so had his servants make the trip for him by carrying his ashes. Galen returns to the cave, spreads the ashes and speaks an incantation, and the wizard is resurrected from the flames of the burning lake.
Despite the disappointment of realizing he had no powers after all, but was merely channeling those of his master via the amulet, Galen is overjoyed to have him returned. Ulrich however reveals that he is only back for a short time and that Galen must destroy the amulet when the time is right. The wizard then transports himself to a mountaintop and attracts the dragon's attention. The sun is eclipsed. After a brief battle, the monster grabs the old man and flies away with him. Galen crushes the amulet with a rock, causing the wizard to explode and obliterate the dragon.
Inspecting the wreckage, the villagers credit God with the victory, while the king arrives and drives a sword into the dragon's broken carcass to claim the glory for himself. No one thanks Galen or praises the late wizard's sacrifice.
As Galen and Valerian leave Urland together, he confesses that he misses both Ulrich and the amulet. But then he says, out loud, "I just wish we had a horse." As if on cue, a white horse appears to take the incredulous lovers away.
Cast
Shooting Locations in North Wales
Nearly all of the outdoor scenes were shot in North Wales. The final scene was shot in Skye, Scotland.
- The filming crew were based in Betws y Coed, and the artists were stabled further down the Conwy valley.
- Dolwyddelan Castle was used for all outdoor shots of Ulrich's Castle. This includes the arrival of the delegation from Urland, the arrival of guards from Urland, Ulrich's first death scene and funeral burning.
- The external long shots of the dragon's lair were of the main face of Tryfan, from within yards of the A5, opposite Llyn Ogwen. The lair was shot looking upwards from the road, towards the broken face of Tryfan, Nant Ffrancon.
- Shots of Galen and Hodge on the trek to Urland were shot on the old road from Cobdens to Bryn Engan, in Capel Curig.
- The early morning camping scenes on the trek to Urland, Tyrian's shooting of Hodge, and Hodge's death scene all take place on a 500 yard section of Fairy Glen between Betws-y-Coed and Penmachno.
- The scenes of the delegation crossing over into Urland were shot above Ogwen Cottage, Nant Ffrancon.
- Galen fleeing on horseback from Casiodorus's castle was shot high above Llyn Crafnant.
- The scene where Galen Bradwarden sees an apparition in the lake was shot at the bottom end of Llyn Crafnant.
- The scenes where Valerian delivers a shield made from the Dragon's scales and the intimate scene between Valerian and Galen were shot in the boulder field below Tryfan, about 300 yards from the A5 near the Llyn Ogwen Car Park.
- The procession scenes in which victims are transported to the Dragon's lair were shot on Gelli behind the main shop in Capel Curig.
Novelization
A novelization was written by Wayland Drew which delves deeper into the background of many of the characters. Expansions upon the film's plot include details such as these:
- As an infant, Galen was handed to Ulrich by his parents due to their fear of his magical abilities. Ulrich took him as an apprentice, but was concerned with the lad's lack of focus, which usually resulted in the unintentional creation of bizarre, dream-inspired creatures.
- A vision glimpsed by Ulrich in his scrying bowl which implies that sorcerers could have been responsible for the creation of dragons. This is only briefly alluded to in the film.
- The revelation that Vermithrax, while physically androgynous, nevertheless required copulation with another dragon for fertilization.
Influences
The story presents many familiar dragon motifs found throughout western culture. In particular many elements of the story of Saint George and the Dragon, in which maiden sacrifices must be made to appease a harassing dragon. As in the film, the Saint George tale also includes a sacrificial lottery resulting in the surprise condemnation of a princess. Saint George also is frequently represented with a magic (blessed) lance or sword.
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