Dragonslayer
Peter MacNichol, Caitlin Clarke /
1981
Screenwriters Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins put an interesting twist on the old "sorcerer's apprentice" story with Dragonslayer, setting it in post-Roman Britain. The result is an effectively dark, moody and atmospheric film.
Lead actors Peter MacNichol (who denies any connection to the film today) and Caitlin Clarke are serviceable in their roles although their American accents are conspicuous but the supporting and largely British cast are more impressive, especially Sir Ralph Richardson, in one of his final screen roles as the old wizard Ulrich. The screenplay and Robbins' direction however, are what prove most memorable.
What forms an interesting backdrop to the action is the period in which the film is setthe era when Christianity first made landfall in Britain and its environs. Although an adventure fantasy, Dragonslayer is ultimately as much a tale of the twilight of paganism, and its replacement by the Christian faith.
Near the film's opening, the wizard Ulrich speaks cryptically about the fact that without sorcerers there would be no dragons. The wizard's fate is one he shares with his draconian adversary, each the last of their kind, relics of a bygone age.
The mossy forests of Snowdonia and mountains of the Isle of Skye are stunningly captured by cinematographer Derek Vanlint (Alien). The special effects, if not in league with those of the inferior Dragonheart, nevertheless holds up well by today's standards. Alex North's score adds incalculable scope to the film, its non-tonal structure and shrill orchestration creating an aura of both doom and enchantment.
In the end, Dragonslayer is an impressive fantasy film and a superior example of the "sword and sorcery" movie genre.
Paul Andrew MacLean
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LadyJanet@RenaissanceMagazine.com