Product: The Last Unicorn [VHS] (1982)
Rating: 5.0
"The Last Unicorn" - an enduring classic
4.5* I love Peter S. Beagle's works, especially "The Last Unicorn", "Tamsin", and "A Fine and Private Place". I watched this a long time ago, and remember loving the story, and today I was finally able to share it with my 5-year-old daughter. In the screen adaptation (the screenplay was also written by Peter S. Beagle), Mia Farrow plays the Last Unicorn who inadvertently learns that she is the last of her kind. Curious to discover the fate that has befallen the rest of the unicorns, the last unicorn learns from a Butterfly (Robert Klein) that an entity known as the Red Bull has herded the unicorns to the ends of the earth. Unfortunately, she finds herself captured by the witch Mommy Fortuna (Angela Lansbury)as part of the witch's Midnight Carnival. The unicorn is able to escape with the help of a novice magician Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and proceeds to the seaside castle of King Haggard (Christopher Lee) and meets the dreaded Red Bull, a fire elemental, but is once again saved by Schmendrick when she is transformed by his magic into a mortal woman, Lady Amalthea. Here is where Amalthea's/the last unicorn's quest gets really interesting and complicated, for it is at the castle of King Haggard that Amalthea meets and eventually falls in love with Haggard's adopted son, Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges).The rest of this magical story explores what happens to Amalthea and Lir, will their mortal love survive the revelation of Amalthea's true identity, and will Amalthea fulfill her real quest to find the rest of the unicorns, and defeat the evil Red Bull? The story itself is magical, but what makes it compelling are the various themes explored, regarding friendship, self-discovery, faith, courage, love, and mortality. The anime (Japanese animation) is beautiful, and I will always consider this a classic. The songs are also melodious and meaningful. Highly recommended, though I would advise caution for the under-5s since there are some scary depictions in this movie.