Like many children's films of its era, The Last Unicorn has spawned a fan-base that straddles the line between the cult and the nostalgic, occupying the center of a Venn diagram probably inseparable from either. Also like many of those films, it’s technically dodgy, filled with creepy images, and defined as a children's film only by the fact that its subject matter is either too illogical or nonsensical for adults. Unicorn was produced during the only period in our history when something like this could be produced (it also gave us Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and Legend), which explains, in a way, the affection that people have for it, as it seems to preserve not merely childhood memories, but an entirely mortal period of time when Hollywood placed its hope in fantasy film in a way that it really hasn’t before or since (Lord of the Rings is an arguable case, but even that had more blockbuster appeal than any of these did). But everything that makes this film of that time also keeps it there, and between the animated limitations (still visible here) and the cock-eyed optimism that must have seemed dated even then, it’s unlikely that The Last Unicorn will transcend either time or genre to find a new audience.
After hearing some woodsmen extemporaneously state that there must be one unicorn left in the forest, because the color of the leaves there don’t change with the seasons, the last unicorn (Mia Farrow) takes it upon herself to find the very last of her kind. After some nonsensical sing-song from a butterfly (Robert Klein) gives her some clues, she makes her way towards a creature called the Red Bull, who has supposedly chased all of the unicorns into the sea. Along the way, she meets up with Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes) and Schmendrick (Alan Arkin), who transforms her into human form to better elude the Red Bull. They then travel into the kingdom of the evil King Haggard (Christopher Lee), who controls the Red Bull, and Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges), who gives the unicorn her first taste of human love.
Imagine, for its moment, that it’s 1983. A conservative landslide in the 1980 election had effectively ended the larger ambitions of the psychedelic generation, which was starting to lose its hair and take jobs that both allowed them to send their messages to a larger audience and compromised them beyond recognition. Their increased buying power allowed for their tastes to be better represented in the cultural mainstream, but their mood is still understandably sour, with their values and imagination having been so summarily rejected by the voting public. Though the connection is not made very frequently, it is this generation that made Lord of the Rings the touchstone that it is, with its images of magic and sorcery jelling nicely with themes of mind expansion and psychedelic experience. Peter S. Beagle, the author of the original novel, wrote the screenplay for the Ralph Bakshi-animated Lord of the Rings, and also provides the screenplay here. Even if these visions that gave unicorns their mystical significance are not Beagle’s, they provided a groundwork in which they would be well-received.
Viewed in that context, The Last Unicorn wreaks of both the disillusionment and insistent naivete that define that moment. Its themes are no darker than those in the Grimm fairy tales, but the somewhat choppy animation makes them more insinuatingly creepy than they otherwise would be. But underneath all of it is a pervading innocence that mirrors that of its lead character. For as vague and broadly drawn as she remains throughout the entire film, the unicorn is never an especially likeable character (she snorts disdainfully when people mistake her for a horse), and the America songs meant to underscore her purity are nigh on unlistenable. She is perhaps, a perfect encapsulation of this brief period in Hollywood herself: unblemished by nuance or mature thought, but totally unable to respond to the outside world and evolve with it. And like its titular character, The Last Unicorn will forever be stuck in 1983, because no matter how you age, the fim’s viewpoints aren’t developed enough to gather any weight, or to mature beyond its frozen period in time (which, unfortunately, seems to be a prepubescent phase for most people).
Bonus Features
There is an audio commentary by Peter S. Beagle and publisher Connor Cochran, several small featurettes, including “Immortal Characters”, about the making of the film, one on Peter S. Beagle, and another called “The Tail of the Last Unicorn”, and the theatrical trailer. There are also two image galleries, one called Schmendrick’s Magical Gallery featuring promotional art work, and another featuring fan art (this one is actually very interesting).
"The Last Unicorn" is on sale February 22, 2011 and is rated G. Animation, Children & Family, Fantasy. Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr, Jules Bass. Written by Peter S. Beagle. Starring Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lee, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Tammy Grimes.
