Displaying items by tag: Ray Winstone

DAMSEL

US, 2024, 110 minutes, Colour.

Milly Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, Brooke Carter, Nick Robinson, voice of: Shoreh Agladashloo.

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.

The title, Damsel, seems very straightforward. And it is in the establishing of life in the kingdom:  there are two sisters, the older sister, Elodie, played by Milly Bobby Brown (Stranger Things, Enola Holmes) parents played by an interesting combination, Ray Winstone and Angela Bassett. But, there are difficult times and father has arranged marriage with a Prince in a prosperous realm.

However, the title is misleading insofar as Elodie is never a damsel in distress though she does experience quite a deal of distress, especially in confronting a Dragon (voiced by Shoreh Agladashloo) but the point is that she is one of those heroines, think Princess Diana in Wonder Woman, or Furiousa…

Everything seems initially wonderful in the prosperous realm, especially a Prince Charming played by Nick Robinson and his mother played by Robin Wright. But, immediately after the wedding, the narrative shifts gear and we see that Emily is a sacrificial offering to the Dragon, as has happened with many a Princess before her.

So, moving into action, but frequently in the dark cave of the Dragon, Ellie confronts the Dragon, suffers the loss of her father and his repenting of trapping her in the situation, confrontation with the Prince, with his harridan mother, and a rescue by her own mother.

This is something of a mediaeval show in the royalty versus the Dragon genre, some have complained that it takes itself far too seriously and would have been more enjoyable with some touches of irony. Perhaps.

1. The popularity of Game of Thrones, television, films, Dragon and kingdom stories?
2. Mythical kingdoms, landscapes, valleys and mountains, cities, palaces, dragons’ lairs?
3. Costumes, decor, special effects, action? Musical score?
4. The prologue, damsels, the tradition for distress and rescue, not this kind of film?
5. The king and his soldiers, approaching the mountain, the confrontation with the Dragon, the flames, consumed? The later flashbacks and the explanation of the killing of the Dragon’s children, the death of the king? Motivation for revenge on the descendants of the king?
6. Centuries later…? Introduction to Lord Bayford and his family, the two daughters, his wife, stepmother? The bonds? Characters? Famine, in need, the negotiations, the voyage to the Kingdom of Aurea?
7. Queen Isabelle, Prince Henry, the court, the planned marriage, the pomp and circumstance? Yet the stepmother and her wariness? Lord Bayford and his reticence? Two sisters, joyful, and D and her meeting with the prince, his tour, friendly? The prospects?
8. The wedding, the cutting of the hands of the bonding of blood (and the later information that the Dragon would suspect the smell of the blood and the princesses have been the daughters of the kingdom)? The brusqueness of the behaviour, throwing Elodie into the abyss?
9. Elodie, her personality, strength of character, the impact of the betrayal, injuries, the voice of the Dragon, the continued threats, vengeance, the pursuit, the flames, the corridors of rock, her taking refuge, her being burnt, leg injuries, but the finding of the glow worms and their healing, providing light? The taunting of the dragon? The hallucination of the other victims? The names carved on the rock, carving her name? The maps, taking stock of where she was? Energy, courage, the hook for the crystals, climbing the crystals, the dragon confronting, her fall? Leaping over the cousins, literal cliffhanging? In the sunlight, the vast cliff, seeing the men and the horses? The writing the horse, escaping, the Dragon and the horse on fire?
10. Her father and the men, coming to her rescue, calling out her name, the eventual confrontation by the Dragon, catching the man and flying and killing, confronting Lord Bayford? His plea?
11. Elodie and her witnessing everything, keeping silent, coming to her father, his apology, her for giving him? His urging her to take the rope?
12. The confrontation with the Dragon, the sword in the eye, tempting the fire and leaping aside and its rebounding on the Dragon? The possibility for killing the dragon? Not killing the Dragon, the conversation, the explanation of the deception by the Queen for the victims? The dragon and the motivation? Letting the dragon live?
13. Queen Isabelle, her reaction, taking the little sister, throwing her over the cliff, the reaction of Prince Henry, his appeal?
14. Elodie, finding her stepmother, wounded, the return to confront the Queen, the altercation, the dragon arriving, eliminating the enemies with Fire?
15. The sisters reunited with their stepmother, sailing home, a feisty warrior?

TRACKER

New Zealand, 2010, 102 minutes, Colour.

Ray Winstone, Temuera Morrison, Gareth Reeves.

Directed by Ian Sharpe.

Tracker delivers what its title states.

This is a New Zealand film, a New Zealand story with links to South Africa and the Boer War.

The war is over and defeated Boer, property destroyed, wife and daughters disappeared, decides to migrate to New Zealand, at the same time as veterans who participated in the war are returning home. He is played by veteran British character actor, Ray Winstone.

We are also introduced to some of the New Zealand soldiers, officers who had command in South Africa, beginning the settling back home. There is an interruption to this action when the Maori veteran his court in a sexual relationship with a white woman. Anger breaks out. Racial bigotry breaks out. There are bashings, shootings – with the Maori man going on the run. His played by New Zealand International actor, Temuera Morrison, who made such an impression in the 1990s in once Were Warriors.

The officer sets up a posse to pursue the fugitive, enlisting the talent of the South African, a veteran tracker who finds the fugitive first. The core of the film is the interrelationship between the two, the tracker assuming the guilt of the fugitive, the fugitive stating his case, explaining to the Boer his experience of British colonialism in New Zealand, prejudice, against his grandfather and father, the hanging of his father. And, we the audience, know that is not guilty of the shooting for which she is pursued.

Because we know the truth of what has happened, the audience is on the fugitive side, hoping that his tracker will begin to understand – but not without fights, taunts, pleading.

This comes to a head when the group of trackers arrive, tie the fugitive up, taunt him. This leads to the tracker having to make a decision, the audience hoping that he will let the fugitive go. The narrative does not quite go in the direction the audience might have been anticipating – but is the better for that. Sad, better.

And, all the time, there is the magnificent New Zealand scenery.

1. The title? The tracker from South Africa, the New Zealand trackers, the Maori man and his being tracked?
2. The setting, after the end of the Boer War, the returning troops, New Zealand, after action and warfare, migrants coming to New Zealand with hopes? The coast, the town and the fort, the beautiful landscapes throughout the film? The musical score?
3. The refugee from the war,Boer, experience of the war, disappearance of his wife and daughters, bitterness, fighting the British? The defeat, the decision to come to New Zealand, expectations? Encounter with the military officer, talking about the war? Becoming involved in the tracking? At the end, the final discussion on the beach with the officer, asking whether he gave the order, the reassurance of the burning house was empty, the photo of the wife and daughters?
4. The officer, his status, the other soldiers, life in the town?
5. The Maori, the sexual activity, with a white woman, the reaction of the soldiers, violence, brutality, the shooting, accusing the Maori? His fleeing?
6. The Maori, the war, his experiences, racial prejudice and bigotry? His fleeing, injured, the South African tracker, finding him, the conflict, the violence, captive? Is revealing his character, his history, colonialism in New Zealand, the British, his father hanged, his pride in his traditions? The pursuit by the officer and his men? Greater understanding on the part of the tracker, the capture, his being tied up, the tracker leaving the knife, his escape? The tracker misleading the pursuers with clues? The eventual capture, the Maori and his plea not to be hanged, the tracker firing the gun, the Maori falling down the waterfall, his finger cut off as proof of death? The tracker leaving him alive? His future, the final enrolment sequence?
7. The pursuers, their stances, predators, their backgrounds, violent military, urbane officer? The issue of leaving the body not to be buried, no more wasting time? And the irony that he was alive?
8. The tracker, deciding to leave for Australia, on the beach, the officer, the issue of the finger, the discussion about the episode in the war?