I very rarely buy movies on video unless they are what I consider a "must have". LadyHawke is one of those movies that I just had to own. It is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. A blend of action, mystery, romance, and a touch of humor along with beautiful cinematography make this story one that stays with you long after you've seen it.

      The story starts with a thief, Phillipe Gaston, who escapes from the dungeons of Aquila only to find himself reluctantly involved with the mysterious Etienne Navarre. Navarre, the former captain of the guard of the Bishop of Aquila, is now a fugitive, an enemy of the same man he protected. Phillipe is very uncomfortable with the mysterious nature of his new acquaintance.

PHILLIPE: "Sir, the truth is, I talk to God all the time, and,
no offense, but he never mentioned you."
*~Click Picture to hear the quote~*

      And Phillipe does talk to God all the time. His one-sided conversations provide much of the humor within the story. Phillipe notices that Navarre seems to have a pet hawk, one that is constantly in his presence, whether it rides along with him on his beautiful horse, Goliath, or soaring overhead.

      Evening falls on the first day of their meeting and the pair rest for the night. Navarre gives Phillipe strict instructions not to disturb his sleep lest he hurt him unknowingly. Phillipe is sent out to tend to the horse and gather firewood, and as he mutters about his new state of "slavery" Phillipe hears the growl of a wolf nearby. In a panic he rushes back to the barn where Navarre is sleeping, calling "Sir! Sir! A wolf!".
      A cloaked figure appears and Phillipe halts, startled. The cloak-clad woman is very beautiful. She says nothing but "Shhhh..." and goes out into the night.

      Within minutes, Phillipe sees the woman in the distant wood...accompanied by the wolf! Perplexed and confused are understatements about Phillipe's mind at this point. By the next morning, Phillipe has convinced himself that the entire experience was a dream and discusses the events with Navarre, who seems very interested.

      Meanwhile, the Bishop of Aquila has been informed of Navarre's return to the area. The Bishop sends his guards out to hunt down and kill his enemy, Navarre. The guards are persistent in their cause and find Navarre and a battle ensues. Navarre fights valiantly while the hawk soars overhead, sometimes swooping down upon the Bishop's guards, frightening them to the point where they fall off their horses. But Navarre is struck by an arrow in his shoulder, and to his horror he watches as an arrow strikes his faithful hawk. The hawk screeches as it falls to the ground, Navarre finishes the battle and rushes to find that the hawk is badly wounded. Distressed, with the late afternoon sun signaling the nearing of the end of the day, Navarre gently wraps the hawk in a piece of cloth and hands it over to Phillipe. He gives Phillipe a mission. Phillipe must bring the hawk to an old abandoned castle where there is a priest who can help the hawk. Phillipe finds the priest, Imperius (another comedic element in the story), and entrusts the hawk into his care.

Phillipe: "We can't eat this bird!"
Imperius: "What? Oh God, is it Lent again already?"
*~Click Picture to hear the quote~*

      Imperius takes the bird into the castle ruins and lays it on soft bedding. He looks at the sky and decides that he needs to wait a little longer to help the bird. He shoos Phillipe outdoors to wait. After sundown, Phillipe's curiosity gets the better of him and he sneaks into the castle. There on the bedding, where the hawk had lain, now lies the beautiful, mysterious woman he'd seen during the past few nights. Now Phillipe is starting to understand this mystical, yet frightening situation he's inadverdently found himself involved.

      Imperius explains the story to Phillipe. He tells him of this beautiful woman, Isabeau, who was the daughter of a count. Her beauty attracted many suitors, among them the notorius Bishop of Aquila. Isabeau, however, had given her heart to the Captain of the Guard, Navarre; and upon learning this the Bishop became so jealous that he swore that if he could not have Isabeau, then no one would. The Bishop turned to the evil one and through the powers of hell, cast a curse on the lovers. This mystical relationship is the result of that curse.

IMPERIUS: "By day Isabeau is the beautiful bird you brought to me.
And by night, as you have already guessed,
the voice of the wolf that we hear is the cry of Navarre."
*~Click Picture to hear the quote~*

      Now, this unlikely pair -- the priest and the thief -- form a bond, one in which they are determined to find a way to bring these two lovers together again in human form. Imperius thinks he has found a way to break the curse, but convincing Navarre is difficult. Navarre is set on killing the Bishop; and if he succeeds, the curse will go on forever never to be broken. Will Phillipe and Imperius succeed?

      At this point I cannot tell you for if you have not seen this beautiful movie yet, I don't want to ruin the ending. And...if you haven't seen this movie, please treat yourself! Your senses will be filled with its wonderful music and stunning imagery, and I guarantee your heart will be touched, too.

      I do want to share with you what I feel is the most heart-wrenching scene in this story:     Though Navarre and Isabeau are prevented from seeing each other in their human forms; sometimes at dawn and at dusk, for a fleeting moment, they may catch a glimpse of one another. In the scene I speak of Isabeau is lying with the wolf as he sleeps. She runs her fingers through his soft fur, then notices that dawn is approaching. She watches as the wolf slowly begins to take on human form, his fur changing to flesh. Navarre opens his eyes, turns, and sees Isabeau in her human form, surrounded by the early morning rays of sun. With great sadness, yet also with joy and passion, they reach out to touch each other, fingers glowing from the dawn light; but before they can make contact, Isabeau is transformed into the hawk and flies away. Navarre screams out in anguish and frustration.

This scene always sends chills through me,
and even writing about it has the same effect!


The description of this tale is written by Mystic, based on viewing the movie too many times to count. I skipped over many wonderful parts in the movie and I may have mixed up a few details of some scenes. I hope you enjoyed this tale despite my lack of experience at storytelling.