The keyword of this movie is transformation, both physical and mental, physically for the lovers, while mentally for Phillips and the preist, who both done wrong things before, and got redemption in the end. The only one main character who didn't change is the bishop, who sold his soul to evil power and drives crazliy by his own desire.
Also, the movie combines fantasy with philosophy perfectly. The curse makes the lovers live a one-half life and fate to be "Always together, always apart" and let the curse broken on the eclipse moment implie philosophy of life, time, opposite, day and night, exchage, ect. One funny thing is that most of the philosophical words are spoken by Phillip, who was once a thief, which sounds ironic and bitter, but showing that some wise and brave mind may hide below the disgraceful surface, which the ashamed history may be caused by unforced power, like poverty and miserable childhood, and also which may make no effects to let the man be the others' truest friends.
Then, great compliment to roles-selective job. The young Michelle Pfeiffer is stunningly beautiful, and she plays in a softble way. Rutger Hauer plays a persistent and tough knight, who would like to sacrifice anything for love, and thinking of him, also remind me of his unbelivable spontenous performance in Blade Runner (1995, Ridley Scott), which makes the lines (All of moments will be lost in time, like stars in rain, time to die. ) become one of the most classic ones in film history. Also, Matthew Broderick interprets the vulgar bumpkin quite successfully in a vivid way, cute and premature. John Wood creates a evil, cold blood bishop, who paid his life as price of the cruel curse.
The only thing that hard to embrace is the ancient version on-road midi style of music, which makes the soundtrack barely belong to a consistent genre.
