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Clip description
The villagers have emerged on the other side of their deep pit and discovered a glittering modern city. One of them has pronounced this the work of God, which is why Ulf (Noel Appleby) doesn’t realise the danger he’s in when he tries to cross a busy highway clutching a wooden carving of the Virgin Mary.
Curator’s notes
A tremendously effective and memorable scene that persuasively shows the reactions we might realistically imagine from medieval visitors encountering a busy late 20th century highway for the first time. The scene successfully leads viewers into seeing their own world with new eyes. The scene is shot in colour to emphasise the contrast between this new world and medieval Cumbria, whose scenes were filmed mostly in black-and-white (see clip one).
The religious symbol of the Virgin Mary is just one of many Christian motifs deployed throughout the film. Ulf wears something on his back that resembles an angel’s wings – a possible indication of what he takes the cars and trucks to be. His horrified companions in contrast seem to see them as monsters, the spawn of the devil.
