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The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988)

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clip Angels and monsters

Original classification rating: PG. This clip chosen to be PG

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

by Lynden Barber

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.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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