Richard Donner’s fantasy adventure stars Rutger Hauer as medieval knight Etienne Navarre and Matthew Broderick as Phillipe Gaston, his knave of an equerry. As the pair travel through France, Gaston is puzzled by the hawk that follows them by day and the wolf he sees at night. Slowly, he pieces together the puzzle.
Navarre and the beautiful Isabeau d’Anjou (Michelle Pfeiffer) were lovers, but the jealous Bishop of Aquila (John Wood) placed a curse on them: by day, she is a hawk, by night he is a wolf; their only meetings in human form are fleeting contacts at dawn and dusk. Only the Bishop’s confessor, Imperious (Leo McKern), who laid the curse, can lift it and it is up to Gaston to use all his trickery to see the lovers united in human form forever.
cast
Matthew Broderick as Phillipe Gaston
Rutger Hauer as Captain Etienne Navarre
Michelle Pfeiffer as Isabeau d’Anjou
Alfred Molina as Cezar
John Wood as Bishop of Aquila
Leo McKern as Father Imperius
Ken Hutchison as Marquet
Giancarlo Prete as Fornac
Loris Loddi as Jehan
Charles Borromel as Insane Prisoner
Massimo Sarchielli as Innkeeper
Nicolina Papetti as Mrs. Pitou
Alessandro Serra as Mr. Pitou
Venantino Venantini as Bishop’s Secretary
Nanà Cecchi as Bishop’s Woman
Gregory Snegoff as Cart Driver
Benito Stefanelli as Bishop’s Guard
Giovanni Cianfriglia as Fornac’s Men (uncredited)
crew
Director: Richard Donner
USA | 121 minutes | 1985
