The Last Unicorn: A Love Letter to Humanity

[@arourallis]

Molly's heartbreak hits different when you pass a certain age... the Unicorn isn't just the nebulous concept of innocence, but all the stories you ever told yourself, all the tales you ever believed about growing up, but have since given up on. You've consigned yourself to 'reality', and when misery has long become the bitter, normal sting at the back of your throat- The Unicorn appears too late. When you are This. Broken. Jaded. Beyond help or saving by the fairytale heroics of your youth. And you'd almost rather have never met the Unicorn at all, because at least then... you could live knowing you'd never have anything but Normal. That there were no Unicorns, and there never will be.

[@marinaschulze1350]

I dont know. I think alone that i know unicorns exist wherever I see them our not there exist is the only think who could keep me going. Knowing that wonders and.magic exist not for me but for some kind innocent soul who deverved it.

[@cedricburkhart3738]

How the heck are trans women relevant to this at all?

[@unionunicorn6776]

This, but I feel this about true love. To find true love is like finding a unicorn. Even if you did find it, nobody would even believe you. 💔

[@cedricburkhart3738]

@@unionunicorn6776 Well my dad did.🤷 My grandparents did 🤔 I'm descended from men who did.

[@kaleanaking5292]

@@cedricburkhart3738pretty sure they were speaking on their view, not that it doesn’t exist for others. No one said it’s impossible but it is like finding a “unicorn” to find a loving and hardworking partner that will last a lifetime (ideally both of yours). You don’t need to be snarky or dismissive of others views, especially since you don’t have their same life experience or viewpoint.

[@Lalaland666-k3x]

I remember watching this as a kid and being confused when she said “now that I’m a woman everything has changed” now that I’m older and have been going through puberty, now I understand

[@roxassora2706]

I liked it because of the unicorn. Now I understand.

[@z-nab27]

if this is not a summary of maturing from girlhood i don’t know what is!

[@haleymadzi]

i am her

[@marymac3572]

Molly Grue being heartbroken at the Unicorn coming to her after life has taken so much really hits different now.

[@cucumber-9]

@@marymac3572 i cried so hard watching that scene, now, as an adult woman

[@gwendlevs.everything9178]

Correction - Schmendrick can see the unicorn for what she is, from the beginning. He LIES to Mommy Fortuna because if she knows that he can see the real unicorn she will watch him more closely or keep him away from the unicorn and he won’t be able to help her escape. You can tell that he’s lying because of the way he falters with his words, and because while he’s lying they show the unicorn through his eyes, as a unicorn (when the old man and the sideshow assistant call her a mare we see her through their eyes, horn removed). Plus, he tells us that he was lying the first time he talks to her: “I know you; if I was blind I would know what you are.”

[@undertowproject]

I think my favourite quote from the book is “Whatever can die is beautiful - more beautiful than a unicorn, who lives forever, and who is the most beautiful creature in the world. Do you understand me?” I think that that touches on the beauty of all that is fleeting. It is beautiful because it doesn't last. Like cherry blossoms or a sunset, it may be something that you only see or experience for a short while, but leaves a profound impact.

[@miriamrobarts]

This reminds me of another quote: " 'Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.' - that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know" ― John Keats Even things that aren't traditionally thought of as beautiful can have their own kind of beauty because it's honest and true. Something that is imperfect but real and honest is better than something that is fake. It also makes me think of looking for the hidden beauty in a thing or a situation. While taking a photography class, I took a picture of a manhole cover at night after it had rained. The light sparkled across the textures of the street & metal, like fairy lights twinkling in the dark. When we look at things from a different perspective or in another light, we can find beauty and truths we otherwise would have missed.

[@MO--rn4zh]

"Whether a tree lives to see the end of centuries Or a random hand picks it instantly Life is art, a miracle for all to see I must tell you that you lived beautifully." Luv(sic) pt 5 - Nunjabes ft. Shing02 life isn't always beauty and death is scary as it is inevitable, but being alive makes us beautiful. i breathe and therefore I'm beautiful :)

[@fairyfarms]

shedding tears now thank you

[@bearry8827]

When I was 3 or 4 my dad came home from a camping trip with a camcorder. He took a video of a white horse, and told me and my sister it was a unicorn. We "couldn't see the horn because it was in disguise." We believed him. My dad was the one who showed us The Last Unicorn on a little DVD player while camping. Watching TLU year after year growing up I've always come away with something else everytime. I feel closer to my dad when I watch movies he showed me, and this one was the first and is the closest to my heart.

[@rushellepeterkin3768]

What a sweet treat of a memory

[@heathercook691]

"Where have you been?" I'll never forget Molly's voice. I was also a little girl who wanted so desperately to find unicorns in the world. Thank you for making this video so that I could come back to the world of the Last Unicorn.

[@Futurebound_jpg]

i also found that part, her voice, to be haunting, even as a little kid.

[@jadeholmes5669]

"The age I stopped searching for fairies was the same age I stopped searching for god." My god, i had to pause and write that down, it hit so hard.

[@MikuArts_1511]

Why 😅

[@Nesdotdotdot]

SAMEE it was such a beautiful line

[@ripcactusify]

yknow i feel like the age i stopped searching for fairies was the same age i was forced into religion. now i'm back to searching for fairies again, but in a different way (gay).

[@tbprnc]

Same here, but it was the day I stopped searching for unicorns.

[@isabellebacosa1810]

No literally I’m watching this in the background at work and I almost started crying like dang okay 😭😭

[@germanplantguy3133]

Schmendric knew that she was a unicorn from the very beginning. He said it was a mare because he wanted to fool Mommy Fortuna

[@daresaryan8229]

Yes. You're right. He definitely knew from the beginning ❤

[@chrissyswoo]

He knew. When Ruhk was asked by Mommy Fortuna what he could see and he looked, the horn wasn't there. When she asked Schmendrick and he looked the horn is back. Also, it explains why he starts talking to her.

[@ImperiumSilverCrystal]

Exactly. He was lying so that Mommy Fortuna wouldn't suspect him.

[@schizbarbie]

get you a mans who sees you for the unicorn you are ✨

[@kalindazsiga1144]

It's true. The book is more detailed and worth a read 🙏🏼

[@joco4268]

This has been my favourite movie since I was a child. It remains so today, even as a 28 year old woman. The book is my favourite too, and I highly recommend everyone who loves the movie read it. I have never felt the same magic within my soul from any other story than I felt from this one ✨♥️

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Ahhh I relate so deeply! This film and story is so special 💖

[@OMGu2knew]

It used to terrify me but my big sister made me watch it over and over and over again and now I like it too 🦄

[@Squella7]

I remember renting it on VHS so many times as a child. Everything about it intrigued, confused, and moved me. Its darkness was a huge part of its beauty. Thanks for the recommendation on the book!

[@joco4268]

@@Squella7 I often find the most beautiful stories are the ones touched by darkness. The book is equal parts haunting and hopeful and contains some of the most poetic observations about the human condition that I have ever encountered. I hope you end up loving it as much as I do!

[@ShimmerBodyCream]

I recommend Juliet Marillier. Similar story teller. 😀

[@HaruDoneYet]

The moment the unicorn becomes a human and wails at the thought of death reminds me of when kids have that realization. You go from an innocent being who didn’t give death a second thought to suddenly realizing that you and those around you aren’t permanent.

[@BecciTK]

A note on the scene were Molly meets Amalthea. The "innocence" does not only end at Molly's lost childlike worldview but also refers to the loss of virginity. It is easy to see that the unicorn imagery of the movie is more akin to the myth of the beast from the late medieval ages than our modern understanding. Back then when people still believed they were real, it was said in scriptures like the bestiary, that to hunt a unicorn one needs a virgin to lure the creature out of the forest. But if the woman was not a virgin the unicorn will kill her in an instant. This can give more context to Molly's breakdown at seeing a unicorn when she is already a snarky, married woman. As it could have also been her demise, according to those old beliefs. An additional side note on the topic of salvation from the same chapter: In medieval times the unicorn was also often used as an allegory for Christ. There are many depictions of a unicorn hunt with angel Gabriel chasing the creature into the garden where Mary resides and onto her lab- symbolizing the conception despite Marys status as a virgin. (On top of that- This film is also a beloved Christmas movie in Germany as a little fun fact)

[@arwenspicer]

Good points. Also, Molly's not even a married woman; she is, as the video noted, Cully's mistress, so really she's a "fallen woman," even more shame, loss, rejection, and disappointment.

[@cat-pl7sj]

I can confirm that I always used to watch this on Christmas as a child :) beautiful times

[@starryskies113]

@@arwenspicershe was forced to

[@saiyamoru]

'The Last Unicorn' was the first song I ever memorized as a child. It's crazy that this video just dropped - I was reading the book last night again. The scene where Molly Grue meets the unicorn brings me to tears every time - I always thought I'd get desensitized to it eventually but nope, it still feels like a spike in my heart every time. I can't appreciate Peter S. Beagle's writing enough.

[@Gettingsomewhere8241]

I was obsessed with this movie as a kid (that and the legend) and I remember the scene with Molly being mad amalthea when meeting for the first time I was confused as a kid as to why she was mad but always felt really sad for Molly until I understood why when I rewatch it when I was 23 why molly felt that way, now at 35 rewatching this movie hits even more differently than when I was 6 or 23 I still enjoy it but it feels very melancholy and evocative then whimsical and forlonging, this movie becomes new with age with me I wonder what it will be like when I'm 40 or 60 or 80 yrs old

[@saiyamoru]

This is my favorite scene in the book for exactly that reason. But the voice actress in the movie gave an incredible performance. I can't read those lines without hearing the anguish of, '*where have you been?*'

[@Gettingsomewhere8241]

@@saiyamoru yes! same

[@morgan7003]

watched this movie in a children's hospital as a kid when i was sick. couldn't remember much from that time but i rediscovered this movie recently and the line "i can feel this body dying around me" still gets me to this day. very glad to hear your analysis!

[@vanishingmoon1]

I cried a couple times while watching this. The last unicorn and the various themes it weaves into its storytelling never fail to move me. Forever my favorite book and film.

[@Butterfly__fairy]

I super recommend the book by Peter S Beagle - the characters feel so alive and the dynamic between Shmendrick, Molly, and the Unicorn is so lovely and at times heartbreaking to see! The prose is like poetry where the language has the power to fill your mind for long after you’ve read it. It’s my favorite book and the love it has for humanity and storytelling is truly something everyone who loves the movie should read! 🦋🌷

[@withelisa]

Thank you I will! I've held a deep love for this movie as long as I can remember, and I'll let this recommendation be the final push to actually read the book. ❤

[@Butterfly__fairy]

@@withelisa I’m so happy my comment is moving you to read it 🤭 I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! When I was young, I rented the movie from the library and it was such a confusing yet beautiful narrative that I always hoped I could experience for the first time again - for me, that happened when I read the book ❤ (I’m hoping to get my hands on the graphic novel version some day!)

[@Rietto]

@@withelisa There is also a short sequel story, 'Two Hearts', that is combined with the main novel in some editions. For many years it wasn't easily available.

[@jillsarah7356]

Yes he also wrote the script for the movie!

[@kkorova]

How could one forget the song “I’m aliveeeeee, I’m aliiiiiiiveeeee”. This movie along with Spirit makes me weep nonstop.

[@rushellepeterkin3768]

Omg Spirit BROKE me as a 6/7 year old

[@motorcitymangababe]

14:57 iirc in the book part of Molly's breakdown is because her culture had a tradition of seeing if a unicorn would show up to prove a maiden/ bride to be's virtue. No one showed up for Molly and it ruined her life. Makes her "how dare you cone to me now when im like this" hit even harder if thats possible. (And if im wrong im damn confused as to where i got that cause i havent read many unicorn books)

[@ozarklisa1199]

I loved this movie. The soundtrack alone was beautiful. Watched it over and over.

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Agreed! So unique and stunning

[@Picklejuice-oo5gg]

I’ll never forget the first time when I watched this movie I was 5 years old and I was watching it with my dad and when it came to the part where Amalthea was turned into a human I remember turning around to see my dad crying while he watched it and I sadly never got to ask him why he was crying

[@serenedaoud]

I am a 48 year-old Palestinian artist and film maker, the Last Unicorn really marked me when i saw it as a child. You've articulated what I had been aware of all these years, that being Palestinian in a world that denies my existence has felt like being the same as The unicorn is this story. I've long felt a kinship with all mythological creatures because of this. I've been working on creating my own story about this very theme, the Last Unicorn being one huge inspiration. I'm looking at the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. So glad to see your work here, thank you. Free Palestine

[@Penultimate1785]

LOLLLLL

[@mintimin8707]

Free palastine

[@jillsarah7356]

The book and movie script were written by a Jewish man, Peter S. Beagle, and are influenced by life for Jews after The Holocaust. And no, a war, which terrorist group Hamas started, is not the same thing as The Holocaust. Hope that helps

[@jillsarah7356]

@@mintimin8707 Free Palestine from Hamas

[@monaabdelkhaleq8310]

I love this! Free Palestine.

[@gtg488w]

When Amalfea starts to forget who she really is and begins to fully immerse herself in the 3D reality it really reminds me of how we end up how we are. When I was younger I felt like something is off like I’m forgetting something, and hints would pop up often to remind me that something is off, something is missing, something is latent or being hidden. Like to truly know yourself is the missing thing. But as you go along into playing this reality’s games you start to forget who you really are. You forget everything except the BS right in front of you

[@OphranArts006]

18:32 This line struck such a chord with me when I heard it. I was in a similar situation too where I feared death despite being actively suicidal and hurting myself due to how cruel I felt life was to me, for I had forever felt isolated from everyone I had known, growing up a queer neurodivergent child away from her homeland. I remember how often I struggled to sleep because I feared that that nighttime rest would be my forever slumber, yet I actively participated in cutting myself because I felt that I didn’t deserve any happiness or kindness that was given to me, for my body had been tainted one way or another by sin. I had etched into my brain that I was a disgusting creature, not even a human, because of my past actions, which only had taken place due to my loss of innocence, which I never had the chance to properly grieve over(and was also due to me having unlimited internet access but I digress). I developed a gross addiction to both pain and pleasure that only went away when my family discovered my self harm problem, because by then, I felt like I had nothing to hide anymore. I was no longer a freak, a spectacle to be laughed at. I was finally seen as a scared little girl. A scared little girl who just wanted to survive in the end. Even though I identify as genderfluid, including that of masculine identities, this channel is helping me grieve and come to terms with the childhood innocence and girlhood I had lost so many years ago, and I have to applaud it for that. I feel like I’m genuinely healing from all of my trauma. Keep doing what you’re doing!

[@gabriellearrowood3210]

TLU is one of the richest texts (either iteration - the book or the movie) I've ever engaged with, and I have the strongest emotional attachment to it (again, both forms) than any other piece of media. I watch (and read) it semiannually. It breaks my heart how unrecognized it seems to be in the general zeitgeist. So I literally jumped out of my seat in excitement when I saw the thumbnail. Was sobbing by the end. ;p Loved this analysis. The interconnectedness of mortality and femininity is such a huge part of being a woman or someone with a uterus - total mic drop moment when you brought it up, because I cannot recall anyone else being direct about it like you (and I consume any TLU analysis I can find, believe you me, haha), when it's SO IMPORTANT to the story. (Seriously, I'm sure you did your research, so you probably saw how errbody talks about them as two separate themes in the text, not as intertwined.) As an elder millennial, that "I can feel this body dying all around me" line hits hard in a way I am wildly uncomfortable with at this point in my timeline. So to build on your analysis regarding puberty, her transformation back could also represent menopause - another reminder of women's (or people with uterus's) mortality. Like during puberty, menopause leads to changes in the body that can be unsettling or even downright scary, cause discomfort, and serve as a reminder that death is even that much closer. Amalthea will always be immortal, but she has to live with her grief and her regret for the rest of her life. Menopause is often the point where "it's too late" for a lot of things, and can trigger regret. I know so many women that didn't have a chance to have children, didn't get the career they wanted, etc. before menopause and see menopause as the deadline for them and kind of settle for whatever they have. And so they grieve and regret that loss, and I hear that clock ticking (cue Marissa Tomei stomping), and it terrifies me, because life just isn't giving me the chance to do the things I want to do, y'know? I'm kinda rambling, but just... Thank you so much for this.

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Oh wow you’re so right about the transformation back into the unicorn being relevant to menopause! I actually originally had a small line about menopause when I was speaking about women’s inherent relationship to the passing of time but I think I cut it out. It wasn’t in reference to the transformation back into a unicorn however, which is such a great observation. Thank you for sharing 💕

[@gabriellearrowood3210]

@@FinalGirlStudios I hadn't even thought of it myself until your video - which just goes to show how much TLU has to offer! :p

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

As a Beauty & the Beast fan, one of the most common and enduring explorations I've come to love from that story and its various adaptations is humanity vs. animality. Obviously, The Last Unicorn is its own fairytale, but as an adult I've realized that it explores such similar themes. The unicorn sees herself being turned human as the curse, now tormented with the knowledge of her own mortality and the burden of emotions once foreign to her. But by the climax of the film, having spent so long as a human that she no longer remembers what it's like to be a unicorn, she fights against losing what she's gained as a mortal; in particular, the love she's found with Lir. And although as a unicorn she retains some of Amalthea's humanity, tragically, what she recognizes the most from it is the regret. 💔 It's interesting how neither transformation she undergoes is by choice; they're both made *for* and *to* her in a moment of desperate protection, which I think underlines the tragedy of each sudden shift she experiences. 🦄

[@lpchambers3681]

I can never remember the first time I watched this movie, but I know I have been watching it since I was very very small. I watched it so much, my mother would beg me to put on a different movie and to this day she looks as if she’s getting war flashbacks when I talk about it. I never knew what about the movie spoke to little me so much but I always remembered feeling that I was watching something important, even before I could grasp girlhood and womanhood. It was beautiful, heart wrenching, sorrowful and hopeful- whenever I have kids, I’m going to show them this movie.

[@C.DWoods]

I don't usually comment but this video essay struck a chord with me like no other, I may not identify fully with being a woman or have a uterus, but the type of grief of being in a body that doesn't quite fit due to the fleeting inevitability of decay resonates with me. The segment with Andrew Garfield is also so amazing and profound, and the "regret is to have known to have lost and to have loved." I love that line so much and this has to be one of my favorite video essay bravo. Also sorry if my English is bad.

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such kind words!🥹 I’m so glad this essay resonated with you, and ugh yes that Andrew Garfield quote is a quote I often reflect upon I’m so glad I could share it with others! 💕

[@C.DWoods]

@@FinalGirlStudios Of course 😊 I can't wait to see what more amazing videos you have in the works, you always give a well-balanced informative take on whatever you put out. And it helps me understand more perspectives I am not privy to so thank you. 🙌

[@molotovmafia2406]

what a beautiful video! this movie was a childhood favorite of mine, however i've got some additional insights now.. 1. the witch, an elderly woman, being the one to trap amalthea and make her disguise herself is a representation of the way the first acts of violence, restriction and ridicule a girl faces are from other women: our mothers, relatives and peers. they're the ones who teach you how to conduct and censor yourself, to be feminine, beautiful and palatable. 2. becoming a woman is scary not just because of the implications of aging, but also the spiritual rot that consumes you. as girls, we get a brief taste of divinity through youth, beauty, nurture and innocence. discovering one's soul, as well as the body, disintegrates little by little, the more you interact with human society and get accustomed to its injustice and hypocrisy, is horrible - after all, we were BORN to be princesses and goddesses and whatnot! how could our own selfish tendencies, enhanced by society, hinder our TRUE divine nature like that! yet becoming cynical and learning the rules of the game is ultimately the only way to break them: had she not lived as a human, amalthea wouldn't be able to free the other unicorns. 3. the prince's sacrifice is, in turn, the tragedy of the masculine hero: they struggle all their lives to prove themselves, chasing their own version of divinity, and can only really achieve it when they finally "die in battle" and, for example, go to valhalla. a woman's love is frequently seen as salvation - however, notice that it's not the romantic love of amalthea the human who brings him back to life, but the universal sympathy and nobility of amalthea the unicorn. this goes to show that men can't be saved by individual women, but by embracing femininity in its abstract form, including their own.

[@radiocorrective]

Thank you so much for the amazingly thoughtful further insight!!!

[@kalezcozyspace]

i love that you always end up quoting sylvia plath’s journals. in a thrift store i found the abridged version that her husband censored, which i loved, and then i found the more complete version and loved it even more, anaïs nin’s journals as well. for anyone who enjoys these, i can’t recommend Marie Bashkirtseff enough. she began her journals as a 13 year old girl in the late 1800s. the first page begins: “why lie and pose? yes, it is obvious that I have the desire, if not the hope, to remain on this earth, by whatever means. If I don't die young, I hope to remain a great artist; but if I die young, I want to let my diary be published, which cannot be anything other than interesting." she had a chronic illness that she died from at 25, and by that time she had achieved her dream of living in Paris as a well-known artist and was writing feminist papers under a pseudonym. her journals are called I Am The Most Interesting Book Of All. thank you for your videos, i love them all so much and share them with my friends. hi from alabama ❤

[@nordlux7270]

God, I love this movie. It's so beautiful in its dreariness, feminity and message of innate strength. Throughout the entire story, no matter what difficulties she faced, the unicorn never truly forgot what she was searching for, even when she wavered because of her newfound humanity, she still subconsciously sought the other unicorns despite being in constant fear of forgetting and ever-approaching death. The story also highlights time and time again the other main characters' bravery. Only the villains (with exception of Mommy Fortuna because she's just too cool for that) cower in fear when met head on, leading to their ultimate downfall. All in all, despite the overall tone and even ending of the movie having a somewhat bitter-sweet quality, I've still always found it to be incredibly empowering. And watching the unicorn accept her new self with all the pain it might and will bring her, really helped me keep going during my own darkest moments. (P.S.: For the anyone reading this, you should really try watching the german dub version of the movie, the raw emotions of the characters just feel much better represented there.)

[@royceroyce7715]

"how dare you come to me now, when I am this" oh thanks I didn't realize I'd be crying today that VA did an amazing job, holy crap.

[@ImperiumSilverCrystal]

15:07 I will never forgive the new release of this film for cutting out the swearing. Molly Grue screaming: "Damn you! Where have you been!" Is so gut-wrenching.

[@Katfada]

What a beautiful video about a wonderful movie. I was thinking that the "species loneliness" that Amalthea go through it's extractly what depression feels like, being disconected from the rest of the world and grieving the life that we were supose to have, but we didn't. The same grieve that Molly experiance when she meets the unicorn. This was my favorite movie as a child and, as a adult, it still makes me wonder about the true meaning of life.

[@amayasummers8303]

girlhood like godhood quote gets me every time

[@screamqueen3000]

u explained this so beautifully. this movie’s always held a special place in my heart, and as a little girl who loved anything to do with unicorns, it was my favorite. my poor mother thought it was so creepy, but i’d insist on watching it over and over. now that i’m officially a woman and not a girl, everything this movie represents resonates so deeply. feeling caged within my own body, grappling with mortality, and mourning lost innocence r things i struggle with often. it’s tough to articulate. i’ll be honest, this video made me cry a bit, but it’s given me an even deeper appreciation for one of my favorite movies. it’s just nice to know i’m not alone in feeling this way :)

[@deadringer444]

Massive respect for relating this to the genocide perpetrated against the people of Palestine. I barely hear it spoken of with the folks I like to watch on here. Not only are you doing a good thing just speaking about it and against it, but you’re connecting it to a story people greatly empathize with. Much love to you, and FREE PALESTINE

[@Maya-md9yt]

the way my dad would shit on my music taste saying only girls would like Jeff Buckley’s whiny voice and he shows up as a quote in this video 😳

[@zucchinigreen]

Your dad was wrong. Also, Jeff's voice and talent is astounding ❤ I love that he was always in touch with the feminine

[@WynneL]

I never saw religion in Molly or the unicorn. For me, the unicorn represents dreams come to life, happiness, true love, magic... Molly cobbled together a survival, not a life. If the unicorn had come to show her what could be, maybe she'd have been able to dream of a better life for herself. Maybe her joy would've carried her higher than this. God, it's so hard being a woman. Every time some man says "women have it so easy" because we're usually not sent off to war, I just marvel at their ignorance of how often childbirth and men are fatal to women already, in addition to the massive amounts of thankless labor. Sure, society puts its chains on all of us, but I'd take a man's treatment any day.

[@willvandom5105]

This film gave me such an unconfortable feeling that while watching- I wanted for it to end and was actually glad when it was over. I then realized that it was because of the overall somewhat hopeless mood and heavy themes behind of all the beauty of the film. Watching this video was the final catharsis to understand all that I felt

[@danbark4603]

Molly meeting with the Unicorn destroys me every single time, so much sorrow, so much saddness spewed in such a simple scene. Amazing

[@Wishihadmorecoffee]

It is a crime that this only has 13k views. I wish more could find this and share the way I feel upon watching thus. This movie feels like lost media from my childhood, it's meaning echoing faintly but fondly as a well placed memory.

[@eliv444]

Funny, I just watched this film yesterday for the first time and kept thinking about it. You managed to put so many of my ideas so succinctly. "The age I stopped searching for fairies was the same age I stopped searching for God" MY GOD, WHAT A LINE. That was so raw... now that got me thinking as well. God, growing up is such a painful process, especially for women and girls. Awesome video as always!

[@nariathedorklord6262]

Every single time I see something discussing The Last Unicorn, I tell myself "oh I love that movie, you'll enjoy this." I forget how much that movie destroys me and now here I am 30 minutes later sobbing over the broken childhood wonder I once had. Thank you.

[@balou99]

This was a beautiful. You’ve put into words things that I somehow always knew deep down yet never managed to fully come to terms with, let alone express them as you did. Thank you

[@ww3196]

I'd love to see you cover Princess Tutu, it's a 2003 magical girl anime about ballet and fairy tales. It deconstructs archetypes while holding up femininity and empathy and kindness. And, notably, there are two girls who love the same boy, and yet they maintain a lovely friendship until the end, even as the story pits them against each other repeatedly. Please please cover it! I cannot go into more detail without spoiling it all and it is too good to spoil in a simple comment.

[@rafagreeneviera8476]

I cannot tell you how much I relate to this essay, this movie means a lot to me precisely because of everything you said, so many points you made I've been thinking about a lot lately and this was honestly cathartic, I've been grieving my innocence intensely and been exhausted with my existence for some months now, been looking at pictures of myself as a little girl in my dollhouse and cried myself to sleep yearning for those moments. The scene where Molly Grue meets Amalthea for the first time makes me cry for this very reason. So this resonated so deeply with me and I feel like this video came right when I needed it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed some tears. I relate to this so much. Thank you

[@thismachinekillsmusic2]

I couldnt agree more!

[@Coulkitty52415]

I gotta stop watching your videos at work got me crying for no reason

[@bowbow5289]

this movie is everything to me.

[@haley_th]

I truly did not expect an interview of Andrew Garfield to make me cry today

[@poppyseed890]

This movie had such a strong impact on me and moved me deeply when I was a child/teenager/young adult. It is such a beautiful, sad, terrifying and philosophical piece of art with a score to die for. Even though I didn't understand everything as a child, I instinctively felt how much truth there was - in all of the characters. Everything about this movie still moves me to tears.

[@hercreation]

This is the most beautiful video essay I’ve ever watched

[@FelicityUwU]

That was beautiful. I nearly cried and it stuck with me so much I watched it a second time a few minutes later. That sponsorship was a whiplash tho, my gosh-

[@Kate_Maysilver]

I love how beautiful and painful you discuss this film. The quotes give a deeper meaning to the elements shown. The connection to real human experiences through these quotes is amazing. When I first watched The Last Unicorn as a child I knew it was sad but could not truly understand. As a woman now I relate to such pain felt by these characters and have learned to love such details. Thank you for renewing my love for this film.

[@snipping.thorns]

This was such an excellent video analysis. Truly amazing. The first 10 minutes really struck me when you compared girlhood to God. Something we want to believe in, but something we haven't truly seen because girls are often pushed to mature at young ages. I'm 27 but i feel younger now than i did at even 9 years old, so I relate to the scene where Molly says "How dare you come to me now... when i am this..." There is a grief i have felt since turning 27, mourning a version of myself i could have been if i had been allowed to be a kid and if my interests had been nurtured. I'm finally doing what ive always wanted to do (jewelry making and songwriting), but it took a lot of working with my unconscious mind to get to this point to allow myself to be true to myself. I remember thinking it was selfish to want attention or to want to feel seen, which set me back YEARS in my development as an artist. I remember being so concerned about doing things "right" that i didnt let myself have fun. Or i thought of myself as "girl" instead of "kid." I remember 2 of my guy friends came over in elementary school and we played dinosaurs and video games. And i felt the need to put these kids high heels on that my aunt got me and offer snacks. I didnt have a crush on either of them, they were just the homies. But in my mind i thought it was my role to be a "girl" not a "kid." There was also a time my brother and i were playing with art supplies. He was having fun and doing what he wanted but i was so concerned with doing it "right." I got mad at him for doing something "wrong" and my mom said it didnt matter and "she liked what he did." Those memories have been coming back to me whenever i think about growing up as a "girl." Theres a sense of responsibility put on girls that isnt put on boys. Girls are taught to not only be responsible for themsleves, but for everyone around them. I honestly thought that i couldn't pursue my dreams because i had to take care of others. But that was never my responsibility. This also reminded me of a concept Mina Le pointed out. She talked about how women became seen as more holy when Christianity declined in popularity. Paraphrasing : "when men stopped going to church and worshipping heaven, they started referring to women as heavenly angels." I loved this point because it ties into the connection between girlhood, god, and nature you mention in this video. When men lack a connection with spirituality and the natural world, they try to fill that connection with a woman. Spirituality is meant to give people a sense of purpose and connection. But spirituality requires diving into spirit and into the unconscious. So i have noticed a lot of men will use partnership with a woman to avoid doing their spiritual work. Or they put the burden of their spiritual work on their partner instead of doing it themselves. (Women do this too btw. I have seen women try to use "finding a husband" as their purpose. Those marriages never last.)

[@JohnDRuddyMannyMan]

This was one of my favourite films growing up: it lives rent free in my mind, particularly the grief.

[@grim_starch]

This touched me, the ending going over how grief is just the love that we didn’t get to show hurt to face as I’m still grieving my dad’s death after 7 years. I used to think grief was nothing but sadness and loss but recognizing it stems from the love I have for others brings me some comfort. This was a beautiful video and I’m glad I had to opportunity to watch it 🤍

[@Zyra19]

Soon as the end credits roll I start sobbing everytime, no other film has ever had me overcome with such indescribable emotion. You have managed to put so much of it into words.

[@maddoghenry8152]

I don't care what people think when they read this, but I feel like there will never be another chance for me to tell this story again without judgment, so here it goes. Growing up, I cannot emphasize just how important magic was to me. I barely lived in the present, and my parents would worry about how much I loved imagining fantastical scenarios and stories. I actively searched for magic in every aspect of my life. I would go outside and always try and find a magic creature or secret door, and was always disappointed when I found nothing. I made fairy villages and left food out for Peter Pan every night. I woukd have countless imaginary friend I would talk too and go on adventures together with. I was convinced that if I tried hard enough I could find it, I just had to prove myself worthy of finding it. Another thing to know about me, is that I hated the thought of growing up. This was partially because I was super obsessed with Peter Pan and Neverland, but growing up just seemed painful and lonely. Being a quiet kid, adults would always forget I was there and would complain about their jobs, spouses, kids, and very lives, and they all sounded miserable. And in almost all fairy tales, adults were side characters that did not get to experience magic unless already born into it. I watched my older siblings grow up and how much pain and fear they experienced and hated it. Whenever people asked if I was excited to learn to drive, to get a job, to get married, or to be a mother I simply said no, because I truly did not want to and it was the one thing I could not imagine. Though I wasn't avoiding responsibility if you think that was what I was afraid of, I actually loved imagining myself as magical mother or teacher or warrior, what I feared was losing magic, as adults did constantly in media. To the point I cried on my birthday a few times thinking I would forget magic. Then came the day I was told magic was not real. I was destroyed. My entire world and sense of self was gone in an instant. I tried to replace magic with God, but that failed me as well when I was forcibly stolen of the last scrap of my innocence, only to be constantly told how I was broken and not worthy because of that every Sunday I went to church. No one has truly understood that losing magic wasn't just losing a fun plaything for me it was a loss of my hope. Thoughts of magic were my driving force, my reason to exist for so long, and then it was ripped away from me and I was expected to just deal with it and move on. It came to a point where I wished I had never learned about magic. If I was going to be denied it, why even offer me the chance to dream for it? I am an adult now, and I have matured a lot, but deep inside me, there is still a little girl who cries over the fact thag I would no longer be worthy of magic if it were to exist. She still mourns the loss of magic in our life that I can never get back.

[@savannah2607]

Thank you for sharing. I feel less alone

[@WolfgangXP65-67]

Try looking up MeowWolf's art and go deeper into that style to find your niche. I think what you will find and aspire to do will help you regain your wish for magic. You relied on magic coming to you, but have you realized you can create your own magic through art and storytelling? You built your entire personality on the mere wish for magic to come to you and all that is fantastical to face you, but do you realize that you may still have that imagination? I know this may sound cheesy, but put your heart to something like this, I think your life may be complete. I am on a journey myself, not to find magic, but to find the soul of he earth through art and music. I had somewhat of an imagination but there was something inside me that felt something deeper than what we had in our world today, something that is the core of how we live, and where we are and our state of being. I have no goal at the moment but I am trying to find it my own way.

[@eminemilly]

I relate to the Peter pan and not wanting to drive and get a job and adults sounding miserable. Do you think it would've been better if they'd told you magic like the movies wasn't real , that it is in our imaginations and dreams and fun to pretend and wish it's real. That nature and love and goodness can seem like magic. and that sense of wonder and awe at the universe and our existence. And maybe the bad and unpleasant painful realities are really a kind of dark magic.. I don't know, i love science and nature too. So i don't want my child to feel like you like theres no magic but i don't want her to imagine itvis all real and then have it ripped away from her either. What do you think would have helped you as a child or now

[@breannajefferson912]

I LOVED this movie as a kid, I still watch it when I'm feeling down. The soundtrack and score are so so good!

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Ahh yes I adore this film as well 🥰

[@Warmcinnamon]

This entire video is so beautifully explained and put together. It brought me to tears multiple times. Becoming a woman is the equivalent of death, experiencing the grief of our prior life as little girls, the grief of our innocences, and freedom that we all once had, only for it to all to get stripped and burned away by the eye of society. Though we are taught to forget our lives as little girls, that little girl always seems to still lurk in our soul, never truly leaving us.

[@MimisRoom333]

Thank you as always for sharing your deep understanding of girlhood and the world. These videos always help me understand myself and feel that I’m heard. I’ve always loved this movie and I feel that after watching this I love it even more. I hope you continue making these videos 🦋

[@horselover4185]

Thank you for making this video!! This movie was so important to me growing up, I’ve been waiting for someone to comment on it:)

[@jamonsommer6510]

As a man who has difficulty connecting with people sometimes, I found this to be a beautiful departure from what I usually find meaningful because there’s a genuine soul in this story and in understanding these feelings. I saw it when I was a kid, and of course this all was WAY over my head. Revisiting it now I’m glad I can get perspectives like this, because at those points I AM able to understand since you’re able to convey these thoughts so genuinely. That probably takes a lot of courage given the oppressive atmosphere that this video articulates so well. As a philosophy major I enjoy stories with some meaning. Now, truly understanding this film, it hits me at another level. Definitely going to share!

[@Thenewboidahlia]

Oh this whole video is beautiful, had me in tears as soon as Molly showed up

[@sarahshaw-sehgal1146]

Wow this hit me really hard. This movie made me cry as a girl, and now seeing it through adult eyes it makes me cry again in a totally new way. Thank you!!

[@Astrolionking]

I’m a trans man who is still very feminine and my womanhood has always something I’ve always battled with. I never know how to feel about it and it’s hard to put it in to words on how I feel about my womanhood. And it always feels like I’m betraying my womanhood for my fellow AFABs.

[@TheCountOfMommysCrisco]

Came for some nostalgia for one of my favorite childhood comfort movies. Left with a deep emotional breakthrough regarding the loss of my mother last year. From B-Team Spider-Man, of all people. KZbin is really crazy sometimes. Thank you for introducing me to Garfield's insights, they really are profound. Very thought-provoking essay all-around.

[@neomilw4703]

I remember watching this as a kid. Boy, so much of this was lost on me. Your breakdown and now being an adult, boy this had many, many layers

[@irelandcook8298]

Amalthea suddenly being thrusted to being a woman, to me at least, relates back to the loss of innocence in terms of suddenly going through puberty. A lot of girls start the early ages of puberty early in their lives, myself included. I was told that when you got your period you were in the early stages of being a woman: even though I was 8, I had acne, sudden increase in body weight, body hair, etc, so by the time I had my period, I was well into puberty and had felt a loss of innocence over the course of 3 years. Seeing Amalthea breakdown at the thought of being a woman hit me hard once I was old enough to understand. I could relate to her about feeling abnormal in a body that was slowly dying and feeling so bitter early in life. "Now that I'm a woman, everything has changed" makes me sorrowful for the girl that had to grow up faster than her peers.

[@ironman_546]

Actual tears. Thank you for this

[@faithd2834]

I just watched this movie for the 1st time a week ago. Usually I'm quick to pick up and metaphors and subtext but with this movie I was a little confused by the pacing; distracted but the art and music. This is a beautiful analysis video, as perusal!❤

[@katefresina832]

This was a beautiful video. One thing I thought about is the book, on which is based. In the book, it's mentioned that before the unicorns disappeared they would appear a bride as proof of the bride's virginity, as only unicorns would approach pure girls, though we later learn it is someone with a pure heart, not a girl's virginity. For me, it's when Molly Gru says in the book ''Molly laughed with her lips flat. "And what good is it to me that you're here now? Where were you twenty years ago, ten years ago? How dare you, how dare you come to me now, when I am this?" She summed herself up with a flap of her hand: barren face, desert eyes, and yellowing heart. "I wish you had never come. Why did you come now?" The tears began to slide down the sides of her nose'' And I think, and I don't know if Beagle's intention but I think this is just telling of how society treats women who are no longer virgins. They are treated as less than others. Also, I see how older women are treated, Molly could very well be middle-aged as pointed out. No longer innocent, she's bitter and jaded. Older women, especially ones like Molly are discarded and no longer thing seen as worthy or valuable. This can also be implied when Molly says ''where were you when I was new?'' Maybe at one point, she was a virgin, but somewhere along the way, maybe before she was married she lost her virginity or it was forcibly taken from her and she was no longer seen as worthy. Forced to run away, she ended up being with the thieves, who were also not seen as worthy by society. And I think Amalthea's appearing to Molly, at her age I think shows that Molly is resorting to her ''worth'' as a woman.

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Wooow!! I got teary eyed reading this, thank you so much for sharing this detail about the book. I agree with you completely. This adds a lot more layered nuance to that scene

[@katefresina832]

@@FinalGirlStudios Thank you so much!! That was always a scene that stuck with me for so long! It always made me tear up as a kid.

[@Shaylah.Ak47]

I cried multiple times during this, thank you for such a masterpiece ❤

[@Mattiefattiepattie]

7:38 Isn't there a moment later in the movie where Shmendrick says to Amalthea "I'd know what you are even if I were blind,"? I always took that as him recognizing her as a unicorn.

[@chattycatty3336]

Yeah she comes back to that

[@Laurafg3752]

Omg you got me listening to the Soundtrack for the first time in years and sobbing at 9am😭 it was one of my favourite movies as a child and eventhough i didn‘t understand a lot of it, I def. felt it all.. Looking forward to the video, I‘m sure it‘s going to be amazing and insightful as usual maybe i will cry again while watching it ahaha ❤️‍🩹✌🏻

[@christopherpoff4117]

The scene where Molly sees the unicorn really struck me, even when I was too young to really understand what was actually meant in its full scope by that scene. It moves me even more readily now that I do.

[@virulence]

“To regret is to have known, to have lost, and to have loved.”

[@StoryTrades]

the book by peter s beagle is my favorite work of literature, and this movie portrayed his work stunningly. i vividly remember buying the book and cracking it open for the first time, and by page 6 i was in tears. the emotions were so raw. they still are.

[@DJ-tg3lr]

Im at work listening to this, and i cried most of the way through. I never watched this film as a kid but you (and the film) just dedcribed a very specific feeling ive never been able to describe. Thank you ❤

[@nanobotxtina5355]

i was never into the last unicorn bc i was obsessed with Pegasus 1991 also voiced by MIA farrow..because it is so lovely and her voice is so hypnotizing and angelic .. in that video when i re-watch it is no wonder it haunts my inner child to this day... so it can not compare ...i truly feel protective of how much more precious it is to the new fad of the last unicorn ...

[@SpencerDragonMonster]

I've loved this movie since I was a kid, it's only gotten better with time, and you've done such a lovely job at articulating the bittersweet magic of its underlying complexity and themes. Thank you! ❤

[@IntergalacticDustBunny]

From any of the Peter Beagle interviews I've read, or from what I gathered from the book, the authors intent wasn't that the Red Bull represented "Toxic Masculinity and Capitalism" nor did the Unicorn represent "Femininity and Godhood", the real message of the story seems to be reality versus fantasy, with the irony that characters already live in a fantasy world (by our standards) most of the one off characters choose the fantasy when presented with a choice and are mislead, whereas the main characters choose reality and they are able to accomplish their goals. So to me the message is to choose to live in reality over choosing a fantasy.

[@Eldoktordoomz]

When I was a 1st grader I’d get dropped off early and we’d get breakfast and they’d play a movie in the cafeteria… there was a day they played this movie and 7yr old me imprinted on a lot from it but the forefront of my memory only that I was TERRIFIED of the Red Bull. That was all I could process, and all I remembered as an adult. Almost 3 decades later a partner told me this was her favorite movie, so I sat and watched it with her. And like you point out in your analysis, I was hit by wave after wave after wave of the trauma/hurt inherent to womanhood that you point out. I understood why she loved it. I saw more easily where her hurts from puberty and early womanhood came from. I understood how it can be isolating to be beautiful too (she is, and for the first time I saw how that can be isolating and pressuring as a young woman) The Sylvia Plath quote/ to be desired is to be hunted fucking crippled me with sympathy. I dunno how to say this eloquently/more gently but the last unicorn is a great playbook for women to be themselves; be empowered, be aware of a malicious world, to find friendships where they can, but never compromise their deep selves.

[@tiegrsidesignsandstudio4794]

Probably my favorite movie as a child. I must have watched it over 100 times, easily. I bought the vhs, then the dvd, and now I own a digital copy. I still watch it every now and again. Fantastic video essay. Thank you for sharing it.

[@clownrat5759]

This is one of the most beautiful and well written videos I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. Masterfully done

[@allywallydd]

As a consumer of many video essays... this was easily one of- if not the- best one I have ever watched. Your points, references, and delivery are incredibly on point, and I have, even as a woman myself, a newfound desire to re-watch The Last Unicorn.

I've just found your channel, and I'm in awe, thank you for your great work

[@seairamanning776]

this will always be my favorite movie it holds such a special place in my heart

[@moonriversou]

Hello, I watched this film on a whim just yesterday because of your video and I felt so seen, this is a beautiful film and I spent the entire day thinking about it today. It's been a while since I've felt this way about any film. Despite labelling myself a film fanatic, I felt kind of like I lost my passion for it but watching this video and your other video where you spoke about Innocence (2004) brought out the fire in my soul again, I'm delighted! I feel like I found a part of myself again, I really appreciate you for that.

[@myragroenewegen5426]

The quote about female anger being particularly stigmatized is apt, but the way it's phrased draws out a new thought from me. Anger, in general, is stigmatized for a reason in both sexes, although not in the same way, or with the same assumptions. There is fear that the raging harpy will destroy the unicorn and her kindly entourage, and this gets at how poorly channeled female rage can be as destructive as male rage - it is powerful and also need discretion and control. Similarly, giving in, or giving up, or sinking into immobilizing melancholy depression seems quite possible for everyone in this world, most of all our female-emblematic unicorn. This story is full of grappling with a world where good things are rare and fading and injustice is staggering, with everybody but the unicorn struggling to secure some form of glory, identity or legacy, in the shadow of their own mortality and impending death, often at the expense of the greater collective good. There is a definite implication, at point, that the human nature and destruction is a creeping curse that constantly has to be mastered, and that may be too much for humans to bear. It's good that this bleakness hides behind wistful aestheticized poetry, or this just wouldn't be kids' story.

[@Ambivlaent]

This video was so perfect

[@honeymeansmel]

So, I just watched the movie so I could see this video and now I have bought the book because I loved it sm lol I loved the part where you emphasised how Amalthea is “pure yet maternal” the song that she sings when she becomes a women says “innocent and wise” things that people put usually opposed to each other. I thought it was beautiful.

[@needsmoretacos4807]

Recently discovered your channel, wonderful work! As an aside, the last unicron was really impactful on me when I was a child, and it's wonderful to hear such an incredible dissection and analysis of this film ❤

[@tamarag3168]

When i saw the title i got SO excited!!! Great video❤️

[@ladyjunehi]

This movie was such big part of my childhood 🥰

[@samiansley5740]

As an adult, I hunted this movie down on dvd bc I had to watch it again. I was so delighted at how it held up and what it meant to me now, different from childhood but still magical. ❤❤ When I saw a condor, which looks like this harpie, I cried, so long was it intertwined in my love of this movie and the ways it represents femininity.

[@fatefulthreads]

I highly recommend reading the book, there's a theory that Molly Grue might actually be King Haggard's daughter and there is evidence that supports this in the book. There's a lot more to Schmendrick and Lir as well. Also, the name Amalthea is actually older than Greek, its Minoan, the goddess Amalthea is a sister/aspect/companion of the Minoan earth goddess Rhea, the Greeks were like the Egyptians in that they tended to adopt the gods of lands they conquered

[@FinalGirlStudios]

Oh wow fascinating!! Thank you for sharing 🩷

[@indigo_diary]

This was such a special and careful analysis. I really liked your comparison of the harpy and the unicorn as representing a dichotomy of femininity, yet a unified one at that...

[@flazada]

This is such a special piece. It's moody and emotional in ways we have to look beyond the surface and see what's truly there. Ugggg the realizations are gut wrenching.

[@peterkistler3537]

Beautiful. I couldn't put my finger on why I liked this movie so much despite all its shortcomings after I watched it for the first time. This clarifies my thoughts a great deal!