Written by Dan Mazeau and directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Damsel is based on the story of a damsel in distress. However, this distressed damsel doesn’t require any prince to save her, as she is equipped enough to save herself. Just like any other dark fantasy film—The Chronicles of Narnia or Maleficent—this film is replete with visual splendor. The most intriguing element of the lot is the wonderful cast of the movie. Casting renowned actors like Millie Bobby Brown (who is also known for her appearance in Stranger Things) has been an added advantage to the groundbreaking film.
Elodie
Played by Millie Bobby Brown, the character of Elodie has been portrayed to be that of a valiant warrior who is intent on making her way out of the abyss. She is gullible enough to be tricked into believing that her nuptial ties with Prince Henry would secure the future of her people back at Bayford. Little did she know about the evil intention of the Queen. Right after the marriage, when she is thrown down into the den of the dragon, she doesn’t give up hope. Elodie is quick to spring back on her feet and try to find an escape route.
Finally, when she escapes, she learns that her sister, Floria, is taken captive and thrown down to be fed to the dragon. Elodie doesn’t hesitate to go back into the abyss to save her sister. She is willing to risk her own life to save her family, and when it comes to it, Elodie even tries to confront the dragon about how it has been fooled for years by the royal family. When the dragon refuses to listen to her, she fights it and injures it. Elodie’s courage and kindness are seen when she puts the glowworms on the dragon’s wounds to heal them. The purity of Elodie’s soul finally makes the dragon believe in her. After seeing the cut on her hand, the dragon realizes how the royalty has been fooling it for years. When Elodie returns to the castle, she has the dragon by her side this time. No matter the amount of kindness Elodie had in her heart, she had made up her mind not to spare the people who had tried to kill her entire family. By the end of the movie, Elodie has completely gained the trust of the dragon, making it her lifelong protector.
Dragon
Shohreh Aghdashloo has voiced the menacing dragon portrayed in Damsel. Even though it appears vicious to us in the first part of the movie, it is revealed that even the dragon has a motive for hurting Elodie. The King of Aurea had once invaded the dragon’s residence and murdered its three children. The dragon had been seeking revenge ever since, asking the king to sacrifice his three daughters in exchange for letting him live. The king did not hesitate to sacrifice his daughters to the dragon to save himself. The dragon, who has been seeking to avenge the deaths of its offsprings, wanted the royal princesses (of Aurea) to be sacrificed. Instead of just looking at it as a bloodthirsty monster, we can also describe it as a grief-stricken mother who wanted to end the bloodline of the King (just like he had done to her).
The dragon wanted the king to know the pain of losing one’s offspring. Little did the foolish creature know that the royal family was crafty enough to fool it every time. The creature did not realize that it was killing innocent women who were not from the royal family. Later, when Elodie told it the truth, it expressed its remorse and wanted to be killed, as it had been the cause of the deaths of many innocents. The vicious creature that we had thought it to be actually had a heart within, which was not as harsh. The dragon decided to follow Elodie after knowing of her innocence and protect her from the royal family, unleashing hell on them. The loyalty of the creature is seen when we see it following Elodie home, and we know for a fact that it will choose to be by her side for the rest of its life.
Some Additional Characters
Floria
Brooke Carter played Floria, the younger sister of Elodie, in Damsel. She has been Elodie’s confidante in the film. When Elodie feels distressed about going to a distant land and marrying a prince just for his riches, Floria comforts her. After the passing of their mother, both sisters have been each other’s pillars of strength. Floria did not hesitate to fight by Elodie’s side in the abyss to defeat the dragon.
Lord Bayford
Lord Bayford is played by Ray Winstone in the film. He is a helpless father who has to sacrifice his daughter to attain wealth to help his kingdom thrive. He agrees to get Elodie married off to Prince Henry when the Queen of Aurea proposes it, in exchange for huge sums of money. However, later, when Lord Bayford realized what a blunder he had made in agreeing to the marriage, he went down to the abyss along with his men to save his daughter. Knowing that his life was under threat, he did not step back and died valiantly fighting the dragon.
Lady Bayford
Unlike the other stepmothers (usually portrayed in folklore and fantasy films), Angela Bassett as Lady Bayford is not evil. Initially, she was intent on getting Elodie married to the Prince so that Lord Bayford could save their land, but right after she realized the Queen’s intentions, she tried to warn Elodie about it. She even tries protecting both her daughters, risking her own life and bringing to the forefront her motherly instincts to protect them. Despite being a stepmother to Elodie and Floria, she had not wavered from her duties as a mother.
Queen of Aurea
Queen of Aurea is the actual vile character in Damsel, who had put on a mask of good till Elodie married Prince Henry. Once the marriage was done, she did not hesitate to sacrifice Elodie so that her own heir could be kept safe. She would be trapping three new maidens every year with her wealth, only to sacrifice them to the dragon.
Prince Henry
Nick Robinson has efficiently played the part of Prince Henry in the film Damsel. He was not as vile as his mother and wished that he didn’t have to get involved in the dirty game of getting married to young maidens and throwing them into the dark abyss. He was hesitant to talk to Elodie in the beginning so as to avoid forming any bond with her. A sense of guilt is seen in his face as he later betrays her and throws her into the abyss. He is also reluctant to cast Floria into the dragon’s den, as she is too young. There is a hint of humanity in Prince Henry, which is completely missing in the Queen.
