MovieChat Forums > The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) Discussion > Based on The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas

Based on The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas


The Legend of Billie Jean is a retelling of The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas, with Kohlhaas' stolen horses replaced by a damaged motorscooter. So is the movie Ragtime where Coalhouse Walker's Model T Ford was ruined by a racist fireman and he demanded it be cleaned. The screenwriter added the Joan of Arc touches to make the female hero more sympathetic. Plus the finale with a huge Billie Jean statue going up in flames like St. Joan being burned at the stake was too tempting to pass up.

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Ha, ha, yes, you're quite right - but only figured it out after reading your comment - who would ever imagine the connection with the middle-age legend of Kohlhaas - though she's not broken on the wheel at the end - the 80s would have that.

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