The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1985): Cast & Plot

In Hamelin, a town ruled by money and status, the day begins with the slow turning of a hidden mechanism as gears hum and the sun rises over a skyline built on waste and vanity. The people are portrayed as miserly and petty, chasing rank and riches while neglecting one another. When night falls, a vast rat infestation erupts, gnawing through food and valuables and spilling into the streets by day. From a distance, a tall hooded figure watches the town and then steps into the fray—the piper, Eric Idle—who proves that the sound of his music can lure rats to their deaths. The town’s leaders, including Alderman James Edmond, are thrilled and offer him a reward of 1000 gold coins if he can rid them of the plague.