Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-24 05:59:36

marvellous dramatisation of Scott's Ivanhoe

I first saw this marvellous dramatisation of Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" many years ago and have cherished a time-worn copy on VHS tape. There is a great deal of action throughout the story, from the clash of knights over two consecutive days at the Ashby tournament, through the assault on Torquilstone castle to the final hand to hand combat between Ivanhoe and Brian de Bois-Guilbert. The atmosphere of medieval England is beautifully evoked, and with two exceptions, a fine cast brings this classic to powerful life. Lysette Anthony is an insipid Lady Rowena and David Robb's immaculate Robin Hood appears to have stepped out of the wardrobe department of an Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood. These are small quibbles. Lovers of fine historical drama will enjoy this film as they would an excellent wine. However, I have to concede that this film is unlikely to appeal to those with short attention spans or those who like massive sprays of blood associated with every sword stroke.

Caledonia Twin #1 2012-05-23 21:39:51

Sir Walter would be proud

Pride and prejudice, betrayal and revenge, lust and purity, kidnappings,tournaments, and ransoms... what better ingredients could be assembled inone film? This retelling of Ivanhoe has many exceptional qualities,including first-rate cinematography and chivalric music. But the qualityofthis Ivanhoe lies in the casting. James Mason plays an excellent Isaac ofYork, and Olivia Hussey's Rebecca is every bit as passionate as ElizabethTaylor's. Lysette Anthony has all the ingenue quality of a Saxon princess;yet one wonders whom Ivanhoe would have chosen to marry if race andreligious prejudices had not been the order of the day. One of thestrengths of this film was, to my mind, the triumvirate of villainsBois-Guilbert, de Bracy, and Front de Boeuf. Sam Neill is brilliant as theknight torn between his order and his obsession with a "Jewess heathen",andStuart Wilson shines in the supporting role of the besotted de Bracy. Thisfilm was released on video at one point, as I rented it from a video store.I highly recommend it.

British_Revolver 2012-05-23 16:42:06

Great movie!

"Ivanhoe" is one of the best historical movies I've ever seen! I wouldrecommend this to anybody because it's full of romance and adventure. Ididn't like the ending though, only because Sam Neill's characterdidn't end up with Rebecca (Olivia Hussey), which was really sad. I don't know what else to say besides the fact that I fell in love withthis movie after I saw it the first time. But the fact that theyportrayed Rowena as the beautiful girl that everybody was supposed tolike was kinda depressing. Between Rebecca and Rowena, I think Rebeccastole the movie because of her courage and will to help Ivanhoe eventhough they have different backgrounds. So if you have read this, goout and buy the video.

2012-05-22 21:16:50

Pagentry, Pomp, and Passion

A youthful encounter with Sir Walter Scott raised the bar high, in terms of expectations, and they were met. This version is truer to the book than the 1951 'classic' with Elizabeth Taylor (as Rebecca, she ends up in the arms of bad-guy Brian Gilbert). Anthony Allen fits the part of Ivanhoe to a tee, and Olivia Hussey shines as Rebecca of York, playing the role as one of the great heriones of literature - as it was meant to be. The rest of the casting is also well-done, excepting that Robin Hood has little of the presence that one is accustomed to, after seeing Errol Flynn in the role. Brian Gilbert is done brilliantly, showing him to be less a villan than his fellow traitors, and that he posessed courage, heart, and daring equal to Ivanhoe himself. The ending changes slightly from the book, but I like this version better. The visuals are highly satisfying, and cathch and hold the eye. This film is well worth escaping into from time to time, to bathe the imagination in a story set in a time when honor, courage, faith, and loyalty were still in style (may they be so again). -Lloyd A. Conway

2012-05-21 00:50:37

Flat, Boring, Disappointing

This review is from: Ivanhoe (DVD) This version of Ivanhoe is flat and boring. The love between Rowena and Ivanhoe is barely mentioned, in fact Anthony Andrews flat character rarely shows up in the film.The movie has been politicized...apparently the writers were more concerned with using the characters of Isaac and Rebecca to portray jews as superior and Christians as inferior and barbaric (this theme appears many times throughout the movie) than making a good film.The Robert Taylor version of this movie is MUCH better if what you want is a good swashbuckling yarn true to Sir Walter Scott's original Ivanhoe.

Marcin Kukuczka 2012-05-20 17:23:25

Glory to the Brave! Glory to Chivalrous Spirit!

Courage, revenge, love, combat, victory, honor, defense,reconciliation...those ideals deeply hidden within the human spirithave long been considered precious targets of human life. Not onlypoetry and literature but also epic movies attempted to promote thevirtues and depict humanity in the spirit of reason and heart. Thequestion was: historical time. In this respect, there was, perhaps, nobetter period in history than the 1,000 year-long Middle Ages, bothcontroversial and spiritual with a flair for darkness and exceptionalenlightenment. Among many other epic movies that depict the period isIVANHOE based on Sir Walter Scott's novel being at the same time aremake of the 1952 classic Hollywood production.Keeping in mind that remakes usually face high expectations in case oftheir classic "predecessors", I watched this movie without muchreferring to the older version and that is how I intend to comment onit underneath.Let me say at the beginning that IVANHOE by Douglas Camfield is a verygood movie at multiple levels. It makes a perfect use of historicalmaterial supplying us with a clear and pretty accurate insight intoMedieval England, and, more specifically, its late 12th centurysituation with savage conflicts, difficult political situation,Anglo-Saxons vs Normans relations, prejudice as well as those visualaspects like costumes, feasts and baths. In this respect, the movie mayconstitute for a viewer a wonderful journey into those distant timesand bring out some pearls out of prefabricated negative opinions aboutthe Middle Ages. There was, indeed, something good about the period,too. The aspect of interest highlighted in this case appears to beAshbey sequence where the savage combines with the glamorous or thedeep psychology and morals of characters expressed in many scenesthroughout. Here, it seems necessary to mention Lady Rowena (LysetteAnthony) and Rebecca (Olivia Hussey), two women of differentbackgrounds who face similar emotions.Besides, IVANHOE can boast very good cinematography, wonderful shots,stunning locations. Consider, for instance, the subtle images at thescene when Ivanhoe visits Lady Rowena at her castle with Wamba (GeorgeInnes). The extraordinary locations and interesting shots make the filmnot only a historical work but also a rousing adventure. Moreover, tothese artistic features, I would add a very accurate sense of humor(consider the scene of a bath or Wamba's Pax Vobiscum) and subtlemusical score. The tunes are filled with the spirit of chivalry and thespirit of romance which, alone, can resemble the very essence of thestory. But, the core of art is acting.The movie known for a number of famous and talented cast could befalsely assessed as a vehicle. Yet, it does not have to be a"promotion" for anybody. To the contrary, it is a film that proves theimportance of talent first and foremost. All the cast take great painsto give something truly great of themselves. Anthony Andrews is aperfect Ivanhoe as described by Sir Scott and as imagined by modernviewers. He clearly portrays a character of courage, nobility andgentleness. Sam Neill and John Rhys Davies appear to give powerfulperformances as "Norman dogs" people not so much afraid for the goodbut rather absorbed by savage brutality. James Mason does a fine job ascalm, good Jew, Isaac of York, whose destiny appears to have broughtmore wounds than cure. The female roles are brilliant. Here, however, Iwould not praise that much Lysette Anthony: I admit she is beautiful,she gives a memorable performance. Yet, the absolute top notch isOlivia Hussey, the famous heroine at Zeffirelli's appears here as agentle, subtle, beautiful Jewess whose "individually formedspirituality" conquers "externally organized morality" of many "piousmen of God." She gives a brilliant performance as a flower of peacefearfully surrounded by the thorn of war and the light of tolerancesurrounded by the darkness of prejudice. Absolutely great role!Consider, among many, the scenes depicting the trial.In the end, if you see this IVANHOE, do not compare it with the olderversion. These are two different films focusing on different aspects.If someone insists on me to say which one is better, I'd rather sayboth are good films. Thorpe's IVANHOE is a typical epic of the classicHollywood era while Camfield's IVANHOE stands out on its own as a moviefilled with remarkable psychology and adventure. Great tribute to thereal Courage and the Chivalrous Spirit!

2012-05-18 09:38:29

Best Ivanhoe Ever

There are a handful of movies that I research almost every day to see if they've been released on DVD yet, and the 1982 Ivanhoe is very near the top of this list. It's the first film I've ever seen Sam Neil perform in and he is a superb and conflicted villain. The acting is flawless throughout, and the action/adventure scenes are unrivaled. The only setback at all is that it was originally released on TV which means you have some awkward pauses where there used to be commercials, but these won't bother you when you realize you're enjoying one of the greatest displays of chivalry ever brought to the screen.

ma-cortes 2012-05-18 03:50:33

New and above average adaptation derived from Sir Walter Scott classic novel

Remake of the 1953 classic movie directed by Richard Thorpe with RobertTaylor , George Sanders , Joan Fontaine and Elizabeth Taylor . Goodfamily fare with romance and great action scenes . TV film which provedto be notable success in this lively rendition about chivalry andknighthood in 1194 England. Knights battle each other and woo maidenson this chivalrous epic romance .This splendid version of Sir WalterScott's classic epic tale starts in 12th century, when Saxon KnightWilfrid of Ivanhoe (Anthony Andrews , in the classic version RobertTaylor), a suitable noble wielding a shield titled Desdichado, havingfought for Richard the Lionhearted( Julian Glover) during the Crusades,goes back to England . Meanwhile the King Richard has been takenprisoner and asks help : 'To the people of England . I am here heldcaptive by Leopold of Austria. My brother, prince John has knowledge ofit, yet he has denied my ransom. One hundred and fifty thousand marksof silver. I fear he does conspire with certain Norman knights to seizemy throne. People of England, speed my deliverance. Your kingdom is atstake'. In order to regain his freedom , Ivanhoe confronts Prince John(Ronald Pickup in the role of Guy Rolfe) and his lieutenants (in thiscase Sam Neill , John Rhys-Davies , Stuart Wilson) and he's also drawnto Jewish healer Rebecca (Olivia Hussey in the Elizabeth Taylor'scharacter ), daughter of Isaac of York (James Mason in the role FelixAylmer). Meantime , Ivanhoe woo maidens, as his childhood sweetheart ,Saxon heiress Rowena (Lysette Anthony in the Joan Fontaine's role).Prince John, now John Lackland will stop at nothing to assume thethrone , while waiting for King Richard to return from the Cruisades .Ivanhoe join forces with Robin Hood and his Merry man who attack thestronghold.Sir Walter Scott's story of romance and chivalry in Medieval England isfaithfully brought to life in this superb Telefilm in which AnthonyEdwards stars as Ivanhoe who fights the evil Prince John and hishoodlums in an attempt to restore Richard Lion Heart -the Black Night-to the throne. This enjoyable film displays romance, chivalry,knighthood, daring jousting and lots of action with spectacular castleattack . The jousting , tournaments and other action sequences with aplethora of sword-fights involving maces, axes and chains aremagnificently handled . The authentic battle images are among the mostspectacular ever shot for television , as the siege of Torquillstonecastle is a truly exciting sequence and the ending duel between thedastardly Bois-Guilbert excellently played by Sam Neill and Ivanhoe isimpressive . This one proved notable hit as well as the originalversion . But this is more than just the habitual British TV spectacle, as the novel's issue of anti-semitism is deal with honestly in theperson of Rebecca and Isaac Of Yok , very well played by Olivia Husseyand James Mason respectively, who are discriminated against , whileunfortunate Rebecca is put on trial and condemned as witch to burningpole ; being suddenly saved by Ivanhoe . The film packs a glamorous andluminous cinematography by John Coquillon and evocative musical scoreby Ferguson. The picture is excellently handled by Douglas Camfield.The film is partially based on true events. Although Ivanhoe didn'texist, John Lackland was king of England from 1199 to 1216. Fewmonarchs have been subject to such appalling publicity as John,Although by no means lovable, he was an able administrator and spentmore time in England than his predecessor and elder brother Richard Ibut he was jailed by Leopold of Austria, returning from Crusades.Besides appears Robin Hood, also known Robin O'Locksley and the Earl ofHuntingdom, is probably and sadly a creation of romantic imaginations.If Robin Hood did exist, it's almost certain that he was not a Saxon ,though his enemies may well have been the Norman sheriff of Nottinghanand Prince and later king John Lackland.

2012-05-13 09:16:18

No Captions!

If anyone who has ever known a person, or is Deaf knows the hardship there is in finding a GOOD captioned movie. I can only begin to express my vexation on this account. I more specificly want to complain that this movie was NOT captioned! I am so dissappionted as I understand that this is the only Ivanhoe movie that was worthy to bear the name. To discover one afternoon that I was unable to watch it, has made me a very dissappionted fan.

ALAN MOUNT 2012-05-12 20:41:52

HOW RARE TO SEE A BED-RIDDEN ACTION HERO

Ivanhoe must be one of the most unusual heroes in adventure fiction.The wimpgets wounded early in the story and spends most of the rest of the narrativelying moaning in bed.Movie versions have to get around this plot point andthis one succeeds more than most.This turns out to be a sumptuous andspectacular period romp with dollops of action throughout.Sam Neill as thevillain in chief steals the movie right from the upper class nose of AnthonyAndrews who nevertheless makes a rather good attempt at bringing thelifeless Ivanhoe to the fore.The supporting cast and production values arefirst rate and this is one of the best of all TV movies.For a more robustportrayal of Ivanhoe look to the 1958 British TV series starring a youngRoger Moore which is now rarely seen.This movie remains the best adaptationof the original story though and is better than the Robert Taylor versionalthough that too is a film of some merit;a boring and po-faced 90's versionproduced by the BBC however is best forgotten.

2012-05-12 00:37:40

The DEFINITIVE film version of Ivanhoe!

I have seen both film versions of Ivanhoe as listed in the Leonard Maltin video guide, and this definitely vanquishes all comers. Believe this or not, but when I first acquired the video I watched it on a daily basis for the next few weeks (and I still do that sometimes)- my long-suffering family would confirm my statement - and I think that anyone who has watched this film would agree with me that all too rarely has a great book like Ivanhoe been able to have a film this good to do justice to it. Besides the colour, sounds and minor episodes which all blend in this film to make the best recreation of the atmosphere of the age of chivalry I ever saw, what I admire most about this film is the way the people who made the film paid attention to all the little things that a purist would be grateful for - not only getting the devices and colours, and even the mottoes of the knights' escutcheons right, but retaining artistic integrity by refusing to join everyone else in making Brian de B.-G. and Maurice de Bracy out-and-out-bad guys; indeed, portraying them with a good deal of sympathy. As an admirer of Maurice de Bracy for quite some time, I was delighted to find that my favourite character retained all the qualities given to him by Scott even when appearing on screen, and that his friendship with Brian and Reginald F.-d.-B. was portrayed in all its sincerity. Sam Neill and the person who acted R. F.-d.-B. never acted better (or rather, I should say, they acted as well as they always do) and were quite perfect in their roles. In fact, the way the three 'bad guys' (they're not really bad but we'll call tham that for short, since Wilfred is the 'hero' and they're on the other side) work together is exceedingly fun to watch and they all appear to be enjoying themselves and being enthusiastic about the whole thing which makes it even more fun for the viewer, and brings out their characterisation marvellously. (Just to show how suited they are to their characters: in the first glimpse of a few seconds each that you get of them in the first sequence, with no shields to identify them, I was able, the first time I watched the show, to guess who they were just from their expressions and appearance - correctly, as I later found; at that point I really had no idea who they were!) Anthony Andrews carried off the -oh-I-am-sick-ouch-thanks-Rebecca-but-I'm-already-in-love-with-Rowena act splendidly, but to see him at maximum charm look at 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'. For the rest, I was very impressed with the way all the rest of the cast acted, from Cedric and Wamba through Locksley and the heroines right down to Conrade Mont-Fichet and William de Wyvil (though he's not called that in the show). And even for those who haven't read the book, this film would be a great thing to watch. Even if you don't know the characters, you get to know them through here and the story itself is fast-paced and dripping with chivalry and all the trimmings - what more could you want?

2012-05-11 21:22:16

Ho for "Ivanhoe"!

This review is from: Ivanhoe (DVD) Anthony Andrews made this fine "Ivanhoe" and an equally excellent, if not better, "Scarlet Pimpernel" in 1982 and they may well be the best film-versions of either story. Despite the fact that Wilfred of Ivanhoe is wounded about a third of the way through the story -- largely rendering him absent from perhaps half of what remains -- Andrews carries the film. The supporting cast, notably Olivia Hussey as Rebecca and James Mason as Isaac of York, are generally quite fine, though Sam Neil's Brian de Bois-Guilbert is rather uneven and over-acted.Despite its long running time, the tale moves along apace and the jousting and other set-pieces are rousing. Recommended.

teetah 2012-05-09 11:24:31

refers to the VHS version

I love this movie. Everyone is playing larger than life, but that'sfine with me. Olivia Hussey is wonderful as Rebecca. Anthony Andrews isgreat in any period part (or any other, for that matter). It took me afew viewings to figure out that that really was Sam Neill, as he's notas understated as I'm used to seeing him play. Lysette Anthony ispretty as Ivanhoe's love, if a bit less convincing as someone who wouldcause him to be faithful to her forever. The Black Knight coming toIvanhoe's rescue is an interesting move. Basically everything that oneother reviewer hated most about this movie were the things I liked thebest.If they would put this out on DVD I'd be extremely happy.

2012-05-09 01:11:21

This needs to be out on DVD ASAP!

This is really a great version -- I think it's hands down the best Ivanhoe! -- and tremendous fun, plus it's wonderful to watch Olivia Hussey. (The newer A&E production is pretty good, but the lead actor is so bland and, at 5 hours, it's just too long!) Unfortunately the VHS tape of this 1982 version is as rare as hen's teeth and it needs to be released on DVD *now*!! Since "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is (finally) out on DVD next month, I hope it won't be too long before it's joined by this fine miniseries. I'll be first in line to buy it.

2012-05-08 05:31:11

Anthony Andrews is excellent

This review is from: Ivanhoe (DVD) Finally!!! It took way too many years for this movie to come out on DVD.Growing up watching Ivanhoe on TV every Christmas this movie became an instant must-see. Something that my sister and I would eagerly await (and we still do) every year.Really good cast. James Mason, Sam Neil and Olivia Hussey are all very believable but it is Anthony Andrews who steals this movie. This superb British actor demands every scene that he is in - making one feel like it is all happening in ones living room.Not owning this movie is depriving one self of rarely seen magic.

2012-05-07 19:28:07

Fascinating and Enjoyable

I found this film to be a wonderful viewing experience. The pageantry, costumes and acting are all first-rate, and the story is, of course, compelling. Many of the themes can be related to modern day prejudices and unrequited love, so the film feels very relevant. The film also succeeds in providing the characters with multiple dimensions -- particularly the "villians." (Did anyone else notice that Brian Gilbert's obsession with Rebecca was similar to Amon Goeth's feelings for Helen Hirsch in "Schindler's List"?) The film is fast-paced enough to interest even those viewers who typically do not enjoy historical pieces. I highly recommend it.

2012-05-03 13:40:14

Sir Walter Scott's irrepressible costume parade

This review is from: Ivanhoe (DVD) Given the number of five-star reviews here, I had hoped for some satisfying if perhaps slightly cheesy, old-style epic storytelling when I got this movie in the mail. Ivanhoe has always been one of my favorite books and there's always room for another good telling of it on my video shelf. As it is, I give this version three stars for unintentional hilarity. It was alot of fun watching this, but not in the way I'd hoped. Our family laughed ourselves silly over the dialogue and acting and costumes ( btw: at the tournament, whaaaat was that thing emblazoned on the herald's surcoat??! And the object King Richard was wearing on his helmet?? Anybody got a clue?). By the time Torkelstone castle had been rather loutishly stormed, we could take the pain no longer. We turned it off and put on the superb A&E version as a sort of palate-cleansing.Maybe it's just that I've seen Steven Waddington's direct and believably physical portrayal of the returning crusader, Ivanhoe, but Anthony Andrews' version felt almost like parody. I loved Andrews as the Scarlet Pimpernel, but his Ivanhoe came off as though he didn't particularly care for the character and wasn't going to bother giving him a brain. In fact, noone in the entire production seemed to be taking their characters to heart. There was no sense of providing them with believable internal workings. And they would have needed alot of believable internal workings to overcome those costumes. The costumes and sets were so ill-informed and funky they provided a distraction (albeit a welcome one) from the bad acting. There were a number of scenes worth watching several times just to savor the breath-takingly hysterical outfits, and we did. There's nothing about this film that might make it objectionable family viewing with younger children, unlike the A&E version. This Ivanhoe might be a colorful, wildly imagined way to introduce your kids to Walter Scott's story if you're looking for some harmless entertainment. My copy is going to be donated to our public library. I'm glad it was cheap.

2012-05-03 03:42:25

Oh Sir Walter

Hard to know why this got so many good ratings, it is really awful. The only good thing are the jousts, which are fun. Everyone else overacts, and the whole thing is totally implausible. Antony Andrews is a cold fish, and Lysette Anthony is absurd, a painted doll with bad hair. Of course the main fault is with Sir Walter Scott, the whole plot is such a crazy quilt. James Mason and Olivia Hussey (So that's what happened to her) with ridiculous accents. It is hard to say this, but the Robert Taylor version is better. Of course Elizabeth Taylor was the most beautiful Jewess in history. Somebody, someday may point out to someone that synthetic colours were invented in the 19th century.

2012-04-30 10:57:23

DVD Please!

I am in love with Ivanhoe, both the movie and the character played by the talented (and dreamily chivalrous) Anthony Andrews! This is one of the best tv miniseries EVER, and I've watched many! I really really want this to be released on DVD so that I can buy one for myself and my mom and recommend it to everyone I know!

dsnazel 2012-04-30 01:40:37

Good Television

Television is such a wasteland at times.Every once in a while a good thing comes out of TV. Ivanhoe is one ofthosethings. It's episodal, which diminishes the dramatic impact sometimes, butconsidering its budget and the medium, it really is a fine piece ofwork.A great story...some great acting (Rebecca is exceptionally played) and awonderful blend of drama, adventure, romance and raw violence.