Customer Reviews

Ivanhoe

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Ivanhoe on DVD is a great romantic epic. If you have no knowledge of English history in the 1200s, this will educate you in a non-academic enjoyable way. The film has good realistic jousting and sword-fighting. The cast is excellent. Prince John is delightfully evil and slippery. The movie follows Sir Walter Scott's story nearly enough, and retains a sense of humor that will delight intelligent modern viewers. Ciaran Hinds plays a highly satisfying bad guy as well, and Christopher Lee is much more chilling than when he played Saruman.

I can't say how faithful to the novel this version of Ivanhoe is, but I can say that the screenplay and, particularly, the direction are both a bit on the clumsy side. Still, the superb cast makes up for those weaknesses with style and grace: they make the heroes believably fallible (yet still admirably noble), the loves between the major characters subtle and sophisticated, and the villains more complex than the sort of cardboard cutouts you'd expect in a tale of medieval derring-do and intrigue. In fact, the fine acting alone makes this film worth watching, with Ciaran Hinds as de Bois-Guilbert and Christopher Lee in a disturbing yet charismatic turn as the Grand Master of the Knights Templar giving particuarly memorable performances.

Outside of that, the director makes the most of a limited budget. The fight scenes sure won't make you forget Braveheart, but they're plenty graphic--surprisingly so at the end of the film--and about as exciting as you can expect from a TV movie with limited extras. It's not really the battles and jousts and duels, though, that keep Ivanhoe exciting outside of the fascinating personal relationships. Rather, it's all the political intrigues that hold your attention. Here there are factions within factions, and almost everyone is jockeying for power and paying the price of that power: loneliness, betrayal, assassinations, and the like. One of the more interesting political aspects of the movie is its big theme of anti-Semitism. The film reminds historically unaware viewers that hatred of Jews didn't just magically spring up in Nazi Germany in the 30's, but had been deeply seated in Europe for centuries.

Overall, despite more than a few rough patches, this is a fun, exciting movie. It has the romance and chivalry you'd expect, plus some depth and complexity that you probably wouldn't expect.

Wow! What I can say - I loved it! Although I haven't watched the 1982 adaptation of this film yet, I feel that I can safely say that this version is undoubtedly my favourite. No - for the sceptics out there this film is not an absolutely faithful rendition of Sir Walter Scott's novel but it successfully conveys the character and plot developments expressed by Sir Walter. I enjoyed the film so much that it forced me to read the quite lengthy and tedious novel over and over again.

Ciaran Hinds being one of my all time favourites definitely did not disappoint as Bois-Guilbert. But does he ever? I must admit that he was also my initial attraction to the film as the novel is not one I greatly enjoy eventhough it is an amazing piece of literature. Although George Sanders gave a magnificent performance as Bois-Guilbert in the 1952 version and was supporting Robert Taylor's timeless performance, Hinds is not only perfect for the part but he also upstages Steven Waddington who plays the leading role of Ivanhoe in this version. Waddington is very good but Hinds is awesome and still is the main reason why I never tire from repeatedly watching this film and reading the novel. Susan Lynch is quite remarkable as Rebecca. She is just as good as Elizabeth Taylor and suits the part equally. However, Victoria Smurfit who plays Rowena is a bit bland for my liking. Joan Fontaine's admirable performance is greatly superior.

Compared to the 1952 adaptation, this version gives the viewer more insight into the characters' relationships, personalities and the reasons for many of their actions which are illustrated thoughout the novel. The animosity between King Richard and Prince John is particularly more accurately portrayed as opposed to the 1952 version.

This film is so well manufactured that it makes you enjoy Sir Walter Scott's classic much much more. It is without a doubt a must see.

I'll try to be brief. This is a fantastic movie. I enjoyed it far more than Spider Man 2, or any of the Lord of the Rings.

The story is easy to follow, the charachters have reel feelings, strengths, weeknesses, and the acting was exellent. No need for 100-million dollar special effects.

My only complaint, and this seems to be true for many of the "new" films, is that the spoken word is sometimes difficult to hear because of all the background music or battle sounds etc.
But this movie has all we wish for. Action, romance, heroes, villians-and the good guys win!

It failed to meet my expectations. The 1952 version is superior to me in every way. I wish a reviewer said this so I could have stopped myself from buying this. I should have just waited for the 1952 version.

I won't bother compairing it to the book, coz we should have all realized by now that movie adaptations should never be compaired to the book, it's like compairing apples with oranges...totally different media, one appeals to vision and hearing, the other to one's own imagination.

Ivanhoe looked too much of weakling to me, I thought his father was the more knightly. But admittedly, the acting was descent, 5 hours is OK if you have nothing better to watch, but the whole movie failed to capture me.

Bottom line: I recommend renting before buying.

This is one of my favourite portrails of early mediveal life in all it gritty detail. The adaptation takes all of Walter Scott's annoying Deux et Machina out and leaves the watcher with a gripping, dynamic tale. The care that is taken with the minor as well as major details is a joy to behold with great costumes and settings and a wonderfully authentc feel.

Ciarán Hinds is absolutely superb as the Templar Sir Bois-Gilbert as is Christopher Lee as the Templar Grand Master Sir Lucard de Beaumanoir and Susan Lynch as Rebecca. Steven Waddington's Ivanhoe is good, but definitely diminished by the three previous actors.

Whilst more Brannagh's Henry V than Olivier's I feel that this adaptation is only strengthened by that fact and would be replacing my tape version with a DVD one today if it was available as region 2.

I greatly enjoyed this rendition of Sir Walter Scott's famous novel. Although there are some plot deviations, the series is well acted with fantastic sets.

Steven Waddington plays a very strong role as Ivanhoe; champion of the absent Richard The Lion Hearted and fiancee of Rowena (Victoria Smurfit.) Ciarán Hinds gives probably the best performance as Monsieur De Bois-Guilbert, the evil Templar knight who's hatred for Ivanhoe is as great as his passion for Rebecca (Susan Lynch.) Lynch herself delivers one of the best performances as Rebecca, the Jewish healer who's passion for Ivanhoe saves the kingdom from the Templars and Prince John. There's even a brief appearance by Sian Philips (I, Claudius) as Elenore D'Aquitaine, the queen mother who comes to arbitrate between her feuding sons John and Richard.

The costumes and armor properly depict the armaments and fashion of the 12th century. The series is filmed on location in Wales showing a few of the many medieval churches, abbeys, manors, and castles that dot its landscape. The film is perhaps graphic in violence but this captures the brutality of medieval warfare quite well.

Alltogether a great mini-series that has more positive qualities than shortcomings. The story is fluid and the acting is excellent. Definitely worth owning.

Though this is a five-hour movie, it is hard to turn away from it once you start watching it. The previous reviewer Cearawrite was right, it's got everything in the story, and in this movie. Ciaran Hinds is just magnificent! His acting in this moive as Brian de Bois Guilbert is irresistible. It is really a pure enjoyment watching this well-made production, though it doestn't have big name Hollywood stars,or a big budget. This great Medieval story, believable characters, and superb acting can easily take you through the whole movie, and then wanting to watch it all over again for another five hours!!

I went into Ivanhoe assuming I'd watch a few minutes and then switch to something else. I was suprised how easy it was to stay with this. There were a few slow spots, but the series was well paced and easy to enjoy. This production was a lot more realistic looking than most period pieces, where it seems like people spent all of their free time polishing their armor and going to ye olde ancient dry cleaners. I am normally not a fan of Cirian Hinds, but I was blown away by him as de Bois-Guilbert! Susan Lynch, as Rebecca, was wonderful as always.

I admit that I have not read the book so I can not comment on the adaptation.

I read the book as a result of watching and loving this series, and was amazed to find that, for once, the video was better than the book. The characterizations of both the historical and fictional people were so well done that I have watched it several times without tiring of it, the same way I would reread a great novel. The action scenes are very exciting, and the relationships that develop between the characters are fascinating to watch.