Ivanhoe [DVD] [1997]

Another excellent BBC production with a superb cast. Ciaran Hinds is outstanding as Bois Guilbert and James Cosmo, a well known face from the 80s and 90s, gives another very strong performance. Indeed there are no poor performances and the actors playing the leading roles are by no means outshone by Christopher Lee and Sian Phillips. The tournament and battle scenes are splendid as are the location shots. If I have one criticism it is the compression of geography. Characters seen traversing lonely moorland are, in the next shot, progressing through woodland. Ashby de la Zouche is in the Midlands, as is Sherwood Forest where Robin Hood was normally to be found. It's a long way from there to the English Channel but various characters seem to make that journey in a matter of a few hours (or less). But I can live with that. An absolutely excellent translation to screen of Sir Walter Scott's novel. It might be a Dutch import with Dutch subtitles but these can be turned off and the soundtrack is the original; it's in English.

It is a rare production today that almost perfectly combines exhilarating Drama with Historical accuracy and authenticity. This is one such production. The Sets are excellent, the costumes very authentic and small details really give the viewer a sense of period.One of these is the lighting. In an age then the only non-natural light available came from candles or open fires, it would have been relatively Dark inside even during the day, but especially at night. All too often Medieval historical dramas feature 'floodlit' halls or rooms filled with light, but this does not. As a result many scenes filmed inside are shadowy and not fully visible, but this really works for the Drama. Not only does it provide a great sense of realism (flickering candlelight can be seen in more than one scene) it also helps to make some scenes and incidents more plausible. It is because of the semi-darkness of Cedric's hall, that Ivanhoe is able to conceal his identity from both his father and Bios-Gilbert who are sitting only yards away, visit Rowena without being seen, and escape from the Hall unnoticed.Unlike in some more recent Dramas that programme makers of Ivanhoe did not appear to be under the illusion that the best way to make a medieval Drama 'authentic' and 'realistic' is to include lots of Sex-scenes and gratuitous violence. Ivanhoe is authentic without either of these, and I believe this is testament to the quality of the production and acting, resourcefulness of the makers, and sound historical research.Unlike later BBC productions of a similar genre this series is not blighted by obsessive political correctness that seems to be a feature of such Dramas today. The female Protagonists, Rowena and Rebecca are strong and independent but they are not perfect superwomen as the heroines are in other Dramas, nor feel the need to constantly show that they are better at sword fighting, archery and virtually everything else then the men.Lastly this production features the best Dramatic portrayal of Prince John that I have yet seen in any Drama or movie set in this period. Often John is depicted as an incompetent, bumbling fool, or gullible idiot who goes around acting like a spoiled 8 year old.Here Prince John is brooding, sly, and actually rather clever, though in a sinister way. Ralph Brown's performance gives an excellent measure of the man showing John's paranoia, greed for power, seething resentment of Richard, and a nagging sense of his own inadequacy.Queen Eleanor's stern rebuke of both Brothers in the last episode provides as excellent summary of thier character and shortcoming, as well as giving satisfaction to the audience.My only gripes were some minor inaccuracies or historical details that are based upon popular myths about the middle ages, though these probably come from the book rather than the programme maker's imagination. It is suggested for instance, that is was illegal for women to practice healing, yet this was not the case. Rebecca's activities as a healer lead to her being accused of Witchcraft, when in reality incidents like this were not at all common until the 17th century. This incident is however, essential to the plot so is forgivable.Finally almost all of the Saxon characters seem to openly practice Pagan rituals, or adhere to Pagan beliefs, some even become gradually more pagan as the series progresses. By the 12th century most of the ideas and beliefs espoused by the characters had either been long abandoned or else 'Christianised' to such an extent that they would probably have been well within the boundaries of religious orthodoxy.Altogether a brilliant realistic and very pleasing production, perfect in almost every respect.

This is cracking stuff, and I can't believe I neglected it when it was on TV. The haircuts bothered me then - but now it's a much-loved DVD which I regularly turn to when I want to escape the dreary present.It's the story of a moment in time: King Richard dawdles in Palestine; Prince John plots to have the throne; John's barons engage in a mad plot to kidnap the Saxon princess Rowena, and a large cast of characters become caught up in the storm. This really gives you everything: jousting tournaments, swordfighting, Saxon-Norman tensions, romance, intrigue, castles - great stuff.It's very well cast, and in particular, is absolutely elevated by the presence of the great Ciaran Hinds as the proud, arrogant Norman Knight Templar Brian de Bois Guilbert, whose electrically charged scenes with Susan Lynch's Rebecca form the cornerstone of the whole drama. Hinds' commitment to his part makes this more than an average tv period dramatisation, and he's to be commended - likewise the scriptwriter for turning Scott's decided villain into an anti-hero, amping up the triangle of Ivanhoe, Rebecca and Bois-Guilbert to provide a much more exciting scenario than that in the book (and more suited to modern tastes).Stephen Waddington does pretty well with a difficult part in Ivanhoe: he gets a raw deal, as his character is mostly in the background, but his conflicted, love-struck Ivanhoe is a warrior first, brave and strong. Elsewhere the cast list shows real quality: Susan Lynch's beautiful and noble Rebecca; Christopher Lee magnificent as the bigot Templar Grand Master Lucas de Beaumanoir; Ronald Pickup's smooth courtier, Fitzurse; Aden Gillet's plain-speaking Robin Hood; James Cosmo's proud Saxon Cedric; the list goes on and on. There's some hamminess but really, who cares? It's great stuff, well shot, gripping and different from the usual 19th century fare. I'd strongly recommend it for all-round entertainment.