Tristan + Isolde

There are love stories,and then there are love stories that pack a powerful punch.Tristan and Isolde indeed falls in the latter category. I must confess to not being an avid watcher of romance films,and was expecting not to enjoy much,if any of this film at all.I came away pleasantly surprised,as this film has a power that is hard not to acknowledge.It is two love stories in one.An English warrior is torn between the love of a woman from a country with which they are at war, and the man to which he owes his very life.The problem is,his two loves are sworn to one another,though not by the lady's choosing.The story is told well,and the film beautifully done.As of this writing,it is still in theaters and is worthy of the admission price,not to mention a worthwhile future rental.

I must say that I didn't even originally plan on going to this movie, but after I was asked by a friend to see it on its opening night, I said that sure, I would go. I figured that it would be alright, nothing more than mediocre at the most, but this movie was amazingly wonderful.

I have heard many people's comments on how they didn't like it because "Myles' accent was completely wrong," "the chemistry between Franco and Myles was horrible," "it didn't even follow the original story," and many other miscellaneous things. While the story line was changed a little from the original story, I believe that it was still good. And come on, how many times does Hollywood actually stick to the original story anyway? I think that the way the story went was much easier for people who were not familiar with the story of Tristan and Isolde to follow.

Further, I thought that Myles did a wonderful job with her accents. I found it very easy to differentiate between the Irish and the English.

And lastly, I found the chemistry between Myles and Franco to be simply wonderful. They really showed me that the characters were truly in love; it was compelling and deep, put together for a very good movie.

I can honestly say that this is one of the best movies I have seen in a while; it was not the watered-down relationship kind of thing that comes from Hollywood most of the time. From the battles to the most intimate of scenes, it stayed simple; not the high-tech kind of thing that you would usually see. There were some parts meant to be funny, some meant to be sad, and the movie averaged out to give you the best of both. I will tell you that in its opening weekend I saw it more than once, something that I would usually never do. It's a movie that gets better and better each time you see it; one where you pick out things each time that you had not seen before.

Simply put, this is a wonderful movie. I loved it, but I would not recommend going if you're just going because you think that James Franco is hott! I know some people who didn't like it, I won't lie, but if you come to the movie with an open mind and know that some things are going to be different, you will absolutely love it, as I did.

In response to comments disparaging this film for neglecting to use music from the opera-- that hardly seems relevant. This story was written long before Wagner's work existed, and it would be foolish to demand that his music be a part of the film. It seems to be of greater significance that the film neglects certain elements of the original texts, although as an entirely different art form, the film has every right to take its liberties. It is unfair to credit or discredit any film based on its relationship to other works of art. It is important to appreciate and discredit this film within the context of the art form in which it functions.

Tristan and Isolde is one of the most enjoyable films I've seen this year. I saw it in a preview screening without knowing anything about the film or the myth. I expected a mediocre romance, only hoping that it would be set in an interesting medieval setting and that my girlfriend would enjoy it. Well it is a story of love, but also so much more. The film has a dark undertone to it and every character is torn between hard choices of power, loyalty, friendship and in Tristan's case, love. There is plenty of both tragedy and love and although very dramatic I never felt it was being too sentimental. The battle scenes are very well done. Although realism is sometimes sacrificed for dramatic impact, this works very well for the film. Most importantly there are no invulnerable heroes. Everyone is in immediate danger of mutilation and death, making the fight scenes more intense. The casting of Tristan, Isolde and Lord Marke is perfect and most of the supporting cast do an equally great job. The absence of any Hollywood superstars makes the film all that much better. Enjoy.

One of the great love stories from the medieval courtly romances, "Tristan and Isolde" has received many different treatments from medieval poets such as Gottfried of Strasbourg to the haunting opera by the nineteenth-century German composer Ricard Wagner. In each of the versions of the story, there are new and different plot details in this tragic love story.

In Kevin Reynolds' film adaptation, the most intriguing new twist from the traditional story is the way in which Tristan and Isolde meet. In this version, Tristan is given up for dead following a battle in Cornwall and washes ashore in Ireland in a boat only to be discovered by Isolde. She then uses her magical herbs to cure him. In Gottfried's medieval tale, the two young people drink a love potion from a goblet of wine. In this film, the young people fall instantly in love without any need of an elixir.

In two touching performances, the young lovers are played by James Franco and Sophia Myles. Their on-screen chemistry is electric, and their scenes together are filmed effectively by Reynolds in beautiful location settings. The film also explores themes of medieval chivalry and honor. Rufus Sewell delivers an excellent performance as King Mark caught in the love triangle that recalls the famous story of King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guineviere.

There are also great action sequences in "Tristan and Isolde," including battles, tournaments, and medieval siege warfare. But the most memorable scenes are the intimate moments with Tristan and Isolde. Their fateful meeting and the unfolding of their relationship make this film worthwhile for audiences both familiar with the legend and for those being introduced to this timeless love story for the first time.