Ivanhoé

I love this movie. Everyone is playing larger than life, but that's fine with me. Olivia Hussey is wonderful as Rebecca. Anthony Andrews is great in any period part (or any other, for that matter). It took me a few viewings to figure out that that really was Sam Neill, as he's not as understated as I'm used to seeing him play. Lysette Anthony is pretty as Ivanhoe's love, if a bit less convincing as someone who would cause him to be faithful to her forever. The Black Knight coming to Ivanhoe's rescue is an interesting move. Basically everything that one other reviewer hated most about this movie were the things I liked the best.

If they would put this out on DVD I'd be extremely happy.

Television is such a wasteland at times.

Every once in a while a good thing comes out of TV. Ivanhoe is one of those things. It's episodal, which diminishes the dramatic impact sometimes, but considering its budget and the medium, it really is a fine piece of work.

A great story...some great acting (Rebecca is exceptionally played) and a wonderful blend of drama, adventure, romance and raw violence.

I guess all countries have a few strange traditions and this film is connected to one of ours in Sweden. Every New Year´s Day the last twenty years public service television have showned this movie in the afternoon, the perfect time for dragging yourself up, buying a pizza and maybe forget your extreme hangover for a while. Everyone knows the film inside out but are still watching it year after year; fills in on every funny line (like when de Boeuf shouts "Striiip him!"), laughs once again over great characters like Athelstone and Tuck and gets annoyed over how Ivanhoe can choose the boring Lady Rowena before foxy Olivia Hussey. I can´t really say anymore if it´s a good movie or not but I guess it´s perfect for a day after...

it is difficult to unlike this film. correct adaptation, good acting, romantic and seductive, it is a real delight. not only for story but for extraordinary cast. and, sure, for values of another time.it is not spectacular and, at first sigh, its ambitions are not great. but its fundamental virtue remains delicate beauty. the good translation of spirit of memorable novel. the flavor of love without any innovation. the brave hero and his sacrifice. James Mason and Olivia Hussey. the great Michael Hordern. and, first, the clear performance of Anthony Andrews.a kind of testimony about a form of art. pure and almost innocent. and a nice TV film. it is enough in search of walls against mediocrity.

Although the romance and derring do of medieval chivalry is best expressed in the famous MGM big screen version of Ivanhoe that starred Robert Taylor, this made for British TV Ivanhoe stays far more accurately to what Sir Walter Scott wrote. There are even characters that the MGM film eliminated from the story that are present here.

Anthony Andrews plays the hero Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe in this version and he's a knight who takes his vows quite seriously. That means help and aid to the weak and oppressed and Jews in medieval England were among the most oppressed. Although his heart is set on the Saxon princess Rowena played by Lysette Anthony, he gets a stirring for the medieval Jewish princess Rebecca as played here by Olivia Hussey.

But the one who's really crushing out on her big time is Sam Neill playing Brian Bois Guilbert a knight of the Templar order and the Templars are trying to topple Richard the Lion Heart from the throne and put Prince John on it. Sad for the years of his reign for the people of England they got a King John after the action of this film is over. As a Norman he and Andrews just don't like each other on general principles. Put in the romantic angle and even those who never read the book know that Andrews and Neill will be duking it out with lance and spear at the climax.

The Robert Taylor classic never covered the Templars and hence the anti-Semitism was muted. Here it bursts forth in full flower and the Templars who pronounce Hussey a witch are sure no knight who takes any Christian vows will champion an infidel.

By dint of his star power James Mason who plays Rebecca's father Isaac of York gets top billing. Mason is effective and the part is built up somewhat.

I do love Robert Taylor's Ivanhoe, one of my favorite of his films. But this version is one good Cliff's Notes version of the story.