Too bad Hollywood has forgotten how to make movies as good as this one. It stars a young Elizabeth Taylor as Rebecca of York. The movie is a love triangle with Joan Fountaine (Rowena) and Elizabeth Taylor (Rebecca) competing for the attentions of Robert Taylor (Wilfred of Ivanhoe). Elizabeth Taylor is ultra cute, has good lines, speaks them well, and nearly snags Ivanhoe away from Rowena. Robert Taylor plays a fine knight, brave, chivalrous, and a stout fighter. The movie is based on a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, published way back when, sometime in the 19th century. It is set in the 12th century and revolves around ransoming King Richard Lion Heart from the Austrians and preventing his brother John from taking over England. The history isn't bad, a few names have been changed but most of the stuff in the movie really did happen. Richard's minstrel Blondell did actually go from castle to castle looking for Richard. In the movie Ivanhoe gets Blondell's job, but heh it's a movie, a little poetic license is perfectly legitimate. We have real jousting, on horseback and with long lances. The knights wear period correct chain mail rather than gleaming plate armor which didn't come in until a couple of hundred years later. We have a castle stormed and taken by Robin Hood and his merry men. We have King Richard returning in time to save the day in the last reel. It's in Technicolor which always gives the best red rendition and good color saturation. The costumes are good looking, and everyone wears a different color, so we can keep track of who is who. Sound is excellent, I can understand every line. In it's day Ivanhoe won three Oscars, and was nominated for four more.
Netflix has it. Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment