Plot: What’s it about?
In the heat of battle in the Crusades, King Richard (Norman Wooland) has been taken prisoner and held for a steep ransom. The amount demanded is beyond what Richard’s knights could provide for an instant release, so Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) returns home. There he hopes to drum up support for Richard and by turn, secure the ransom needed to restore his freedom. But he isn’t greeted with a wave of kindness, as not all of the locals wish to see Richard back in a position of power. The Jews have been given a cold treatment under his rule, which has turned many of them against the throne. But Ivanhoe promises reform if Richard is restored, better treatment for all subjects, including the Jews. But he is a wanted man and was disowned by his father Cedric (Finlay Currie), so his word isn’t solid good these days. His main opposition comes from Prince John (Guy Rolfe), who orders the arrest of Ivanhoe, Cedric, and Isaac of York (Felix Aylmer), one of Ivanhoe’s few supporters. A woman is also involved, a most beautiful one named Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor). She is sought after by one of Prince John’s elite knights, a warrior known as Brian de Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders). But the affections aren’t returned, as she wants Ivanhoe, despite the remote chance of a normal relationship. She soon faces a horrific fate however, as she is to be burned at the stake, like her mother was. Will she be allowed to burned or will someone rescue her and in the end, what will become of Ivanhoe’s quest to restore Richard’s throne?
As part of Warner’s DVD Decision 2004 promotion, fans were given a chance to select which films were released on DVD. Ivanhoe was one of the pictures chosen, which perhaps means that the theaters could use a refresher course in adventure cinema. I’ve said it time and again, but the adventure movie is all but dead these days, even while previous like Ivanhoe, Gunga Din, and of course, Indiana Jones remain popular favorites. Then again, this tale does lean more toward medieval as opposed to adventure. And there hasn’t been a shortage of medieval movies in cinemas, although most, like King Arthur and A Knight’s Tale, don’t follow the path of the standard medieval yarn, like Ivanhoe. The tone is gallant, with knights on steeds, brave warriors with sharp swords, and jousts that pit the noble against the well, bad guys. The fight scenes are well done and for me, the highlight of the film is when five knights saddle up to battle one man, tournament style. This is not as epic as it could have been, but the set pieces are well designed and since the action is well handled, I can’t complain much. The cast looks good, but doesn’t deliver in terms of total performance. This doesn’t sink the movie, but perhaps with more passion and enthusiasm, Ivanhoe could have been a classic. Even so, if you’re in the mood for swords and lances, you could do a lot worse than this. Warner’s DVD isn’t that impressive, but the technical merits are solid, so a rental is a worthwhile proposition.
Video: How does it look?
Ivanhoe is presented in full frame, as intended. This is a welcome improvement over previous video editions, which often looked overly soft, worn, and most importantly, sported dull colors. In this new version, the hues have been restored to full impact, which means bold & bright colors in all scenes. The print is also quite clean and provides a sharp overall image, which should delight fans to no end. I found contrast to be solid also, with well balanced black levels and detail remains strong as well. I commend Warner for this treatment, as it finally gives the home video audience a respectable edition to experience.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included mono option is no frills, but it covers the basics and in this case, that is enough to warrant a solid score. The fun, masterful score is in top form here, with no distortion and more depth than expected. This is not the kind of movie that relies on intense sound effects, but the elements sound as good as possible, which is about all we can ask, I think. No issues in terms of dialogue either, as vocals sound clean and clear at all times, no muffled dialogue here. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the cartoon short Two Mouseketeers, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
