Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I really can't recommend this version of Ivanhoe enough. It's a complex and absorbing tale of political intrigue, betrayal, romance, self-sacrifice and redemption. The cast they gathered together for this production is out-standing (there's many faces you'll recognise) but chief amongst them has to be Ciaran Hinds (of ROME fame) with his portrayal of Sir Brian de Bois Gilbert. This brooding character is absolutely fascinating and his love trist with the Jewess Rebecca is far more interesting than that of the hero Ivanhoe.
The whole series appears to have been filmed in actual castles, churches and manor houses rather than sets and this definitley gives the programme a more authentic feel. The scenery too is spectacular and varies from very British looking woodland, craggy highlands and wind-swept moors.
If I had to pick any faults for Ivanhoe it would be the occasional niggling editing error. For example, during the joust a knight wearing a helmet with enormous horns sprouting out of the top of it gets un-horsed and his helmet clearly goes flying off his head. In the next shot the character is sat on his backside pulling the helmet off that's magically re-appeared back on his head! There's a couple more unfortunate incidents like this but they really don't detract from what is an otherwise brilliant piece of television.
The whole series appears to have been filmed in actual castles, churches and manor houses rather than sets and this definitley gives the programme a more authentic feel. The scenery too is spectacular and varies from very British looking woodland, craggy highlands and wind-swept moors.
If I had to pick any faults for Ivanhoe it would be the occasional niggling editing error. For example, during the joust a knight wearing a helmet with enormous horns sprouting out of the top of it gets un-horsed and his helmet clearly goes flying off his head. In the next shot the character is sat on his backside pulling the helmet off that's magically re-appeared back on his head! There's a couple more unfortunate incidents like this but they really don't detract from what is an otherwise brilliant piece of television.
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
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.
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.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Knights Templar, Christopher Lee, Ciaran Hinds, Saxons vs Normans, Robin Hood, Maidens is distress, this great little mini series has it all.
BBC doing Historical drama properly.
Highly recommended :o)
BBC doing Historical drama properly.
Highly recommended :o)
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Why dont the BBC make Medieval Dramas like this today?
It is a rare production today that almost perfectly combines exhilarating Drama with Historical accuracy and authenticity. This is one such production. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Medieval Lady
Simply the best: buy this and enjoy over 5 hours of quality drama.
A BBC classic from the mid-90s, I think this is the best TV series set in the medieval period. It has good acting, careful direction, and real sets. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Vicky Park
An adventurous tale at the time of the Crusades
I bougth this BBc's mini series because I love tales about King Richard, Robin Hood and the Crusades,and,as expected,I loved it. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Rossella
Gentlemen prefer blondes ?
A very good adaptation of the novel by W.Scott (close enough, but not too close....)
I enjoyed to watch Ivanhoe, Rowena, Rebecca, ...., and also, as the bad guy, King John.
I enjoyed to watch Ivanhoe, Rowena, Rebecca, ...., and also, as the bad guy, King John.
Published 22 months ago by Géraldine
Much closer to Walter Scott
Having the luxury of a mini-series, the creators of this version seem to have done their homework. The acting is outstanding, and as usual, Christopher Lee is one of the great... Read more
Published 24 months ago by A. J. Stavsky
ivanhoe
I can't say if this was good as I have not watched it. I bought it for someone else who said it was good.
Published on 19 Mar 2010 by Mrs. Wendy Hope
ROUGH AND RUGGED
From its very first second, this proves strong stirring fare. The 1997 BBC serial tells how Ivanhoe returns from the Crusades to seek reconciliation with his father Cedric and to... Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2010 by Mr. D. L. Rees
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe is an excellent production that closely reflects the classic novel written by Sir Walter Scott. Read more
Published on 13 Sep 2009 by J. D. Bryant
Cracking series
I waited a long time for this to become available, and I am not at all disappointed. Indeed, I had forgotten just how good it was. Read more
Published on 28 May 2009 by Social Drinker
Dark, gritty version of the Sir Walter Scott epic.
It should be pointed out that this production is not an adventure series aimed at a familly audience. It is a quality action thriller with some powerful performances. Read more
Published on 11 May 2009 by Prof TBun
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
