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By
NICK ZEGARAC
MGM developed a kick for
swashbuckling in the early '50s, just as Warner
Bros. and Errol Flynn were bowing out of the
swordplay. Valiantly throwing down the gauntlet,
MGM launched into an impressive roster of knights
and their ladies fare with this adaptation of Sir
Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe." Among the most thrilling
epics, the film stars Robert Taylor as the
medieval champion trying to raise the ransom for
captured King Richard (Norman Wooland). Ivanhoe's
unpopular rescue of Isaac (Felix Aylmer), from
anti-Semites subverts his attempts to reconcile
with his own estranged father (Findlay Currie) but
it does yield a fruitful bounty in Isaac's
daughter, the fair Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor), who
pays Ivanhoe's entry fee in a tournament.
The mischief grows as Ivanhoe's closest
antagonists, Norman knights Sir Brian de
Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders) and Sir Hugh De
Bracy (Robert Douglas) conspire with the evil
Prince John (Guy Rolfe), to steal Rebecca and
Ivanhoe's betrothed Rowena (Joan Fontaine) for
themselves. Alas, both maidens fancy the raven
haired Ivanhoe instead. What's any other strapping
paragon of viral manhood squeezed into nylon
leggings and a breastplate to do?
Director Richard Thorpe lavishes "Ivanhoe" with
nonstop adventure and thrills, making the film a
veritable feast for the romantic in all of us.
"Ivanhoe is pure entertainment!
Warner's DVD is remarkably clean and solid. The
Technicolor image exhibits only marginal
deterioration. For the most part colors are rich
and vibrant. Fine details are nicely realized for
a very textually dense picture that will surely
please. Occasionally the image appears slightly
blurred. There is also a hint of haloing which
occurs during several of the matte process shots
and draws undo attention to the fact that much of
the glory of the realm is actually a painting on
glass that has been recomposited with the
foreground action sequences. Black levels are deep
and solid. Whites are generally clean. The audio
is mono but impressive in its balance and blend.
Extras, alas, are limited to a Tom & Jerry cartoon
already available on the Tom & Jerry 2-disc set
from Warner and a swashbuckler's theatrical
trailer gallery -– a total of 3. Ho-hum. For DVD
Decision DVDs more was and should have been
expected herein. But overall, this is a very nice
visual presentation. |
