Product Details

• Actors: David Barrass, Ralph Brown, Jimmy Chisholm, Trevor Cooper, Ciarįn Hinds
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 6
• Studio: A & E Home Video
• VHS Release Date: December 13, 1999
• Run Time: 270 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304441657
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,387 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This grand six-part adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's rousing adventure of the Middle Ages makes the most of its generous running time. In the course of five hours, director Stuart Orme tells the epic tale of the idealistic young knight Ivanhoe (Steven Waddington) and his battle against the evil Templar Bois-Guilbert (Ciarán Hinds, whose thoughtful performance gives his dark character a compelling dimension). Caught between the rivalries and religious struggles are Ivanhoe's betrothed Rowena (Victoria Smurfit) and the brave, beautiful Jewess healer Rebecca (Susan Lynch), who wins Ivanhoe's heart with her courage. Set against the historical backdrop of a Britain straining under the corrupt rule of Prince John while Richard the Lionhearted fights in the Crusades, director Stuart Orme makes up for a small budget (the crowd scenes are somewhat skimpy) with sweep, scale, and the lush green British countryside of verdant forests and rolling hills, where ancient castles still stand. While this production can't compete with the majesty of the gorgeous 1952 Hollywood production, Orme creates his own vision in which Merrye Olde England is grounded in earthy colors, creating a country of both sunny fields and dark, dangerous timberlands, open sunlit courts, and cramped candlelit inns. The uniformly superb cast etches vivid characters and the length allows the novel's rich array of subplots to play out (including appearances by Robin Hood and his men and the Black Knight) and slowly wind together for the exciting conclusion. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

"From the magnificent pageantry of knightly tournament to the whispered meetings of courtly lovers, Sir Walter Scott’s epic IVANHOE has thrilled readers for generations. Now, this romantic masterpiece has been brought to life by A&E and the BBC. Set in the dark days after Richard the Lionheart returns to England, this sweeping saga follows the noble Saxon knight Wilfred of Ivanhoe as he battles the factions of the scheming Prince John. On his quest, Ivanhoe meets some of English folklore’s most fabled figures-- including Robin Hood and the fearsome Black Knight--and discovers a romantic passion that will forever divide his heart."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Adaptation, August 2, 2004

By 

Octavius (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (DVD)

I greatly enjoyed this rendition of Sir Walter Scott's famous novel. Although there are significant plot deviations, the series is well acted with fantastic costumes and sets true to the period. The theatrical talent of every single actor in this series was simply outstanding and their great performances made the characters multi-dimensional in scope expressing all the nuances of human nature.

Steven Waddington plays a very strong role as Ivanhoe: champion of the absent Richard The Lion Hearted and fiancee of Rowena (Victoria Smurfit), his dear once betrothed who's now promised by his father to Lord Athelstane. Ciar'n Hinds ('Excalibur', HBO's 'Rome') gives probably the best performance as Sir Brian De Bois-Guilbert, the evil Templar knight whose hatred for Ivanhoe is as great as his passion for Rebecca (Susan Lynch), the Jewish healer. Lynch as Rebecca herself delivers one of the best performances as a woman whose forbidden passion for Ivanhoe saves the kingdom from the Templars and Prince John. There's even a brief appearance by Sian Philips (I, Claudius) as Elenore D'Aquitaine, the queen mother who comes to arbitrate between her feuding sons John and Richard. Another outstanding performance was by Christopher Lee (Scaramanga in Bond's 'Man with the Golden Gun) who makes his first performance for the BBC in over 50 years. His role as the sadistic and zealous Grand Templar is convincing enough to give anyone the creeps.

The costumes and armor properly depict the armaments and fashion of the 12th century. The series is filmed on location in Wales showing a few of the many medieval churches, abbeys, manors, and castles that dot its landscape thereby adding to the film's feeling of authenticity. The film is perhaps graphic in violence but this captures the brutality of medieval warfare quite well. Alltogether a great mini-series that has more positive qualities than shortcomings. The story is fluid and the acting is excellent. Definitely worth owning.

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scott's tale of chivalry played out by a superb cast, January 21, 2005

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (DVD)

It seems strange that the title character of the 1997 version of Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" would end up being one of the least interesting characters in this six-part mini-series, but this is not the fault of actor Steven Waddington. Television writer Deborah Cook ("The House of Elliot," "The Royal") has simply made so many of the other characters more interesting and the cast is quite stellar, especially given how few of them I instantly recognized. But by the time the Ivanhoe/Rebecca/Brian de Bois-Guilbert love triangle is being played on to its tragic end, the Ivanhoe/Rowena/Athelstane one seems rather mundane in comparison.

The quintessential novel about chivalry, "Ivanhoe" is set about a century after the Battle of Hastings, so that there is still conflict between the ruling Normans and the defeated Saxons in England. King Richard (Rory Edwards) is taken prisoner on his way back from the Crusades and is being held for ransom and his younger brother, Prince John (Ralph Brown) is beginning to enjoy being the de facto monarch of England. The story told throughout England is that it was Ivanhoe (Waddington) who betrayed Richard, which is why Ivanhoe's father, Cedric (James Cosmo) refuses to allow his son's name to be uttered in his castle. Cedric is a Saxon noble who had thrown out his son for falling in love with the Lady Rowena (Victoria Smurfit), Cedric's ward. Now Cedric hopes to marry Rowena to Athelstane (Chris Walker), another powerful Saxon Lord.

Ivanhoe returns to England, disguised as a pilgrim, where he befriends a couple of Jews, Isaac of York (David Horovitch), and his daughter Rebecca (Susan Lynch). When Ivanhoe sees how the Normans are treating the Saxons he challenges Prince John's best knights in a jousting tournament: Maurice De Bracy (Valentine Pelka), Front-de-Boeuf (Nick Brimble), and Brian de Bois-Guilbert (Ciarán Hinds). Of course, Ivanhoe wins the tournament, but is wounded in the process and has to be cared for by Rebecca, who is a healer. At this point, things start to become very complicated.

Because this is a mini-series we are able to enjoy every one of Scott's plots complications in "Ivanhoe." We have Ivanhoe trying to get in his father's good graces once again, determined to clear his name, and trying to win back the Lady Rowena. There is the entire political question of John trying to take over the throne and whether the Saxons will start a civil war. Meanwhile, De Bracy is interested in Rowena and Bois-Guilbert becomes fixated on Rebecca. Then Lucard de Beaumanoir (Christopher Lee), the head of the Knights Templar shows up to wreck havoc. All of this is without talking about King Richard meeting up with Robin of Loxley (Aden Gillett), Friar Tuck (Ron Donachie), Little John (David Nicholls) and the rest of the men of Sherwood Forest, who have a few bones to pick with their monarch for abandoning the nation to go off crusading. By the time Elinor of Aquitaine (Siān Phillips) shows up as a regina ex machina, you will be surprised that everything has ended up being resolved one way or another.

The production values for this version of "Ivanhoe" do not allow for a lot of bodies walking around as background figures, but production designers Adele Marolf and Michael Trevor make sure this is a grimy, gritty, dirty world and not one in which knights wear shiny armor. But beyond the look of this "Ivanhoe" there are literally well over a dozen great performances. For once Prince John looks like he could pull off his coup and this Ivanhoe actually gets angry and physical when he finally confronts his father. Then you have Wamba (Jimmy Chisholm) and Gurth (Trevor Cooper), stealing pretty much every scene either one of them is in from start to finish, although the same can be said for Christopher Lee. But the standout performance belongs to Ciarán Hinds who transforms the troubled Brian de Bois-Guilbert into a tragic figure and the most interesting character in the bunch, especially since his character is the capstone to the resolution of the story.

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sir Walter Scott's Masterpiece, May 11, 2005

By 

Kay's Husband (Virginia, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (DVD)

With all the other reviews listed here, I will be very brief.

After reading a few of these other reviews I'm not sure they watched the same movie I did! Boy, how people can see the same thing differently.

However, I watched this production when it first appeared on A&E back in the 90s and recorded it on VHS; later as the DVD was issued I bought that. Courses on medieval history caught my interest in college, and this movie is the best portrayal of that time I've ever seen, others may think otherwise, I do not.

All I can say is that if you like the time period you will miss a very well done production if you skip this one. It is one of my favorite films, only problem being like SHOGUN, you must alot several hours to seeing it.

Remember I said I would be brief: Go Out And Buy This One.

(4 you may be very sorry if you don't)

Semper Fi.