Tristan & Isolde Review
by samseescinema (sammeriam AT comcast DOT net)January 16th, 2006
Tristan & Isolde
reviewed by Sam Osborn of www.samseescinema.com
rating: 3 out of 4
Director: Kevin Reynolds
Cast: James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell
Screenplay: Dean Georgaris
MPAA Classification: PG-13 (intense battle sequences and some sexuality)
How modest of 20th Century Fox to dump Tristan & Isolde in the midst of the usual January duds. It's worthy of a much lore lucrative release date than January 13th. Although it's tame and a tad neutered in some scratchy spots, Director Kevin Reynolds' iteration of the "greatest love story ever told" strikes an exciting balance between medieval sword fighting adventure and solemn romantic triangle tragedy. What could have been a low-budget melodramatic mess or overstated and muscled swashbuckler is instead a fine re-telling of a classic tale, with all the elements of entertainment that moviegoers have come to love. It's testament that after King Arthur, Kingdom of Heaven, and Alexander, successful medieval drama can still exist.
For those not informed of the story of Tristan & Isolde, it's essentially the basis of all Arthurian legend. A kingdom's best warrior falls in love with a lady who incidentally happens to be the wife of his king whom he very much respects. Enter confliction of emotions and furrowed eyebrows, cue tears from both king and said lady, and close curtains with tragedy. That's right, we've heard it before. It's no secret that Tristan & Isolde walks well-trodden territory. This time around, Tristan is played by James Franco, best known for his similarly conflicted character in Spiderman. In the role of Isolde is Sophia Myles, a fragile, up and coming beauty with a classical and illustrious heart-shaped face. For Lord Mark, the king, we have Rufus Sewell, whose usual role as the steely blue-eyed villain is supplemented this time by a touching and brutal character with a pumping, fully-operational heart.
The land of Britain is divided into eight tribes, none of which are wholly willing to unite as one with Lord Mark as their king. They are, however, united against the common enemy of Ireland, ruled by King Donnchadh (David O'hara), whose only daughter, Isolde, is of wedding age. Tristan stands as Lord Mark's finest warrior; the boy whom he took in after his parents were slain at the hands of the Irish. But in a botched ambush, Tristan's sliced with a poisoned blade; but not before he put to death the soon-to-be husband of Isolde (ah, the irony). Tristan's fellow soldiers presume him dead and send him off to sea in a burial boat and travel home to pronounce the warrior deceased. But, alas, Tristan awakes on the shores of Ireland to a strange and beautiful girl by the name of Isolde. Isolde nurtures him back to health in secret, sparks fly and love is made, and then their romance is under threat by King Donnchadh and Tristan is sent back to Britain. Only, later King Donnchadh offers Isolde to the British lord who emerges victorious at his tournament. Unknowingly, Tristan wins Isolde for Lord Mark and soon his only love is in the hands of his beloved leader.
As is expected for Hollywood iterations of classic tales, a hearty injection of violence and adventure must be added to the base equation. Kevin Reynolds doesn't overdose the project, but certainly has a tasteful palette for sword fighting. This is admittedly a more exciting version of Tristan & Isolde than we'll find in our history books. Fortunately, the combat isn't between epic hordes of 10,000 man armies, but between bands of writhing warriors in modest attire. Reynolds doesn't add glimmer and shine where it's unnecessary. His medieval world is a no frills reality. The kingdoms are villages and the Castles are, instead, unassuming Keeps. He decides embellishes upon the landscapes and nature of his world. His color palette is deep and rich, toting bright greens and understated greys and whites, making his film a low-key photographic gem.
Love triangles are tricky stunts to pull in the movies, especially with B-list actors under your wing. But Kevin Reynolds pulls through yet again, provoking the finest performances any of his actors have given. There's chemistry between these characters, and it sparks and grates against some deep-set emotions. The confliction of first love and fatherly love is beautifully constructed and, later, precisely dissected as the relationships start unfolding into tatters. My only quibble with these scenes lies in the PG-13 rating. The rawness of passion and thickness of love would be felt more deeply had Reynolds been bold enough to shoot fully constructed sex scenes. In the same vain, the fury of loyalty and cruelty of the politics would be more deeply resonant had the battle scenes offered gore and brutality instead of strategic quick cuts and no-blood sword fighting. The story of Tristan and Isolde is a mature one; worthy of great power and performance. It can enchant and infuriate, touching upon classical ideas with a modern zeal. And although much of this potential is tapped with Tristan & Isolde, what could have been great is only good.
-www.samseescinema.com
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
