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"The Middle Ages"

Written By: Jay Dickson

Since the publication of Sit Walter Scott's enormously popular 1819 historical novel IVANHOE, almost no one has been satisfied with Scott's decision to marry off his hero Wilfrid of Ivanhoe to the proper and pious Lady Rowena instead of the glamorous and mysterious Rebecca of York, with whom Wilfrid's (and Scott's) sympathies clearly lie but who seems disqualified merely because of her religion. Thackeray spoofed this in his hilarious unofficial 1850 sequel to Scott's novel REBECCA AND ROWENA, and MGM dealt with the problem for this famous 1953 adaptation by making their Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor) not only much, much younger than both their Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) and their Rowena (Joan Fontaine) but everyone else in the entire cast: even though she is at the height of her beauty in this film (especially in the trial scene, where she is dressed entirely in white), Elizabeth Taylor as Rebecca seems to have wandered into the wrong movie since she doesn't seem like anyone else in the entire cast. (Elizabeth Taylor complained she was miscast, and for a while it was considered replacing her with Deborah Kerr, who was much closer to Robert Taylor's and Joan Fontaine in age.)

This may have solved the Rebecca/Rowena problem for MGM, but it does make for a strange movie of epic heroism. Fortunately everyone in the cast rises to the occasion pretty quickly, and you forget that Robert Taylor was forty-two when the film was made since he's so excellent at bounding about the ramparts of Torquilstone Castle and fighting at swords with the Norman villains. The siege of Torquilstone is a tremendous success--one of the most exciting fight scenes in any MGM swords-and-tights film of its era--, and while the final battle with battleaxe and spiked flail between Ivanhoe and the villainous Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders, looking thick and unhandsome) may lack subtlety, it certainly lacks nothing in suspense. The location shooting in England is terrific, and the actors are exactly whom you might expect in a movie of this kind from 1953, although all of them from Megs Jenkins to Emlyn Williams (to Fontaine and Elizabeth Taylor) have oddly been instructed to forego their own natural British accents instead for American received theatrical diction. The film may be a bit silly, but in terms of sheer fun it's one of the most exciting of its era.

"True to the book!"

Written By: J. Cook

And enjoyable film about a violent era. I first saw Ivanhoe as a teenager - not long after having read the book as a mandatory assignment in English class. The passage of more than five decades has not changed my opinion of Ivanhoe. The film is a well made classic. Anyone who reads the book feels that Ivanhoe should have squired and loved faithful, selfless Rebecca. The same holds true for the film. But these were the Middle Ages, the time of Christian fervor when Crusaders marched off to drive infidels out of the Holy Land, and Jews were lesser people in England's social structure. So, staying true to his class, noble Ivanhoe forsakes Rebecca (played by young and stunningly beautiful Elizabeth Taylor) and returns to Rowena. One can assume that that's the way it would've been in Medieval England. But had I been in Ivanhoe's shoes, I might've said "Convention be damned!"

"Entertaining..."

Written By: Aimee Schaper

Good old-fashion fun! Love being able to show these movies to my kids and not worry about the content!! They loved the action...

""Ivanhoe" DVD"

Written By: BRMac

A classic movie, based on a classic novel by from the GOOD days of Hollywood. Set during the same time frame as Robin Hood (his character is also in the movie). The jousting scenes are terrific.

Robert Taylor's character, Sir Ivanhoe, has returned from the Crusades and is searching for King Richard. When he finds the king is being held for ransom in Europe, he returns to England to try to raise the money to ransom the king. King John is on the throne, just like in Robin Hood, and is opposed to King Richard's return. There is no Sheriff of Nottingham in this movie, but King John has more than enough soldiers and knights helping in his fight to retain power. George Sanders is one of John's "bad guy" knights, but is also a somewhat sympathetic character.

Great costumes, classic, talented actors and actresses (including a young Elizabeth Taylor), plenty of action and absolutely NO filthy language like they put in every modern Hollywood production. This is a great movie for collectors of classic Hollywood.

"Still moving"

Written By: sedonaman

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This is another one of those movies that proves your emotion can be evoked without any f-bombs, or any swearing at all.

WARNING: Spoiler follows.

The climax comes when, for political reasons, the Jewess Rebecca is accused of witchcraft. Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, the antagonist and supporter of the evil Prince John, had been making advances to her throughout the story, to no avail, because she was in love with Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe.

To save her from burning at the stake, Ivanhoe challenges the verdict by an offer to combat the prince's champion. To play one off the other, the prince chooses Guilbert to fight Ivanhoe against Rebecca's cause, the idea being if Guilbert wins, Rebecca burns - not exactly what Guilbert had in mind.

Guilbert, however, has a proposal for her:

Guilbert: "Rebecca. I can yield now and Ivanhoe will win by default, and you will go free. I will have to live out my life in disgrace; all this I would do if you will be mine."

Rebecca: "We are all in God's hands now, Sir Knight."

Guilbert: (Angrily) "Then prepare to die - both of you!"

A tense combat follows in which Ivanhoe is almost defeated, but Guilbert is mortally wounded in a quick turn-around of events. As he lies dying, Rebecca goes to him out of sorrow, and he says to her, "Rebecca, fate had me instead of Ivanhoe love you. God be with you always." And he dies.

I know this dialog might sound a little corny by today's standards, but I think good actors saying, "We are all in God's hands now, Sir Knight" is a lot more moving than, "[...] you and the horse you rode in on, [...]" and "Fate had me instead of Ivanhoe love you. God be with you always" is infinitely better than, "[...] you, [...]!"

But then again, that's just me.