Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11349 in VHS
• Released on: 1994-06-24
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Color, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 156 minutes

Amazon.com
This 1982, 180-minute television remake of the original MGM feature, produced 30 years before, is the rare makeover of a classic that works quite well under its own steam. Anthony Andrews plays the disinherited knight who returns from the Third Crusades and is determined to raise the ransom to free a kidnapped King Richard (Julian Glover). With his bid rebuffed by his estranged father (Michael Hordern), and the affection of the latter's ward, Rowena (Lysette Anthony), compromised, Ivanhoe looks toward the generosity of the beautiful Rebecca (Olivia Hussey)--whose father (James Mason) he rescued from anti-Semitic Normans--for help. But a plot by faithless friends to discredit Ivanhoe, and his subsequent partnership with Robin Hood (David Robb) to save the day, keep this story from slowing down even for a minute. Originally a miniseries, this production has enough breadth to provide lots of breathing room for the script and cast to mine all the drama they can from Sir Walter Scott's novel. This is also a great-looking movie, with wall-to-wall pageantry, superb costumes--the works. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

This needs to be out on DVD ASAP!
This is really a great version -- I think it's hands down the best Ivanhoe! -- and tremendous fun, plus it's wonderful to watch Olivia Hussey. (The newer A&E production is pretty good, but the lead actor is so bland and, at 5 hours, it's just too long!)

Unfortunately the VHS tape of this 1982 version is as rare as hen's teeth and it needs to be released on DVD *now*!!

Since "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is (finally) out on DVD next month, I hope it won't be too long before it's joined by this fine miniseries. I'll be first in line to buy it.

The DEFINITIVE film version of Ivanhoe!
I have seen both film versions of Ivanhoe as listed in the Leonard Maltin video guide, and this definitely vanquishes all comers. Believe this or not, but when I first acquired the video I watched it on a daily basis for the next few weeks (and I still do that sometimes)- my long-suffering family would confirm my statement - and I think that anyone who has watched this film would agree with me that all too rarely has a great book like Ivanhoe been able to have a film this good to do justice to it. Besides the colour, sounds and minor episodes which all blend in this film to make the best recreation of the atmosphere of the age of chivalry I ever saw, what I admire most about this film is the way the people who made the film paid attention to all the little things that a purist would be grateful for - not only getting the devices and colours, and even the mottoes of the knights' escutcheons right, but retaining artistic integrity by refusing to join everyone else in making Brian de B.-G. and Maurice de Bracy out-and-out-bad guys; indeed, portraying them with a good deal of sympathy. As an admirer of Maurice de Bracy for quite some time, I was delighted to find that my favourite character retained all the qualities given to him by Scott even when appearing on screen, and that his friendship with Brian and Reginald F.-d.-B. was portrayed in all its sincerity. Sam Neill and the person who acted R. F.-d.-B. never acted better (or rather, I should say, they acted as well as they always do) and were quite perfect in their roles. In fact, the way the three 'bad guys' (they're not really bad but we'll call tham that for short, since Wilfred is the 'hero' and they're on the other side) work together is exceedingly fun to watch and they all appear to be enjoying themselves and being enthusiastic about the whole thing which makes it even more fun for the viewer, and brings out their characterisation marvellously. (Just to show how suited they are to their characters: in the first glimpse of a few seconds each that you get of them in the first sequence, with no shields to identify them, I was able, the first time I watched the show, to guess who they were just from their expressions and appearance - correctly, as I later found; at that point I really had no idea who they were!) Anthony Andrews carried off the -oh-I-am-sick-ouch-thanks-Rebecca-but-I'm-already-in-love-with-Rowena act splendidly, but to see him at maximum charm look at 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'. For the rest, I was very impressed with the way all the rest of the cast acted, from Cedric and Wamba through Locksley and the heroines right down to Conrade Mont-Fichet and William de Wyvil (though he's not called that in the show). And even for those who haven't read the book, this film would be a great thing to watch. Even if you don't know the characters, you get to know them through here and the story itself is fast-paced and dripping with chivalry and all the trimmings - what more could you want?

"If I could only get my strength back!"
"Ivanhoe" is a curiosity of literature; a long adventure novel whose hero spends most of the plot unconscious, a medieval romance with a not-so-subtle rail against prejudice, and a tale that proves when all else fails, have Robin Hood show up. This made-for-TV adaptation follows the book fairly closely, and it stars the always welcome, decidedly delicious Anthony Andrews to boot.

Andrews is Ivanhoe himself, a knight back from the crusades and temporarily in disguise as he checks up on his family. His father has disowned him, you see, because the family are Saxon and Ivanhoe ran off to help Norman King Richard in the Middle East. Ivanhoe also checks up on Rowena, a childhood love now sort-of-engaged to another Saxon Lord. Things don't get very far before Ivanhoe gets injured jousting, setting off a long chain of events that will change his family's destiny.

Thus begins the main problem with "Ivanhoe", because from this point on Ivanhoe himself is delirious until the last third of the film. The injured knight is cared for by the very beautiful Rebecca (Olivia Hussey from "Romeo and Juliet"), a Jewish girl who is herself desired by a Norman Knight (a young Sam Neill). But she has eyes only for Ivanhoe, and actually he sort of for her, although Sir Walter Scott couldn't really get away with that plot line in his day and age (but you can tell he wanted to). Rebecca and Ivanhoe are captured by the jealous Norman and his friends, and Rowena and Ivanhoe's father too, and pretty much everybody else as well. They all end up in a castle until Robin Hood breaks them out (really).

Yeah it's silly, but surprisingly entertaining as well, and I'd say if you liked Anthony Andrews in "The Scarlet Pimpernel" you're going to want to see "Ivanhoe". You may also enjoy the film if you like knights in armor, Olivia Hussey, or if you're a fan of the book itself. Definitely a cut above your average made-for-TV fare.

GRADE: B+