Tristan & Isolde (2006)
There are few sights better-looking than James Franco with wild, curly hair, his eyes misted with tears, telling the camera and every woman in the audience that he loves her. If you agree—and really, why wouldn’t you?—then you’ve probably already seen Tristan & Isolde in the theaters. Since it’s been nearly fifteen years since its release, it’s time to rent it again.
With Ridley Scott behind the production, it’s no surprise that the Irish and Czechoslovakian film looks enormously authentic. Everyone looks freezing cold, every scene looks drizzly and miserable, and every location looks filthy. I built up a roaring fire when I rented it recently, and I huddled under two blankets, and I was still cold just watching everyone else. It’s also to be expected, as a Ridley Scott production, that this will be a lot more violent than your average chick flick. The love story takes a backseat to the action during most of the movie, making it the perfect choice for date night. Guys will be satisfied with the battle scenes, and girls will be happy to stare at James Franco. Thankfully, though very violent, this movie isn’t gory. Men get beheaded, but all you hear is a slice and the camera cuts tastefully to someone else’s reaction.
But enough about the battle scenes. They’re impressive, but I don’t know anyone who went to see this movie because of them. We all went to see James Franco, and we were all rewarded. He’s positively gorgeous, and he gets to act in the better version of Romeo and Juliet. I’d only seen one version of Tristan & Isolde prior to this one, and this adaptation was quite different. You’ll get to see an extensive backstory to help you understand the characters and their loyalties to their families and countries, and after many, many action scenes, you’ll finally get to the meat of the story: Isolde gets betrothed to Tristan’s mentor. It’s a love triangle full of complex emotions, which is why I like it infinitely better than Shakespeare’s classic. Sophia Myles, the titular heroine, is in love with perfection, but her husband-to-be is actually a very nice, handsome man: Rufus Sewell. Poor Rufus wasn’t allowed to show off his curly hair, but we all remember it from other movies. He’s gentle, generous, and fun to be around, so it’s understandable why Sophia and James feel guilty about betraying him behind his back.
If somehow you’re renting this movie because of the story and not the cast, you probably already know that different versions take different liberties with the story. This is very different than 1981’s Lovespell, whose title focuses on the potion that draws the tragic couple together, and 1982’s Fire and Sword, which is also more literally faithful to the story. There are many variants in the legend, and depending on what version you’ve been taught, you’ll find discrepancies and missing pages from this version. If you love the romance of the potion, or the tragedy of the ship’s sails, you’ll probably be disappointed by this one since neither of those parts are included. However, you’ll have two hours to get over your disappointment by looking at James Franco. I think you’ll be fine.
More James Franco movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 1981's Lovespell here!
With Ridley Scott behind the production, it’s no surprise that the Irish and Czechoslovakian film looks enormously authentic. Everyone looks freezing cold, every scene looks drizzly and miserable, and every location looks filthy. I built up a roaring fire when I rented it recently, and I huddled under two blankets, and I was still cold just watching everyone else. It’s also to be expected, as a Ridley Scott production, that this will be a lot more violent than your average chick flick. The love story takes a backseat to the action during most of the movie, making it the perfect choice for date night. Guys will be satisfied with the battle scenes, and girls will be happy to stare at James Franco. Thankfully, though very violent, this movie isn’t gory. Men get beheaded, but all you hear is a slice and the camera cuts tastefully to someone else’s reaction.
But enough about the battle scenes. They’re impressive, but I don’t know anyone who went to see this movie because of them. We all went to see James Franco, and we were all rewarded. He’s positively gorgeous, and he gets to act in the better version of Romeo and Juliet. I’d only seen one version of Tristan & Isolde prior to this one, and this adaptation was quite different. You’ll get to see an extensive backstory to help you understand the characters and their loyalties to their families and countries, and after many, many action scenes, you’ll finally get to the meat of the story: Isolde gets betrothed to Tristan’s mentor. It’s a love triangle full of complex emotions, which is why I like it infinitely better than Shakespeare’s classic. Sophia Myles, the titular heroine, is in love with perfection, but her husband-to-be is actually a very nice, handsome man: Rufus Sewell. Poor Rufus wasn’t allowed to show off his curly hair, but we all remember it from other movies. He’s gentle, generous, and fun to be around, so it’s understandable why Sophia and James feel guilty about betraying him behind his back.
If somehow you’re renting this movie because of the story and not the cast, you probably already know that different versions take different liberties with the story. This is very different than 1981’s Lovespell, whose title focuses on the potion that draws the tragic couple together, and 1982’s Fire and Sword, which is also more literally faithful to the story. There are many variants in the legend, and depending on what version you’ve been taught, you’ll find discrepancies and missing pages from this version. If you love the romance of the potion, or the tragedy of the ship’s sails, you’ll probably be disappointed by this one since neither of those parts are included. However, you’ll have two hours to get over your disappointment by looking at James Franco. I think you’ll be fine.
More James Franco movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 1981's Lovespell here!