Ivanhoe BBC - seen it? liked it?
Mar. 16th, 2012 06:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wiseheartMum and I went to Vienna yesterday. It was long overdue for our mental health - Vienna is the place where we can truly relax, even if we only go for a day and do nothing but walk around in the old town and absorb the atmosphere. Aside from that, it is the place where I can sometimes buy DVDs that I like. Not often, but sometimes, yeah.
In any case, it was a beautiful day, and while I did not find Camelot or A Game of Thronesor any Classic Who that I would have liked, I did find Ivanhoe. The original has been one of my favourite books for many decades, having read it before Tolkien even, and once, back in the Stone Age, I saw a TV series starring a very young Roger Moore in the title role. So, I was understandably curious, and as it was a boxed edition for a reasonable price, I bought it.
So far, I have only watched the first episode. It is... interesting. Certainly a great deal more down-to-earth than I would have expected, after all that fantasy stuff I've seen lately, and many of the characters look differently from my imagination after reading and re-reading the book uncounted times, but I think I like it. I would have imagined Ivanhoe a little more gracile, Bois-Gilbert more exotic-looking, Rowena a great deal more beautiful and many other characters, especially Gurth and Wamba, a lot younger, but I think Prince John was a good choice and Rebecca is fantastic. Some of the changes irked me a bit at first, but I understand that the creators wanted to put in a bit more excitement.
I'm curious what the rest of the series will be like.
In any case, it was a beautiful day, and while I did not find Camelot or A Game of Thronesor any Classic Who that I would have liked, I did find Ivanhoe. The original has been one of my favourite books for many decades, having read it before Tolkien even, and once, back in the Stone Age, I saw a TV series starring a very young Roger Moore in the title role. So, I was understandably curious, and as it was a boxed edition for a reasonable price, I bought it.
So far, I have only watched the first episode. It is... interesting. Certainly a great deal more down-to-earth than I would have expected, after all that fantasy stuff I've seen lately, and many of the characters look differently from my imagination after reading and re-reading the book uncounted times, but I think I like it. I would have imagined Ivanhoe a little more gracile, Bois-Gilbert more exotic-looking, Rowena a great deal more beautiful and many other characters, especially Gurth and Wamba, a lot younger, but I think Prince John was a good choice and Rebecca is fantastic. Some of the changes irked me a bit at first, but I understand that the creators wanted to put in a bit more excitement.
I'm curious what the rest of the series will be like.
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-17 12:28 am (UTC)It is an interesting adaptation (I'm presuming it is the bbc one - I know there is apparently another series, but last time I checked not on dvd) - I saw it when it first showed on tv (and quite a few times since). There are some changes in it that annoyed me - but overall it is fun... I won't say more now to avoid spoilers.
I totally agree about Rowena's casting - she hardly seems to merit the term beautiful!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-17 05:20 pm (UTC)I think I know what you mean with the changes - the whole opening scene was not from the book, and I found the idea that Ivanhoe would be accused of betraying Richard and disowned by Cedric for betraying the Norman king is ridiculous.
I liked Elgitha, though. In the books, I always thought that she would be some pretty young lady-in-waiting on Rowena's side, but the disillusioned old hag was actually a lot more interesting. We need more disillusioned old hags on TV!
Unfortunately, the actors aren't easy to understand (I blame all those shaggy beards), and the German version doesn't give me English subtitles, but I'll fight on!