Tristan & Isolde DVD Review

"Tristan And Isolde" reviews

DVD

Tristan And Isolde

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2006-09-08 15:01:21

Provider

DVD Review

A fusion of Gladiator and Romeo & Juliet with a touch of King Arthur thrown in for good measure, executive producer Ridley Scott presents a sweeping love story set against the brutal backdrop of the Medieval dark ages.

Not strictly an adaptation of the Wagner opera, Tristan + Isolde is more of a distillation of the Celtic myth's most enduring subjects.

Separated by countries at war, then by loyalty to a King, Tristan (James Franco) and Isolde (Sofia Myles) must suppress their emotions for the sake of peace and the future of England. However, the more they deny their passion, the more fiercely it burns. Despite their efforts to stay apart, Tristan and Isolde are driven inexorably together, risking everything for one last moment in each other's arms.

Exquisitely shot, director Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) does a decent in job in bringing a rustic and believable quality to what is essentially a fantastical tragedy. However, he gets his pacing all wrong, so much so that the two hour running time seems to drag on for much longer. The cast's tendencies (James Franco in particular) to over-dramatise their parts gives what was surely intended to be an otherwise down-to-earth script an almost farcical soap quality, which simply doesn't complement the stunning visuals.

All in all a lavish straightforward story somewhat hampered by leaden editing and acting.

Includes commentaries from the producer and writer, making of,

We Belong Together music video from Gavin DeGraw, image galleries, behind the scenes look inside The Sentinel plus Thank You For Smoking and

Confetti trailers.