Bet ween the Frames

All about real film criticism
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Thursday , March 13 , 2008

Tristan and Isolde -Troy + Braveheart + Romeo& Juliet

Posted by betweentheframes , Reader : 13934 , 21:28:52

What happens when you combine, blend, and unite a little bit of "Troy" and “Braveheart” with Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"? "Tristan and Isolde" is what happens and it's just as unremarkable, undistinguished, and conventional as that sort of influence would dictate. Running at just over two-hours, director Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld, Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves) takes an unimaginative and unoriginal love story and stretches it as far as possible in an attempt to make it epic grand wit elements. Instead, like the 2004 version of King Arthur, this film plays it straight, without any magic or mysticism involved and the end result plays out like a George Lucas film without spaceships and light sabers. Based on a Celtic tale from the Dark Ages (early 7th Century England and Ireland), when a kingdom in England is attacked by Ireland, Tristan (James Franco), one of England's great soldiers and loyal friend to Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), is stabbed with a poison blade and left for dead. His comrades give him a king's funeral by placing his body on a boat and casting him out to sea. But his vessel lands on the shore of Ireland where a young princess, Isolde (Sophia Myles), finds him. Realizing the man is still alive, and probably where he might be from, she stores him in a secluded cave so he may regain his health. There is more to the story, but you get the idea. Honestly, I think nothing more has to be described for you because all we have here is just another story about lovers from opposing kingdoms. We've seen that story play out thousands of times before and we'll probably see it a thousand times more. The film is mostly about Tristan's allegiance. He is loyal to the death for Marke, the man who once saved his life, and also to Isolde, the woman that did the same. He loves both greatly, though in very different ways, and the conflict that arises in potentially harming one to please the other creates the film's central dilemma. The narrative structure is fairly well-developed, never really making any one of them out to be the villain, and posing no easy solutions to the problem at hand. Like many other films before it, "Tristan and Isolde" follows the archetype flawlessly without turning away to try something new or different. There is a scene that has Isolde describing her hidden romance with Tristan as a "stolen moment that leaves too quickly." This would have been a perfect way to describe this movie, only it doesn't leave quickly at all. Reynolds has got form when it comes to this sort of thing and it's fair to say that the film fares rather better as a swashbuckler than it does as a romance. The swordfights are clearly choreographed and the battle sequences are both inventive and excitingly staged. There's also an impressive look to the film, with lots of earthy browns and watery blues and a strong use of wintry coastal landscape. However, the dialogue is a little bit sentimental and the performances are something of a mixed bag. Sewell is excellent, though, giving a conflicted performance that's probably better than the film deserves. Myles is good too and there's decent support from Mark Strong, but Franco is far too wooden and seems to have confused moping for acting. I just wish the script had opted for full-bore tragedy instead of just a sad love story. Maybe tragedy is too stylized for modern audiences, but they can empathize with sad. As an entertainment, this is enjoyable film that will appeal to fans of swashbucklers whilst appalling both history buffs and literature students in equal measure, who like a good tale of valor and love with dire consequences, both romantic and tragic in scope.

What happens when you combine, blend, and unite a little bit of "Troy" and “Braveheart” with Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"? "Tristan and Isolde" is what happens and it's just as unremarkable, undistinguished, and conventional as that sort of influence would dictate. Running at just over two-hours, director Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld, Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves) takes an unimaginative and unoriginal love story and stretches it as far as possible in an attempt to make it epic grand wit elements. Instead, like the 2004 version of King Arthur, this film plays it straight, without any magic or mysticism involved and the end result plays out like a George Lucas film without spaceships and light sabers.

Based on a Celtic tale from the Dark Ages (early 7th Century England and Ireland), when a kingdom in England is attacked by Ireland, Tristan (James Franco), one of England's great soldiers and loyal friend to Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), is stabbed with a poison blade and left for dead. His comrades give him a king's funeral by placing his body on a boat and casting him out to sea. But his vessel lands on the shore of Ireland where a young princess, Isolde (Sophia Myles), finds him. Realizing the man is still alive, and probably where he might be from, she stores him in a secluded cave so he may regain his health.

There is more to the story, but you get the idea. Honestly, I think nothing more has to be described for you because all we have here is just another story about lovers from opposing kingdoms. We've seen that story play out thousands of times before and we'll probably see it a thousand times more. The film is mostly about Tristan's allegiance. He is loyal to the death for Marke, the man who once saved his life, and also to Isolde, the woman that did the same. He loves both greatly, though in very different ways, and the conflict that arises in potentially harming one to please the other creates the film's central dilemma. The narrative structure is fairly well-developed, never really making any one of them out to be the villain, and posing no easy solutions to the problem at hand.

Like many other films before it, "Tristan and Isolde" follows the archetype flawlessly without turning away to try something new or different. There is a scene that has Isolde describing her hidden romance with Tristan as a "stolen moment that leaves too quickly." This would have been a perfect way to describe this movie, only it doesn't leave quickly at all.

Reynolds has got form when it comes to this sort of thing and it's fair to say that the film fares rather better as a swashbuckler than it does as a romance. The swordfights are clearly choreographed and the battle sequences are both inventive and excitingly staged.

There's also an impressive look to the film, with lots of earthy browns and watery blues and a strong use of wintry coastal landscape. However, the dialogue is a little bit sentimental and the performances are something of a mixed bag. Sewell is excellent, though, giving a conflicted performance that's probably better than the film deserves. Myles is good too and there's decent support from Mark Strong, but Franco is far too wooden and seems to have confused moping for acting. I just wish the script had opted for full-bore tragedy instead of just a sad love story. Maybe tragedy is too stylized for modern audiences, but they can empathize with sad.

As an entertainment, this is enjoyable film that will appeal to fans of swashbucklers whilst appalling both history buffs and literature students in equal measure, who like a good tale of valor and love with dire consequences, both romantic and tragic in scope.

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comment 2
betweentheframes date : 14/03/2008 time : 02.46
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/betweentheframes

In a way it is.

comment 1
Lalida date : 14/03/2008 time : 00.38
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/Real

I find the movie very boring....

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