"Ivanhoe" (1997) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Stuart Orme

Writers:

Deborah Cook (writer)
Sir Walter Scott (novel)

Release Date:

21 July 1998 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Knight | Robin Hood | Anti Semitism | Sword Fight | England

Cast

Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Prior Aymer
Chris Barnes	...	Priest
David Barrass	...	Hubert
Niven Boyd	...	Oswald
Nick Brimble	...	Front de Boeuf
Ralph Brown	...	Prince John
David Catherine	...	Saxon Lord
Jimmy Chisholm	...	Wamba
Trevor Cooper	...	Gurth
James Cosmo	...	Cedric
Ron Donachie	...	Friar Tuck
Simon Donald	...	Louis Winkelbrand
Rory Edwards	...	King Richard
Aden Gillett	...	Robin of Locksley
Patrick Gordon	...	Austrian Courtier
David Graham	...	Nathan Ben Israel
Cynthia Grenville	...	Elgitha
Peter Guinness	...	Montfitchet
Ciarán Hinds	...	Brian de Bois-Guilbert
David Horovitch	...	Isaac
Demetri Jagger	...	Squire
Dermot Keaney	...	Brother Ambrose
Tim Killick	...	Man at Rotherwood
Ken Kitson	...	Henry Bohun
Jack Klaff	...	Malvoisin
Rosalind Knight	...	Edith
Renny Krupinski	...	Bardon
Christopher Lee	...	Lucas de Beaumanoir
Susan Lynch	...	Rebecca
Ciaran Madden	...	Urfried
Ewan Marshall	...	Higg
Peter Needham	...	Abbot
David Nicholls	...	Little John
Valentine Pelka	...	Maurice de Bracy
Siân Phillips	...	Queen Eleanor
Ronald Pickup	...	Fitzurse
Victoria Smurfit	...	Lady Rowena
Steven Waddington	...	Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe
John Wagland	...	Buthan
Chris Walker	...	Athelstane
Martin Walsh	...	Young Guard

Directed by
Stuart Orme

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Deborah Cook		writer
Sir Walter Scott		novel

Produced by
Jeremy Gwilt	....	producer
Kevan Van Thompson	....	line producer

Original Music by
Colin Towns

Cinematography by
Clive Tickner

Film Editing by
David Yardley

Production Design by
Adele Marolf
Michael Trevor

Art Direction by
Beckie Harvey		(as Rebecca M. Harvey)

Costume Design by
Joan Wadge

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew Baker	....	third assistant director
Chris Le Grys	....	first assistant director
Gareth Milne	....	second unit director

Art Department
Madelaine Leech	....	art director: on-camera

Sound Department
Tim Alban	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Jackson	....	sound recordist
Peter Murphy	....	boom operator
Bernard O'Reilly	....	dialogue editor

Visual Effects by
Gary J. Brown	....	digital artist

Stunts
Marc Cass	....	stunts
Nrinder Dhudwar	....	stunts
Joss Gower	....	stunts
Nick Hobbs	....	stunts
Rowley Irlam	....	stunts
Tom Lucy	....	stunts
Gareth Milne	....	stunt coordinator
Andreas Petrides	....	stunts
Jason White	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jan Pester	....	Steadicam operator
Steve Tickner	....	camera operator: second unit

Editorial Department
Alastair Grimshaw	....	first assistant editor

Other crew
Steve Dent	....	horse master
Nick Powell	....	sword master
Caroline Sax	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• A&E Television Networks
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Runtime:

270 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Trivia:

Christopher Lee's first acting role for the BBC since 1947.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the second joust at Ashby, they joust with blunted lances. During the charge, the templar's lance clearly lacks the metal end-cap. In the next shot, when he makes contact, the cap is in place.

Quotes:

Brian de Bois-Guilbert: [lying defeated on the ground, whispering to Ivanhoe] In Austria, I was not brave enough to die for Richard... but for her...
[turning his face to look at Rebecca]
Brian de Bois-Guilbert: [to Ivanhoe] Do it!

Movie Connections:

Version of Ivanhoe (1913/I)

An epic with great characters.

This mini-series of Ivanhoe is that rare breed of production, a costume epic with fleshed-out characters we can believe in and care about. Lavishly filmed on locations in the United Kingdom, it's a project that appeals to the eye as well as the mind. And best of all, it's got really great bad guys.

There's nothing unusual about villains holding center-stage, but Ciaran Hinds' turn as the tormented Brian de Bois-Guilbert in Ivanhoe stands as one of the most complex and riveting evildoers you'll see on a screen.

Hinds' Guilbert is a fleshed-out Darth Vader, a valiant knight who's become jaded and abandoned youthful convictions after years of bearing the sword in a harsh world. He murders and plots, but can still be moved to anguish and despair.

Hinds' strong performance typifies this powerful presentation of Walter Scott's convoluted story of knights, castles, revenge and redemption during the reign of Richard the Lionhearted. The tricky-to-follow story is still there, but it hardly matters amid exciting chain-mail carnage, scheming monarchs and great characters.

Nothing can beat Sian Phillips (I Claudius) as Queen Eleanor, chiding her grown sons Richard and Prince John. Even evil princes can't talk back to mother. Christopher Lee is Lucard de Beaumanoir, head of the hard-praying, hard-fighting Templar Knights. Lee's piercing eyes and rich voice demand respect in his few scenes. It's truly a shame he hasn't been in more high-quality productions over the years. Susan Lynch (Cracker, Waking Ned Devine) offers another strong presence as Rebecca, the Jewess who enters the hearts of Guilbert and Ivanhoe. And it's refreshing to see such larger-than-lifers like Robin Hood and Friar Tuck look like real men for a change.

In the title role, Steven Waddington is stoic and strong, but through much of the story he's a wounded hero on the run. Shown in North America by A&E, this mini-series is now available on video. It's well worth seeing for anyone who wants meaty characters to go along with castles and swordplay.