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Director Kevin Reynolds, whose career highlight remains the Kevin Costner-in-tights action vehicle Robin Hood, heads further back in English history for a straightforward take on the Arthurian folk legend of Tristan and Isolde, the star-crossed lovers perhaps best known today from composer Richard Wagner’s beloved opera. The story opens in the late sixth century, with Europe yet to emerge from the Dark Ages. The Romans have left what will become England and Ireland, leaving the land to perpetually squabbling tribal leaders and a strong Celtic monarch, Donnchadh (David O’Hara), who has designs on the entire region. To facilitate his plan, the King promises his daughter Isolde (Sophia Myles) to Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), the most sensible and progressive of the tribal chieftains. Marke’s most loyal subject is his young ward, Tristan (James Franco), whose life the girl once saved and with whom she is still in love. Despite the knights-and-damsels conventions of the story, this is no Prince Valiant; rather than gaudily outfitted knights and spotlessly clean castles, Reynolds presents the harsh realities of medieval life and stages his action scenes with uncompromising brutality. This mutes the romance’s dreamier aspects, but the characters are well drawn and skillfully portrayed, and it’s especially satisfying to see frequent screen heavy Sewell impress in a sympathetic role for a change. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

One of the great stories of doomed love is given a new screen interpretation in the historical drama Tristan + Isolde. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, King Donnchadh (David O'Hara) of Ireland has become the de facto ruler of England, but one of his underlings, Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), dreams of uniting British forces with an eye toward self-rule. One of Marke's most valuable allies is Tristan (James Franco), Marke's protégé, who has become a brave warrior since he was rescued by the lord after his parents were murdered by Irish forces during a battle. While Marke and Tristan dream of banishing Ireland's presence in England, Tristan has a secret he's been hiding from Marke -- after suffering serious wounds during a hard-fought battle, he was rescued and nursed back to health by Isolde (Sophia Myles), King Donnchadh's daughter, and the two fell deeply in love. But the couple were separated after Tristan returned to England, and when King Donnchadh attempts to quell the British uprising by staging a tournament among the nation's greatest warriors, with an extreme and rather personal surprise in store for Tristan.

Tristan & Isolde was directed by Kevin Reynolds, and produced in part by Ridley Scott, who attempted to bring the story to the screen back in the 1970s. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 024543237419
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français, Español
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 2:05:00
• Sales Rank: 877

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Once upon a Romance Collection

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