This film made a HUGE impression on me as a small child while I watched it on the family TV, lying on the floor. So I have a very sentimental attachment to it. At that time I was a big fan of all Sir Walter Scott's novels - well, the Classic Comics versions, actually. Anyway, I was completely in awe of "Ivanhoe" and I enjoyed very second of it. The only thing I couldn't grasp was how Ivanhoe could prefer Rowena over Rebecca! I was only 6 or 7, but the 19-year-old Elizabeth Taylor made a deep, incomprehensible-at-the-time impression on me. She was literally incredible. How could anybody possibly turn her down? But, that's what happened for the sake of the story.
I've watched "Ivanhoe" many times since, and my older, cynical self spotted a lot that I missed that first time. Robert Taylor was way too old and too stiff and was a very wooden actor. Put Tyrone Power in there and you'd have an all-time classic epic. But I also noticed the inimitable George Sanders. Wow! What a great villain he was! I thought his Sir Brian was actually far more realistic than Ivanhoe because he fell really hard for Rebecca, which made a lot more sense to me.
But anyway, this is a great swashbuckler, very entertaining and colorful. I am now so old that I can just let it carry me along and take me back to my childhood for a couple hours. No matter what though, it's still impossible for me to comprehend someone not taking Liz when he had the chance. After it's over, I picture Ivanhoe in his castle being nagged by Rowena and kicking himself in the butt, over and over and over.
I've watched "Ivanhoe" many times since, and my older, cynical self spotted a lot that I missed that first time. Robert Taylor was way too old and too stiff and was a very wooden actor. Put Tyrone Power in there and you'd have an all-time classic epic. But I also noticed the inimitable George Sanders. Wow! What a great villain he was! I thought his Sir Brian was actually far more realistic than Ivanhoe because he fell really hard for Rebecca, which made a lot more sense to me.
But anyway, this is a great swashbuckler, very entertaining and colorful. I am now so old that I can just let it carry me along and take me back to my childhood for a couple hours. No matter what though, it's still impossible for me to comprehend someone not taking Liz when he had the chance. After it's over, I picture Ivanhoe in his castle being nagged by Rowena and kicking himself in the butt, over and over and over.