'Tristan and Isolde'

Makes Love, Not Sense

 Jennifer Conlee, co-news editor

If ever there was a movie that did not need good acting or a good plot to draw people to it, “Tristan and Isolde” is that movie. 

For those looking for the Arthurian myth of two ill-fated lovers brought together by fate and magic, moviegoers may be severely disappointed.  However, those wanting a simple romance and a little war without too much blood or nudity, along with beautiful actors, have found their show.

“Tristan and Isolde” is a film that is based very loosely on the myth that began centuries ago with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. According to the myth, Tristan was one of the best fighters of the Round Table, as well as a dragon slayer.

It is said that Isolde the Fair, princess of Ireland, was sent to marry Tristan’s Uncle Marke, who was king of England.  A local witch brewed a love potion that was supposed to be taken by Marke and Isolde, but was mistakenly given to Tristan instead.  The two fell in love and had an affair.  When they were discovered, Tristan was banished from the kingdom.

He traveled to Brittany, where he defended the land for the duke.  Eventually, he married the duke’s daughter, Isolde of the White Hands, not to be confused with Isolde the Fair, Tristan’s true love.  After being injured in battle, Tristan knew the one thing that could save him was his love, Isolde. 

However, his wife, who was very jealous, lied to Tristan and told him that Isolde was not coming.  Tristan died soon after, and Isolde, upon arriving and finding out about Tristan’s death, died of a broken heart.  According to the legend, the two were buried together.

The filmmakers, however, decided to stray from the myth and give the movie a more realistic feel.  King Arthur and his knights are not involved. Instead of a love potion, the two lovers meet when Tristan (played by James Franco), who was thought to be dead at the time, was sent out to sea, which was the tradition for military funerals.  Isolde (Sophia Myles) found him in Ireland and healed him, and the two fell in love.

Tristan returned home to England, and soon after, he fought in a tournament during which he unknowingly won Isolde for Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), his foster father, who would soon become king and unite the feuding English tribes.

 After the wedding, the two continued the affair while the nations of England and Ireland were in the throes of war.  Tristan, one of the best fighters, is torn between his loyalty to Marke and his love for Isolde.  Isolde is struggling between her love for Tristan and her allegiance to her new husband.

When Marke uncovers their betrayal, he is enraged at first, but his love for both of them causes him to set them free, by banishing them from the kingdom.  Tristan, who knows that war is imminent, refuses to leave his home and encourages Isolde to go on without him.  He returns to the castle and is promptly killed by the enemy.  Isolde returns just in time to tell him good-bye, and according to the movie, disappears soon after he is buried.

The acting in the movie is not that stellar.  The battle scenes were bland, and the love scenes lacked passion.  However, the beautiful landscapes and pretty stars almost make it worth $8. It would make a good date movie, but I would not recommend it for children, as they would have a hard time following it. 

The movie is rated PG 13 for sexual content. I give it 2 jalapeños out of 5, and I will not be seeing it again in the near future.  It would have been a lot better if it had followed the myth version.