6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Stand and pledge loyalty - or prepare to lie cold beneath your shields. Chivalrous knight Wilfrid of Ivanhoe is determined to restore Richard the Lionhearted to England's throne.
Starring: Robert Taylor (I), Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders (I), Emlyn WilliamsRomance | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Based on the three-volume 1819 novel by Sir Walter Scott, Richard Thorpe's Ivanhoe is a lavish Technicolor historical drama starring Robert Taylor and the first part of an unofficial trilogy that also includes Knights of the Round Table and The Adventures of Quentin Durward. Scott's source novel has been adapted many times since, including two different TV mini-series, an underrated 1982 feature film, and even a few comic books. While it's not without a few minor speed bumps along the way, this 1952 version remains a largely smooth and enjoyable Technicolor epic that was nominated for four Academy Awards -- including Best Picture -- and stands as MGM's biggest earner for that year.
Perhaps a bit too dense for its surprisingly slim 107-minute running time, Ivanhoe is still an entertaining adaptation of celebrated source material. It's nothing if not accessible to outsiders: first-time viewers of this iteration should feel immediately at home if they're at all familiar with any variant of the Robin Hood legend, from several early silent films to Warner Bros.' classic 1938 film starring Errol Flynn and even Disney's animated spin on the franchise (a childhood favorite of yours truly). This is obviously more of a straight-laced take and one that easily skates by on pure pedigree alone, yet it still manages to inject a good amount of humor and swashbuckling adventure to the classic story with plenty of fine performances to back it up. Although this version omits several major and supporting characters from Scott's original novel and slightly hardens the character of Ivanhoe himself (who is traditionally "perfectly chivalrous", almost to a fault), it remains mostly true to the source and holds up well enough seven decades later.
Released only a year before Hollywood's sudden shift to Cinemascope, Ivanhoe nonetheless retains an epic atmosphere despite its narrow
1.37:1 aspect ratio. Sporting impeccable production and costume design bolstered by a suitably rich Technicolor palette, it also features a
memorable score by prolific composer Miklós Rózsa
(Double Indemnity,
Ben-Hur). Both are showcased perfectly
on
Warner Archive's new Blu-ray, which is sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original Technicolor negative and sparkles like new. It's a solid leap
beyond previous DVD releases, including Warner Archive's own 2019 offering, although a triple feature with its two unofficial sequels would have
been nice to see.
I could just link to all 25 of these screenshots rather than do another verbose visual write-up, but it's worth detailing out of respect: this 1080p transfer of Ivanhoe ranks among the boutique label's best efforts... which, considering their near-spotless track record, is quite an achievement. Sourced from an exclusive 4K scan of the original Technicolor negatives, this beautifully-saturated picture carries with it an exceptional amount of fine detail, texture, and clarity that greatly supports the film's terrific production and costume design. It's a very clean image thanks to the studio's usual amount of careful manual cleanup, which allows Ivanhoe to retain its original film-like texture without the heavy hand of excessive noise reduction. Density and stability are excellent as well, highlighting the picturesque landscapes and mostly warm interiors that are probably much cleaner than real 12th century locales... plus we don't have to smell any chamber pots. Even a few seams, such as questionable matte lines spotted in screenshot #9, are thankfully retained rather than being "corrected". Without question, this is yet another purist-friendly transfer from the reliably great boutique label, and one that probably even bumped up my opinion of the film a good half-star.
Though limited to DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono, this one-channel mix dutifully preserves the modest roots of its source material with no major hiccups along the way. Dialogue is prioritized and remains clean and clear throughout, although a few stray European accents may be deciphered more easily with the optional English (SDH) subtitles. Background effects are handled nicely, from quiet moments to those captured in wide-open landscapes and, of course, sporadic swashbuckling moments of epic action and adventure. Composer Miklós Rózsa's memorable score (read more here) gets plenty of support as well, sounding forceful but nuanced with a surprisingly well-rendered high end and mixing that doesn't drown-out the on-screen action. Like most films in their catalog, Warner Archive has one again treated Ivanhoe to a purist-friendly presentation that likely sounds as good as original theatrical showings.
This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with attractive one-sheet cover artwork and no inserts of any kind. On-disc extras are minimal but mirror those from earlier DVDs, chiefly Warner Archive's own 2019 offering.
A dutiful and entertaining adaptation of celebrated source material, Richard Thorpe's Ivanhoe is a lavish Technicolor adventure that still has the capacity to thrill audiences whether or not they're familiar with its characters. Featuring solid performances, terrific production and costume design, and a great original score, it's a bit thick for a 107-minute film but still plays well enough 70 years after its theatrical release. Warner Archive's Blu-ray offers loads of support, but mostly in the A/V department: its sterling 1080p transfer rivals the image of a 4K disc and the lossless audio is great too, but don't expect any real bonus features. Any way you slice it, though, Ivanhoe is solid entertainment and a disc worth picking up. Recommended... and maybe well get the two unofficial sequels in the near future too.
Season 3 / Robin Hood
1986
1976
1962
1958
Director's Cut
2004
North West Frontier
1959
1952
Warner Archive Collection
1945
Limited Edition to 3000
1947
1938
1949
1958
1964
Warner Archive Collection
1951
1969
1944
1970
Warner Archive Collection
1975
1984
2010