A Movie Review: Ivanhoe

This movie revolves around the struggles of returning King Richard to the throne of England.  King Richard is being held captive in Austria.  His brother Prince John refuses to pay the ransom.  Prince John goes even further.  He does not inform anyone of this demand and instead uses the moment as an attempt to seize the throne.  Meanwhile, the movie focuses in on Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) who is in search of King Richard.  He locates him in Austria and learns that a ransom needs to be paid.  He returns to England, working with Locksley/Robin Hood (Harold Warrender) and Issac/a Jewish banker (Felix Aylmer) to put roadblocks in the way of Prince John and to raise the necessary ransom.

I remember seeing this movie when I was a kid and just loving it.  And this time around, I just found it a bit boring.  I guess when I was young, I was drawn in by the gallant Ivanhoe, protecting and being protected by beautiful women who both loved him.  Now I see it and I can't believe that Ivanhoe would choose  Rowena (Joan Fontaine) over Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor).  Come on, Joan Fontaine over a young Elizabeth Taylor?

And the boring part?  The movie just seems to revolve around Ivanhoe being moved from one location to another.  He is wounded in a joust tournament.  He is carted off where he is put under the care of Rebecca.  Prince John's men come to the conclusion that Ivanhoe is up to something.  Ivanhoe's allies learn of this plot and take him into the woods.  When his father is captured, he surrenders himself.  Okay, all very gallant of him, but I found it boring.  

And then there are just too many silly or unlikely moments in the movie.  For example, Ivanhoe just randomly stops right under the window of King Richard's jail cells.  Or, Ivanhoe is able to attend a court proceeding when many of his sworn enemies are also in the court and no one recognizes him until he official makes his presence known.  (Admittedly, the sword fights and various battle scenes look laughable, but that is a special effects situation.)

The movie does attempt to make a progressive argument as it addresses the outcast status of Jews in England, which I suppose could be seen as addresses social issues in America.