Saw this movie today and liked it.
If you like sword fights (Braveheart style) and castles and vast mountainous landscapes then you'll like it. Nice cast - not known to me - beautiful score by Anne Dudley. Worth staying through the credits to listen to it. Supposedly the basis for the opera.
I liked this film a lot, but then, I'm a romantic, at heart. Exquisite scenery and it captured the feeling of the Arthurian Times, IMO. However, I did wonder about the accuracy of the details of the legend. I found the situation of King Mark quite poignant. Felt this actor was just right for the role.
I loved King Mark. I thought his was the best performance. It was a lot different from the opera story. I'm happy that they didn't try and modernize it. The evil guys looked evil too haha.
I studied the poem in college (I was an English Major.) I loved the poem, so I have a deep fear of seeing this film...why do I get the feeling it won't live up to the poem that inspired it??
The version of Tristan & Iseult I know best is from Thomas Malory's "Morte d'Arthur" - altough most of Malory's material was recycled from older French poems, many since lost. With all these ancient tales, there is no single definitive version.
I believe I studied the Morte d'Arthur version as well as another version. I bet I have notes on it somewhere (I saved a lot) It would be fun to look at it again and compare it to the film.
