Tristan & Isolde
Short description
Tristan & Isolde is a medieval romance set in Britain after the withdrawal of Roman forces, when the country is divided among rival tribes and under pressure from Ireland. An orphan taken in and raised by Lord Marke, Tristan grows into his guardian's most capable fighter. After a battle leaves him gravely wounded, he is set adrift and washes up on the Irish coast, where a young woman finds him and nurses him back to health without either learning the other's identity. The bond they form is tested when she is promised in marriage to a British lord as part of an attempt to make peace between the two peoples, and Tristan's loyalty to Marke collides with his feelings for her.
The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds, whose earlier work includes Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Waterworld and The Count of Monte Cristo. James Franco and Sophia Myles play the title pair, with Rufus Sewell as Marke and David O'Hara as the Irish king Donnchadh. Dean Georgaris wrote the screenplay, and Ridley and Tony Scott's Scott Free Productions was among the companies behind it. Made for about 31 million dollars, it took in roughly 28 million worldwide, a modest return. On TMDB it holds a 6.7 rating from 869 votes, indicating a generally favourable response from those who have seen it.
What's left behind the scenes
- Ridley Scott intended to direct this film back in the late 1970s, immediately after working on his debut film 'The Duellists' (1977). He postponed this project and proceeded to film the science fiction movie 'Alien' (1979).
- The most famous version of the story of Tristan and Isolde is Richard Wagner's (1813-1883) opera, written in 1859 and first performed in 1865. When Sophia Myles was first offered the role of Isolde, she initially thought it would be a film adaptation of Wagner's opera.
- According to Sophia Myles, working with James Franco (who played Tristan) was difficult because he categorically refused to communicate with director Kevin Reynolds. The actor himself later admitted that he repeatedly regretted agreeing to participate in the project.
- This was the final film produced by Franchise Pictures; following its release, the company declared bankruptcy.
- The wedding dress worn by Isolde, played by Sophia Myles, had previously appeared in the mini-series 'The Arabian Nights' (2000). Viewers saw it worn by Mili Avital, who played Scheherazade.
- Various versions of the story of Tristan and Isolde state that the main characters accidentally drink a potion intended for Isolde and the character played by Rufus Sewell. According to director Kevin Reynolds, this plot twist seemed silly and pointless to him, as it cast a shadow over the protagonists' love for one another. He was not the first to choose to alter the plot in this way. Rosemary Sutcliff, who wrote a novel about Tristan and Isolde in 1971, had researched early versions of the story and also found no mention of a love potion. She suggested that this plot element was added to justify the 'improper' behavior of the mutually attracted protagonists to censors representing the Church.
- The filmmakers decided to change the classic ending, in which Isolde dies of grief after Tristan receives a mortal wound. Feeling that such an ending did not suit the heroine's character, they kept her alive. In one of the initial script versions, an aged Isolde recalls and tells this entire story.
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