`IVANHOE' MINISERIES A MEDIEVAL MASTERPIECE : THE FACTS.Byline: Kinney Littlefield Orange County Register I've always been a fool for chain mail - the lushly romantic, Lancelot and Guinevere variety, that is. So, A&E's six-hour medieval miniseries ``Ivanhoe'' was an easy, obvious sell. It is also a miniseries so marvelously acted, so meticulously produced, so full of passion, humor and valor valor a rodenticide no longer marketed because of toxicity in horses causing dehydration, abdominal pain, hindlimb weakness, inappetence, fishy smell in urine. Called also N-3-pyridyl methyl N1-p-nitrophenyl urea. that it overshadows A&E icon ``Pride and Prejudice.'' Heresy? Watch and see. Just give yourself an hour or so to settle into ``Ivanhoe's'' big cast and interwoven in·ter·weave v. in·ter·wove , in·ter·wo·ven , inter·weav·ing, inter·weaves v.tr. 1. To weave together. 2. To blend together; intermix. v.intr. intrigues. Set in late 12th-century England, ``Ivanhoe'' is based on the richly romantic 1819 novel by Sir Walter Scott. It follows Saxon knight Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Steven Waddington Steven Waddington is a British actor born in 1968 in Leeds [1]who is probably best known for his supporting role in Michael Mann's The Last Of the Mohicans. ) as he returns home from the Third Crusade in Palestine. Merry Olde England is pretty much a mess. Prince John (Ralph Brown) has stolen the throne from King Richard King Richard was the name of three monarchs in English history:
society formed to guard pilgrims to Jerusalem. [Medieval Hist.: Brewer Dictionary, 1066] See : Protectiveness are all spoiling for power. And everyone hates the Jews. Pretty soon, Ivanhoe, Rowena and Ivanhoe's father, Cedric, are kidnapped, and much sword and stave carnage ensues. And Ivanhoe falls for Jewish healer healer Mainstream medicine A romantic synonym for physician. See Traditional healing. Rebecca (Susan Lynch), a love that is taboo. Formulaic ``Camelot'' fluff? No way. This ``Ivanhoe'' has sharp 20th-century social bite, thanks to expert direction by Stuart Orme. Costumes and settings are meticulous and enchanting. Turns by Lynch, Brown, Edwards, Ciaran Hinds as Knight Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert - and many more - are top flight. And the poignancy of thwarted love, duty and sacrifice will haunt you long after ``Ivanhoe'' ends. The show: ``Ivanhoe.'' The stars: Susan Lynch and Ralph Brown. When: 5 and 9 p.m. today, 6 and 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on A&E. Our rating: four stars |
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