Tristan + Isolde

Filed under: Film — purplehsiaoling at 8:11 am on Saturday, March 11, 2006 

I’ve just watched Tristan + Isolde and somehow, I’m inspired to devote my very first blog entry to the movie.  I initially became excited about Tristan + Isolde when I saw the tagline in its movie poster proclaiming it as the greatest love story since Titanic.  Well, greatest love story since Titanic?  Great!  But that’d mean I should expect a tragic ending as well.  And I did steel myself for one.

     Overall, it’s a lovely movie despite its tragic ending.  Yes, it has no "And they lived happily ever after" that I would have so much preferred and loved.  I dearly wanted to rewrite the entire story.  And I guess I will.  Hah!  Perhaps those who would actually be interested in my ramblings would be those who know about Tristan and Isolde. 

     If you want the movie storyline, you could easily get it on the Net.  And you can even search for the real story or the various versions of it.  What I am going to talk about is the movie itself.  Oh, do bear with me.  I am like this, unfortunately.  I can’t accept stories (movies and books) as they are and often would weave my own to please myself.  Haha..

     So..  If I were to rewrite Tristan + Isolde, it would go like this.  Isolde wouldn’t have gone through with the wedding to Lord Marke.  He was such a kind and understanding man (Isolde did tell Tristan that "He is so kind, I couldn’t hate him," after she married Lord Marke and he did let Tristan and Isolde go in the end despite learning of their treachery) that he would have given up Isolde as his intended bride for Tristan whom he treated as his own son.

     After all, he wouldn’t have fallen in love with Isolde yet then (he did after marrying her) and knowing that Tristan and Isolde had a history together in Ireland, he would have let them marry to live happily ever after!  Sigh..  If only this was a romance story book (I mean, those that usually end well)..  It would have been a beautiful story.

     Tristan or Isolde should have told Lord Marke their story as soon as they were back in Britain and everything wouldn’t have been such a mess.  Lord Marke would give them his blessings.  Somehow, Lord Marke would still be made King and Tristan would be chosen as his second.  After Lord Marke died, Tristan could ascend the throne with Isolde as his queen.  Haha..  Looks like I’m rewriting history or the legend itself.

     There needn’t be any treachery, betrayals, pain, sufferings..  What a wonderful world (or story) that would be!  Haha..  I told you I am a hopeless romantic and really, really love happy endings.  And I loathe complicated stories..  If only things were that simple, I’d be happy!

     Anyway, back to the movie.  James Franco (Tristan) and Henry Cavill (Melot) were really good-looking.  I’ve always preferred James Franco to Tobey Maguire in Spider-man anyway.  I saw Henry Cavill in I Capture The Castle and I thought he was good-looking too then (I was bitterly disappointed when he didn’t get the girl in that movie).

     Sophia Myles was great as Isolde.  At least, Isolde was a girl who stood up for herself (but in the end, she still had to yield to duty and honour- I totally loathe these two words in the movie!), brave, smart and everything a girl should be (err, except marrying someone else out of duty and having an affair with the one she loved).  And bless Lord Marke for being so likeable despite being the victim of the love affair.

     Oh, well.  I tried to think of Tristan + Isolde as worthy of being in the list of my favourite movies but sigh, I doubt it.  I couldn’t really accept the story line.  Something like Cold Mountain, I guess.  I like both movies but somehow, they are not "my favourite movies" material, not like Titanic. 

     I have rewritten the movie in my mind and I am satisfied.  If only there were more happy endings in legends and history or even in our lives..