Tristan + Isolde: A film to watch

Romeo and Juliet. Lancelot and Guinevere. We all know and have heard of these love stories, but Tristan + Isolde becomes a mixture of both stories to form a film for every audience. Tristan + Isolde was produced in 2006 by Ridley Scott (Gladiator). The story takes place during the Dark Ages, when a feud is at its peak between Britain and Ireland. Tristan, played by James Franco is from Britain, and after his parents are murdered by the Irish during an attack, he becomes a pseudo-son under the future King, Marke, played by Rufus Sewell. Tristan grows up under Marke and becomes an excellent fighter, but during one Irish raid, is supposedly killed. Because of his leadership qualities, he receives a king’s funeral and is put on a boat for it. Ironically, his funeral boat lands on Irish shore and is found by the King’s daughter, Isolde, played by Sophia Myles. The love story develops and takes many twists along the way.
However, the entire picture is not completely a love story. Tristan + Isolde has action packed fighting scenes, and themes of loyalty and betrayal. This film would make for a good date night because both women and men would find an interesting plot to follow. The film keeps the audience on the edge of their seat every second.
Not only is the story and characters remarkable, but the sets, costumes, and music are spectacular as well. Because the story takes place during the Dark Ages, the sets are more dreary and give the audience a sense of the time period. The building structures are amazing, and one can tell that attention was given to the details. The costumes also fit the time period very well. They represent the time period and socioeconomic status of each character individually throughout the film. Lastly, the music is memorable and appropriate for the different scenes. The song “We belong together” written by Gavin DeGraw, evokes emotion and tells of the underlying theme throughout the entire movie.
Overall, Tristan + Isolde is definitely a film to watch, particularly with the one you love. Because of the amazing story, and various other aspects of the film, I would rate it as a 9/10.