Tristan & Isolde

            This is a great love story. That’s all I can really say. I mean, it’s billed as being better than Romeo and Juliet, and after watching it, I think it is. While it seems that much of the Arthurian legend is stemmed out of this story, it is far older and far superior to the legend of sir Lancelot and sir Gawaine. Tristan is the son of a saxon sub-baron in the dark ages of great Britain. After the fall of Rome and before the reign of Charlamegne, this is a terrible time of legend and bloodshed.

            At the meeting of the Lords of Britain, the Irish, then a flourishing kingdom, strike to disrupt the treaties and desimate the barons armies. In the fray, Tristan’s father and mother are killed, but Lord Marke of Cornwall, sacrifices his flesh to save Tristan’s life. Tristan grows in his stead, becoming more favored than even marks own son, and becomes the champion of his army.

            When the Irish king collects slaves as his payment, one of the Cornwalls young men is hanged. Tristan (James Franco, Spider-man) lusts for revenge, and with the assistance of the men of Britain, he has it, killing the Irish general, but being put into a coma by the general’s poisonous blade. They set him adrift in a funeral boat, which lands on Irish shores, at the feet of Isolde, the Irish princess in the process of fleeing her duty of betrothal. She recognizes his illness and heals him, hiding him from her father, and concealing her true identity from Tristan.

            They fall in love, and are separated when The king learns of Tristans presence. Later on, Tristan returns to Ireland to fight in a tournament as the champion representing Lord Marke. The prize of the tournament which Tristan wins, is the hand of Isolde, who then is married to Sir Marke.

            It is a painful process of adultery and being discovered, through which Tristan and Isolde enter, eventually Tristan is placed in irons, Isolde is confined to her room while the Irish use it as an excuse to break truce, and the British Lords rebel against Lord Marke, and the world comes crashing down, just when a united Britain seemed so close.

            The conclusion is amazing, and comes closer to true love than I think anything in the world could. This is a 2, and I want to own it. Other than the carnality of their love, it is a beautiful thing. They read Don Jonne to one another by firelight, and make love in a roman grotto, and it’s just a nice love story set in a turbulent and romantic period.

            Conan and Valeria are still my favorite love story of all time. “Even if I were to die, and descend into the darkness, I would come back for you.”