MGM magic

MGM's epic costume drama stars matinee idol Robert Taylor as the knight on a quest in the England of Richard the Lionheart, with fine support from Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, and a splendidly villainous George Sanders. Made in the early 50s, 'Ivanhoe' is a film of its time. The studio plays fast and loose with Sir Walter Scott's novel, and delivers a fatuously glamourised Hollywood treatment of the story. The key to enjoying the film, of course, lies in ignoring any qualms about historical veracity, and simply wallowing in the romance and spectacle that a great studio in its heyday could produce. Take it at face value, and allow yourself to be hugely entertained.