Tristan & Isolde

[rhienelleth]

I don't normally like tragic love stories. I mean, sure, they have their place. But I'd rather be happy and squee-ful at the end than crying buckets. Ergo, Pride & Prejudice is probably my favorite romance. Romeo & Juliet is not. Especially since the hero and heroine are doomed by their own stupidity.

But all that being true, I still want to see Tristan & Isolde so bad I can hardly stand it. I know the story. I know it ends tragically. I don't care. I have a thing for Arthurian mythos. Always have. The story of Tristan and Isolde was always one of my favorite bits, alongside the doomed Lancelot-Guinevere-Arthur triangle.

More than just reading Morte d'Arthur and Tennyson, this could have something to do with my collection of prints by Edmund Blair-Leighton, which I began at the impressionable age of 15. I bought The Accolade at a framing shop in Victoria BC. I went on to find Godspeed, and then Tristan and Isolde to round out my collection. I don't know for sure, but I've always seen "The Accolade" as Guinevere & Lancelot, and "Godspeed" as Guinevere & Arthur. Tristan & Isolde is self explanatory.

I have been waiting patiently for Hollywood to do justice to any of these romances ever since. We won't talk about the horrible experience of First Knight, when my similarly afflicted friend Heather and I spent the entire car ride home ranting about what a travesty it was. And ok, so King Arthur had a lot of really pretty men and great characters...but the story of Arthur, Guinevere and the Knights it was so...not. Tristan & Isolde looks good. I can only hope it is halfway better at depicting the story than previous Arthurian attempts have been. I know they're going at it from a more "historical" perspective, so no love potion that makes them fall in love, but I have no problem with that. I always thought the love potion was just a handy excuse, anyway.

Comments

[quiet-rebel.livejournal.com]

Now, how would someone like me, who only watched King Arthur because of Clive Owen, learn more about the legend of Tristan and Isolde? Do you recommend any sites?

Thanks.

[rhienelleth.livejournal.com]

This looks like a pretty good site. My familiarity with the story comes from reading everything Arthurian I could get my hands on, and a single class in college that studied the various Arthurian legends (T&I was only briefly mentioned), so I can't say for sure what books/stories/poems I read about them. I just...know the story, like I know Arthur's story, or Lancelot's. I do know it pre-dated much of the Arthurian mythos, and was adopted into it.

[callherblondie.livejournal.com]

Just butting in to recommend that you listen to a copy of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan & Isolde. It is one of my favorite operas of all time. :)

[rhienelleth.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, good idea! I never even thought of that. :) Not just for the story but for the music, too.

[kieyra.livejournal.com]

I have been waiting patiently for Hollywood to do justice to any of these romances ever since. We won't talk about the horrible experience of First Knight

God, was that the Sean Connery/Richard Gere mess? I think I share your trauma.

[rhienelleth.livejournal.com]

That would be the one. *shudder*

[dolphin--girl.livejournal.com]

Funnily enough, the first time I saw "The Accolade" I had to buy it, because it was like he'd looked into the future and pulled Kayla Shenareth out of my head. :o)

Most of us at the store have a vehement dislike of Arthurian stories by dint of sheer overexposure, but just recently we acquired Meg Cabot's AVALON HIGH. There are SO many ways that story could have gone horribly, horribly wrong, and yet it brought all of us (and my roommate) more glee than you would have thought possible. Go figure. :o)

[rhienelleth.livejournal.com]

Meg Cabot? I'll have to check it out. I've read some of her other stuff.

[kistha.livejournal.com]

I agree on the paintings too, that's the way I always thought of them.

I've enjoyed some versions of the film antics based on the Arthur myths, no matter how silly some of them are. Others I hated, but Tristan and Isolde does look fabulous. Saw the trailer last night before Memoirs of a Geisha (WONDERFUL)and I have high hopes. While it's not a story I know as well as the others, I am interested to see how it plays out.

Have you ever read the Finovar Tapestry Trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay? There's a nice (more than a nod, but not really the whole point of the story) bit of Arthurian story telling there.

[rhienelleth.livejournal.com]

I have not, even though tons of people have rec'd GGK to me. I'm not sure why, just haven't ever picked them up. I should, though.

I alos thought Memoirs was wonderful. :)

[kistha.livejournal.com]

Personally GGK is I think my all time favorite author - next to JMS and Neil Gaiman.

I love his work, just love it.

I was pleasantly surprised by Memoirs, and now can not wait for it to make it to DVD and join my collection! It's rare to see a surprisingly accurate take on something like Geisha's, or courtesans which made for a lovely after movie discussion about the differences in what they did, and how they fit into (or out of) their relative societies.

[kismeteve.livejournal.com]

Romeo & Juliet is not. Especially since the hero and heroine are doomed by their own stupidity.

*snicker*

The stares I got in high school for calling them both 'idiots'....

[rhienelleth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, tell me about it. I never found their story "romantic".

[kistha.livejournal.com]

But I thought the words were pretty....

And the story tragic, up until the end where their stupidity directly got them killed. :)

[callherblondie.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about the film, based on what I've seen which consist of the theatrical trailer and commercials. It looks rather Disney-fied to me in the same hallowed (*snort*) tradition of First Knight. Like you, I'm a big fan of Arthurian legend and I don't think I've seen a decent film based on it with maybe the exception of Excalibur and even that had quite a few flaws for me.

I'll probably watch the new Tristan and Isolde out of sheer morbid curiosity and I hope I'll be pleasantly surprised. Maybe I'm just leery but the PG-13 rating on it gives me pause and makes me think that it will be a watered-down recounting of the tale to appeal to teenagers hungry for two pretty young people kissing and a bit of costumey romantic melodrama./cynicism

[rhienelleth.livejournal.com]

I, too, think Excalibur is the best of a flawed lot. I am really hoping that T&I proves to be more than, say, A Knight's Tale -- ugh! a prime example of what you are talking about above if ever there was one.