History-Making 15-Minute Battle Sequence: Adventure Show for Lord of the Rings Fans Streaming

At less than two hours long, this knight film is a true monumental work: Ivanhoe, the King’s Avenger had a budget of almost 4 million dollars to film in real locations such as Doune Castle in Scotland and build a castle complex near London. At times, more than a thousand people were in front of the cameras to bring the elaborate and magnificent sets to life, imbuing the cinematic journey with the pomp envisioned by director Richard Thorpe.

This is what Ivanhoé, the King’s Avenger is all about

12th century: During the Crusades, the English king Richard the Lionheart (Norman Wooland) is captured. The disgraced knight Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) sets out in search of the ransom demanded to free his ruler. Meanwhile, Ricardo’s ambitious brother, John (Guy Rolfe), usurps the throne.

Ivanhoé must use all his skills to free the king, restore his own honor and protect his homeland. He receives help from the merchant Isaac (Felix Aylmer) and his daughter Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor), with whom he falls in love, despite being promised to another woman. This could put the entire mission at risk…

A show that influenced The Lord of the Rings!

With monumental battle scenes, Ivanhoé was MGM’s biggest box office success in 1952 – and earned three Oscar nominations, including in the Best Picture category.

Miklós Rózsa’s captivating, beautifully orchestrated score became a sonic model for medieval cinema, and the action-packed story itself, bathed in magnificent color, was frequently copied for decades. The Battle of Torquilstone Castle, lasting almost 15 minutes, can be considered a cinematic precursor to the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers!

Although Peter Jackson’s weapons are used with much more force, the internal tension of the battle sequence, which ensures that the fight remains exciting until the end rather than becoming monotonous, is very similar to Thorpe’s fast-paced, fast-paced standout sequence.

Ivanhoe, the King’s Avenger is available to buy or rent on Prime Video.