Professor David Peimer
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott: The Book and the Film with Elizabeth Taylor
Summary
Sir Walter Scott’s “Ivanhoe”, both the 1819 book and the 1952 film, explores the conflict between the Saxons and the Normans. Professor David Peimer discusses Scott’s decision to make two Jewish characters central to the story and explores why these choices still resonate today.
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, New York University (Global Division) and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing in New York, UK, Berlin, EU Parliament (Brussels), Athens, Budapest, Zululand and more. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published widely with books including: Armed Response: Plays from South Africa, the digital book, Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.
Great question. Great. I think he was torn between his poetic, imaginative and romantic idealism, and the cold reality of the law. And I think he understands that conflict in society between the need for romance and the need for the reality of law, romance in human nature and the reality. And it’s a conflict. It’s a tension rather.