Robin Hood: My Turn

I was prepared not to like this movie, mostly for reasons of my own. Robin Hood is perhaps the single most influential fictional character in my life. I started watching the Richard Greene television series from England in the 1950s, when I was about six or seven. It molded the Nan who came to be and still is more than fifty years later. I refused to watch the cartoon foxes when that movie came out. I detest Kevin Costner on principle, dislike the Robins with modern sensibilities -- a non-violent Robin??? Oh please -- and mostly liked "the hooded man" because I liked the pagan religious content.

This said, you would think I hated the Russell Crowe movie, but I didn't. I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. It's not Robin Hood... maybe the sequel will be, But the movie has so many plusses that I could ignore that it wasn't actually really about my hero. In a way, it reminded me of the Clive Owen King Arthur from 2001. It seemed as if someone wanted to make a movie about Roman Britain's denouement with lots of battling Saxons, and the producer or whoever knew no one would go without a hook, that hook being Arthur. "Somebody fake a roundtable!" I can just hear him saying... I am sure what the producers of the current Robin Hood wanted was some cool 12th century battles, but also something about Robin Hood, a sort of "in your face, Kevin" deal.

So if it wasn't really Robin Hood, what did I like about the movie? The sets, the sets, the sets! The two shots of late 12th century London were worth the price of admission many times over. The only real problems I saw with the rest of the sets was that Sir Walter's hall was rather impoverished in the rushes department. Otherwise the nature, design and fidelity of the towns, roads, clothing, most of the props -- I exclude the amphibious personnel carriers the French had.. that was sort of a reverse D-Day, wasn't it? I was in hog heaven sitting as I always do in the second row at the theater soaking up all the authentic scenes.

As for the characters, they were a mixed bag. I agree with something Erastes said in an email: "Russell, what is that accent?" Crowe is well known for his disinterest in adopting accurate accents, but in this movie he seemed all over the map of the English speaking world except America. maybe he was confused by the soundtrack, since it was made up largely of Irish tunes -- and I own a Celtic music station, so believe me, I know. Otherwise old Russell is adequate, though he was not Robin Hood. Kate Blanchett's Marian followed in a recent tradition of making the traditional heroine kick ass, which I applaud. I was mostly surprised that Max von Sydow is still alive. Lucky, lucky William Hurt to get to play that pinnacle character, William Marshall. The bad guy was thoroughly unappealing. Can't remember the actor's name, but I could have done without him. Poor old King John, always portrayed as a weasel, but at least this time they acknowledged that Richard the Lionhearted may have been romantic but he was as bad a king as England has had. I liked the take on him, that he at forty was afraid of losing his mystique-- that made me wonder if someone on their writing team actually knew something. . Philip of France was a hoot. I hope the Merry men and the Sheriff get larger roles in the sequel. I like Alan and Tuck, but Little John and Will Scarlet were almost invisible. Not to forget Eleanor of Aquitaine.. the irony here is that in this less than masterpiece movie she was far more accurately portrayed than in the vaunted Becket, where she and her mother in law Empress Matilda are portrayed as simpering females.

I suppose the reason they made Robin "Long stride" and killed off Locksley was for the subplot that he was an imposter allowed to continue as such for the sake of the cause.  Again, not really Robin Hood, but did they pretend he was?

One thing I urge people to remember is that Robin Hood is not history. He is legend. Many different people went into creating that legend, many of whom were archetypes without flesh. So the story is up for grabs for interpretation and reworking. I should even be chastised for saying this one is "not Robin Hood". He may not be the Robin Hood I ingested with my Frosted Flakes, but as he is elemental, he is whatever the interpreter wants to create. Well, except, no cartoon foxes.