Robin Hood

Universal

R4 DVD

Robin Hood is a tale which has been worked to death in the cinema. In most films you get a sort of socialist fantasy of “Steal from the rich, and give to the poor” but this version by Ridley Scott is far more polemic. At times it is a call for rebellion giving justification for the overthrow of unjust government, at other times it seems obsessed with issues of taxation.

Set in an England that has been bankrupted by years of Crusades in the Middle East it is a story of a self-centred weak king who believes he rules by divine right and a movement of limit the power of the monarchy.

Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) is a bowman, he is good at his job, drinks hard and plays hard. He is a bit of a trickster and is happy to throw a fist or two in a fight. When confronted by King Richard who admires his strength and honesty, he is asked what he really thinks of Richard’s crusade. Foolhardily he answers honestly and is locked in the stocks with his drunken friends. When they come to the next day they find the king is dead. On the way home they come across a number of dead knights and take their identities not before Robin is given a quest by one of the dying knights to return his sword to his father. (This element has a bit of a Arthurian quest feel to it but does tie Robin in well to Sherwood).

When they return things become complex, Walter Loxley (Max von Sydow), convinces Robin to stay and “play” the role of his son as Walter is old and on his death his daughter Marion (Cate Blanchett) will lose their ancestral lands as women’s property’s rights are sometime in the future yet.

This is just the start of a series of convoluted plot turns including taxation revolts, English traitors helping a French invasion and the true identity of Robin. It seems Robin believes his father left him when he was six but the truth is more complex. His father was a revolutionary stone mason (Freemason) who tried to create a concord between the nobles and the king to limit the power of the monarchy, control taxation and change the nature of the state. This failed and he was executed.

This is a complicated and fairly long film with many interesting ideas. At times it seems more like an American take on Robin Hood. So many of the political themes seem to suggest American politics especially Robin’s rabbling rousing polemic to the king about the rights of the people.

This is not to say it isn’t worth watching but it does lack a lot of the Robin Hood of old. Friar Tuck’s role is diminished and so in many ways is the significance of the merry men, it is one man against many, just as Americans seem to like it. The battle scenes are certainly well done and Blanchett's Marion as the feminist warrior in the final battle scenes are a nice touch. At the same time it is a long way from how I understand Robin Hood and it just seems to be too much Hollywood and not enough Sherwood.

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