Hollywood Knights: Robin Hood

Robin Hood (2010) has generated a few arguments between my friends and I. Many seem to believe that it is a terrible film, while I generally do not. While it did not quite meet the standard set by director Ridley Scott and lead actor Russell Crowe in Gladiator, it is actually quite a good medieval film. I think the most outrage stems from it not following the traditional Robin Hood storyline of robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, but instead serves as an origin story.

The criteria by which I will grade films will differ from many critics to better fit the point of this blog. While entertainment obviously takes precedence when talking about film, historical accuracy, costuming, and action sequences will also play major roles in my grading. The criteria are as follows:

·         Plot: Does the story make sense? Does it flow well? Is it original?

·         Cast: Are there notable actors? Do they act well? Is the dialogue good?

·         Cinematography: How does the film look? Are the special effects good?

·         Music/Sound: Is the music good? Does it fit the film? Is the audio of good quality?

·         Historical Accuracy: Is the film realistic? Were events portrayed correctly? There shouldn’t be much nit-picking here.

·         Costuming: Are the costumes historically likely? Do they reflect the characters well? Do they look good?

·         Action: Are the fights well choreographed? Do they capture the spirit of historical combat?

·         Overall: The average score for the film.

Plot: 7/10

This film is a fictionalized account that seems very plausible and entertaining. While not meeting the highest standards in film or writing, the story is good.

Robin Longstride serves as an archer in Richard the Lionheart’s army. While fighting their way through France, the king is killed and Robin and his merry men flee in search of passage to England. On their way, they stumble upon the aftermath of a French ambush, and Robin and his men come into possession of the English crown and all the accoutrements of the knights of Nottingham. Robin meets Robert Loxley, who in his dying breath asks Robin to return his sword to his father in Nottingham. Robin and his men disguise themselves as knights and sail for England.

Upon hearing the news of Richard’s death, John is crowned King of England. He immediately falls into the trap set by his treacherous friend Godfrey and Phillip II of France. Godfrey sets out to turn the barons of England against John while Robin travels to Nottingham. There he meets Lady Marian and Walter Loxley, and he is propositioned to pose as the deceased Robert Loxley. Eventually, his past is revealed to him and Robin helps unite the barons and King John against the French.

William Hurt as Sir William Marshal

Again, the story of Robin Hood is at best rooted in myth, but the story seems to be quite plausible and entertaining.

Cast: 7/10

This film has two great actors in Russell Crowe (Gladiator) and Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth), but few other notable actors. The others perform very admirably and deserve praise, but the star power of the film is not on the high-side.

Crowe’s Robin Hood is admirably played without falling into any of the clichés of the character. He is wry and occasionally funny, but also displays the world-weary mannerisms of a long-time soldier. Crowe’s accent is not what many would expect, but it is a passable enough accent for the midlands of England. Blanchett delivers her usual “defiant medieval female” character, but it fits the plot and feel of the movie quite well. She plays well with Crowe and delivers her lines wittily and purposefully. It is the interplay between Crowe and Blanchett that make this film good. The story of the soldier returning home after years of war is always a bit bumpy (think The Best Years of Our Lives), but adding the twist that the man returning is not actually the same man that left (think The Return of Martin Guerre), and the problems really take off. These two actors capture these problems and the growing relationship between the characters deftly. 

Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett as Robin Hood and Marian Loxley.

 Oscar Isaac (Sucker Punch) plays John, in one of my favorite portrayals of the figure ever. This John is clearly struggling with having lived in the shadow of his older brother, Richard the Lionheart. He craves respect, but doesn’t understand how to garner it. He is a young man thrust into a position of power before he understands how to wield power, and it all becomes wonderfully apparent in Isaac’s portrayal. He is a villain we love to hate, and is my favorite character in the film.

Prince John and his French mistress, Isabella d'Angouleme.

Other characters in the film stand out. Max von Sydow (The Seventh Seal) portrays the blind father of Robert Loxley and is perhaps the most sympathetic character in the film. It is not because of the character’s blindness, but because he so well fits the father figure, that we can’t bear to see him die. Mark Addy (A Knight’s Tale) plays Friar Tuck and is quite likable in the traditional role of the Friar. Eileen Atkins (Cold Mountain) plays an older Eleanor of Aquitaine. She doesn’t meet the standard set by Katherine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter, but does a fair job in what little screen time she has.

Cinematography: 8/10

I have always loved the cinematography in Ridley Scott’s historical films. The large panoramas of the beautiful landscapes create the epic-ness in movies such as Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven. The Tower of London and Nottingham sets are superb, and the use of both natural backdrops and manufactured ones mix well. The film captures the violence of medieval combat, but is not excessively gory. And the use of actual horsemen instead of digitally created armies is very satisfying and adds to that epic feeling.

Music: 6/10

As you may have noticed by now, I am not an expert on music. I believe that a quality score will go by relatively unnoticed because it becomes a part of the fabric of a film. You should not be made aware that you are hearing music, but the music should add to the atmosphere of the film in a positive way. The music in Robin Hood seemed to do this at times, but at other times it was very noticeable. And when it was, the music didn’t seem very original – there were moments I felt I was hearing Pirates of the Caribbean, or Kingdom of Heaven, or even some old John Wayne western. I would rate the music on the positive side of the 1-10 scale, but not as being exceptional.

Accuracy: 6/10

This film is especially difficult to grade for accuracy: we can’t quite say it’s entirely a historical film because it’s founded in the myth of Robin Hood. But it’s not quite a fantasy film either. I think overall we can say it’s a pretty accurate film – but it does not adhere to the Robin Hood myth and includes several incredible moments and assertions. Their timeline is twisted, Robin Hood’s dad wrote the original Magna Carta, and a bunch of orphans on mules fight the French army. I think the film captures a lot of the struggles of the time period, but it does not accurately reflect the history or the myth.

Costuming: 9/10

This is an area in which we can always expect a Ridley Scott film to excel. The armor, surcoats, boots, crowns, dresses, and everything else seem right on. The rich wear beautiful, colorful, flowing garments. The poor wear bleak, grey, ratty garments. But none of it feels stereotyped or manufactured as we see it, it seems the natural state of things. There is very little to complain about without nit-picking certain costumes, so we’ll avoid doing that.

Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

 Action: 8/10

Ridley Scott learned the value of good sword fight scenes in his blockbusters Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven, and he continues that tradition here. The combat is accurate in the way things are done from overt movement to the small adjustments made during a fight. Multiple weapons are used, including the rare use of a war hammer by a main protagonist and even the formations used by the French in ground combat seem exceedingly plausible. The place where this film loses points is the D-Day-esque beach landing for the climactic battle and the fact that Marian leads a charge of mule-mounted-orphans into the very same battle. It just does not seem plausible. And that is definitely not how “amphibious assaults” were carried out in the Middle Ages.

Robin Hood on D-Day.

Overall: 7.3/10

As we’d expect, Ridley Scott scores well on the technical aspects of the film, but there is enough substance to the story and good enough efforts from the cast to make this a good film. It is one that medieval enthusiasts should own. Regardless of whether or not it’s a good Robin Hood movie, it’s a rollicking epic of the Middle Ages and deserves more respect than it has heretofore been given.