The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938 film)

Robin Hood

The legend of Robin Hood is a compelling one that translates well on the silver screen. Errol Flynn plays Robin Hood in the 1938 version of The Adventures of Robin Hood, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keightley. The legend of Robin Hood includes themes like social justice, rule of law, and the triumph of the underdog over the prevailing forces of power. In this case, Robin Hood and his band of merry men successfully thwart the nefarious brother of King Richard the Lionheart. King Richard's brother Prince John usurps power after Richard the Lionheart is taken captive by Leopold of Austria. Robin Hood is a charismatic rebel leader who champions the rights of the poor and disenfranchised citizens of England.

Michael Curtiz and William Keightley depict Robin Hood sympathetically. The audience's trust in Robin Hood never wavers because of his charm and righteousness. By devoting a large portion of the film to Prince John and his sleazy sidekick Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbourne), the filmmakers fully develop Robin Hood's motive. Thus, Robin Hood becomes far more than his oversimplified persona as someone who stole from the rich to give to the poor. The Adventures of Robin Hood depict the legend as a populist revolt against an unjust and tyrannical government and not as a massive wealth redistribution program.

Therefore, scenes showing Prince John and Sir Guy of Gisbourne are some of the most effective at championing sympathy for the hero of the movie. Claude Rains was aptly cast as the creepy Prince John, whose visage and voice contributes to the audience's complete mistrust of the film's main antagonist. The directors also use costumes to their full advantage, allowing the audience to easily and instantly distinguish between peasants and the king's henchman.

Other scenes that are integral for plot development are those that show how the band of merry men came to follow Robin Hood. The directors illustrate the people's support for Robin Hood explicitly in some scenes such as when Maid Marian walks through Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood. Several of the peasants speak their gratitude as Robin Hood walks by. In other scenes, the directors choose to indirectly depict the people's movement as being entirely grassroots.

2. The separate elements of the film relate and contribute to the theme, central purpose, and overall effect of The Adventures of Robin Hood. Costumes are important because the film is a period piece, but also because the audience needs to quickly identify good guys from bad guys. Setting is equally as important at creating the mood of the movie.

What the directors manage to accomplish with the separate elements of the film is a treatise on feudalism and English history. The directors send a strong message against tyrannical rule without having Robin Hood be as bold as to want to seize power for selfish purposes. By showing Robin Hood as being loyal to Richard the Lionheart, the directors underscore the difference between a self-motivated corrupt rebel leader and one who sincerely has the best interests of the people at heart. Robin Hood comes from a noble family background, and has elected to live a life of poverty and danger; this also proves his sincerity. The directors also include a romance between Robin Hood and Maid Marian too, which adds an extra element of suspense at certain points in the film. The romance also adds depth to the plot and the film's main characters.

Michael Curtiz and William Keightley also keep the tone of The Adventures of Robin Hood lighthearted. By adding ample comic relief, the directors do not bog down the movie unnecessarily and retain the status of the story as an amusing legend rather than as historical fact. Comic relief also enhances the swashbuckling scenes, making the many sword fights and chase scenes fun as well as exciting.

a. The narrative flows chronologically, with many scenes depicting simultaneous action. For example, the directors frequently switch back and forth between the castle and Prince John and Sherwood Forest and Robin. No flashbacks, dream sequences, or flash-forwards are included. The passage of time is hinted at subtly in dialogue such as when Prince John mentions the "years" that have passed since King Richard had been held hostage. The overall narrative structure is traditional, with a long build-up, late climax and denoument.

b. Acting in The Adventures of Robin Hood is excellent, although most of the characters do not develop. Only Maid Marian changes during the course of the move. Characters like Robin Hood, Prince John, and Sir Guy of Ginsbourne do not. Still, Flynn fills the tights of his role extremely well via facial expressions and body language. His smile underscores Robin Hood's charisma, and his ninja-like movements denote the deft fighting skills of the title character. When Robin Hood is captured and sentenced to death, Errol Flynn's facial expressions do impart fear on Robin Hood's otherwise mischievous face. Another especially effective scene for Flynn is the archery tournament, which is a major turning point in the movie. Robin Hood is lured to the tournament, and arrives in disguise. Out of his characteristic green suit, he looks like an ordinary man. His facial expressions change too.

Claude Rains also delivers a stunning performance more through his facial expressions and tone of voice than by emoting. Olivia de Havilland's role as Maid Marian is one of the only characters that does change in the movie. Her transformation from a snobbish, demure lady from London into a Robin Hood sympathizer is effective, as her face changes. She becomes noticeably more relaxed, starts to smile whereas she hadn't in her early scenes. Also, the directors have her let down her hair, which is long and braided instead of up in a prim bonnet.

c. The cinematography includes several long-shot scenes depicting hundreds of people on screen as well as carefully chosen close-ups. Lighting is mainly dark, especially in scenes inside the castle. The directors work well with shadows indoors too. The directors use a variety of camera techniques but especially panning. Panning is especially effective in scenes of the forest and other large-scale shots. Zooms are not used; instead the camera cuts from a long shot to a closer-up one. One of the best uses of camera angles in The Adventures of Robin Hood was when Robin dangles outside of Maid Marian's window. The diagonal shot offers a unique perspective. Similar overhead shots add visual intensity to the movie.

d. The editors of The Adventures of Robin Hood use a variety of techniques to promote effective plot development. Fades between scenes are common. Occasionally the editors fade to black to signal a new act or main segment. Scenes are kept brief, which helps build suspense and offers the illusion of time passing. The movie moves fast, as the editors do not make any one segment longer than it needs to be. Possibly the only problem with the editing was the too-rapid introduction of King Richard towards the end of the movie, especially because the King is in disguise.

e. Sets in The Adventures of Robin Hood are brilliant and range from natural forest scenes to dark dungeons. The medieval mood is captured well on the big screen because of costumes, too. Peasants wear tattered rags, while Prince John's henchman all have metal hats. Props ranging from weaponry to food establish The Adventures of Robin Hood within the time period of the Dark Ages. The use of horses also helps capture the legendary tale. Art direction is particularly good during the archery tournament, such as when Robin Hood's arrow splits his opponents.