In cinemas across the country on May 14th, Ridley Scott’s imagining of Robin Hood promises action and adventure as the title character is reincarnated, Doctor Who-like, for another outing on celluloid.
But what makes this version of the classic story different to the others before it, most recently the much loved or loathed, (depending on your perspective), and undoubted cheese-fest that was Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
And what of Ridley Scott’s direction? Will this latest historical/martial epic mark a return to the highs of Gladiator, or another muddled and disjointed failure like Kingdom of Heaven.
At first glance, things look relatively promising. In keeping with the in-vogue trend of reboots by writing an origins story (See Batman Begins and Star Trek as recent examples), Robin Hood has been given the same treatment, placing the story more firmly in the historical context of the crusades and eschewing the familiar start and end points of the story to try something new. As producer Brain Grazer puts it, “It has to be different from what has come before. Take Robin and Little John, for example, who don’t get on when they first meet. When we first meet them, they have a disagreement. But that doesn’t take place on a log over a creek with a staff fight, which has been done to death”
This is hinted at in the trailers, introducing our titular hero in his life before Sherwood, as a tough and grizzled solider doing battle in a particularly explosive siege scene in France somewhat reminiscent of the opening battle in Gladiator. Throughout, it is clear that this film has a distinctly gritty feel to it, and a relative pragmatism that isn’t always present in a Robin Hood film. Crowe himself lends a much tougher edge to the character of Robin Hood compared to Kevin Costner’s rather more preening interpretation, and we already know from Gladiator that he can carry this type of film far more capably than say, the lightweight Orlando Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven.
His inevitable transformation into the defender of liberty is a little harder to establish at this point, but it seems that the angle taken (a demand for Liberty by Law via the more earthy start point of trying to get into bed in with Maid Marian) hints at a slightly different take on our outlaw’s approach than the traditional well-intentioned anarchy. Similarly, the ultimate aim of enshiring rights in law – i.e. the Magna Carta is rather high-brow compared to previous efforts where usually King Richard turns up just in time to make things alright once more. Again, this is an attempt to try and de-myth the hero by establishing the context of an England being crushed under a burden of feudal demands and taxation more firmly than previous attempts; to show how it might have come about that someone fought for the common man. Also somewhat surprisingly, the main battle finale seems to take place not in Sherwood Forest, or at least Nottingham as you might expect, but upon a beach somewhat like a medieval D-Day landing scene.
However, despite its pretensions as being a little different, the staples of the historical epic are all there. Pre-battle sound bites – check. Slightly girly looking man-villain (think the King’s son in Braveheart) and his tougher looking side-kick that does most of the dirty work – check, and check. The inevitable big set piece battle scene – check. And of course , a love interest – Maid Marian. A most definite check.
And so, on to Maid Marian, the initially frosty and spirited heroine that Robin must charm. This too, looks to have some promise, with Cate Blanchett (complete with Northern accent) playing the widowed heroine with far less wide-eyed wonder and far more world-wise wryness than some previous attempts, and the trailers so far featuring some amusing verbal sparring between the two. Again, in a departure from the usual, the film ties in the theme of law into their initial relationship, with a widowed Marian in the position of needing a husband and heir to retain her lands, and with little choice in the matter. Certainly, this suggests at least the possibility of a Maid Marian that might actually be a fully developed character, which isn’t always the case, though how much makes it from the cutting room floor might be open to question with so much fighting to fit in.
So, on to the verdict so far. Certainly there seem to be plenty of potential positives and a slightly different take on things could help free the film from the confines of the traditional Robin Hood film and become something greater. In Blanchett (Elizabeth) and Crowe, (Gladiator), there is experienced acting talent that seems well suited to this type of film, and with Ridley Scott at the helm, the battle scenes should rip-roaringly good. All the basics look solid to make for an exciting cinematic adventure.
However, potential pitfalls still hang over the film. Firstly, will it be too serious? The trailers so far don’t hint at too much of the playful edge that might be expected in a Robin Hood film, and there in perhaps the risk that Robin might become a bit too much like Maximus Decimus for audiences to get on-board with in this context. Similarly, will the re-imagining of the story into more prosaic terms give it new life and direction, or will it take away some of the fun and magic rather like the similar-intentioned King Arthur a years ago. Will fighting the French on the beaches rather than King John in his castle deliver a satisfying climax? And finally, can audiences really get worked up about a film that it essentially a fight to get some paperwork put into law to protect the commoners?
If it all works and comes off, it could combine some of the fun of Prince of Thieves with the presence and excitement of Gladiator. But if it goes wrong, it could play out rather like Clive-Owen’s ill-fated King Arthur as a film with a hero and a cause no one really cares about.
Let’s hope the former.
