Best Robin Hood film?

[johnminnitt]

PS (As I'm too late to edit the post above), Robin of Sherwood also because it has a commoner Robin. I'm tired of Robin Hoods who are aristocratic castle-owning crusaders.

 

[paranoid marvin]

There's also John Cleese as Robin in Time Bandits. Brief cameo but jolly,jolly good. And an interesting take on 'maid' Marian.

 

[bboomer]

AS a kid I loved the bland "Adventures Of Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn. Also liked the 1955-60 TV series, with Richard Greene


In the last few years; The 2010 'Robin Hood',with Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. Robin is a commoner, Marian an aristocrat . Supporting rolls are also pretty good. I also happen to like Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett

 

[Kevinmeath]

I’ve always enjoyed Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves. Best baddy guy by a country mile, Alan Rickman at his senery chewing best. .

Must agree.

The rest of the film is a master class of unintentional comedy, from Costners accent to shaky geography( landing at Dover and reaching Nottingham later the same day on foot) ........................

And they appear to go via Hadrian's Wall as well!

 

[Eye of Woland]

Errol Flynn version

 

[bboomer]

The Errol Flynn version is just glorious to watch. It was the fist film in Technicolour shot by Warner brothers. Technicolour was a new process, so they made the most of it.of Until well into the 1950's, technicolour films tended to be colour saturated, giving that luscious look.


Clip a bit about the history of technicolour

 

[bboomer]

PS (As I'm too late to edit the post above), Robin of Sherwood also because it has a commoner Robin. I'm tired of Robin Hoods who are aristocratic castle-owning crusaders.

Usually something like "Robin of Locksley"

I was going to write about the historical howlers found in most Robin hood films. I had to remind myself that these were American films about English history. Warner Bros et al would have made Robin an American if they thought they could get away with it.

 

[johnminnitt]

Usually something like "Robin of Locksley"

I was going to write about the historical howlers found in most Robin hood films. I had to remind myself that these were American films about English history. Warner Bros et al would have made Robin an American if they thought they could get away with it.

To be fair it was the English who invented the aristocratic Robin Hood (in some Tudor plays), though I think the idea of him as a crusader (which seems the most usual version now) only began in Hollywood, with the Douglas Fairbanks film (I haven't looked that up, could be wrong).
OK it's a legend, legends change over time, this one has been changing ever since the first surviving ballads (and probably before that), though the comic book fantasy antics of the latest film seems a bit excessive. However it would be interesting, for a change, to see a 'realistic' portrayal of what would most likely be the original (if there was one), a forest-dwelling yeoman outlaw, probably early or mid 13th century, maybe the Montfortian survivor idea. It might not be glamorous, but could still be dramatic though.

'of Locksley' isn't necessarily upper class, one of its first mentions is a story collected by Dodsworth in the early 17th century, where Robert of Locksley was outawed for killing his stepfather while ploughing - so presumably not terribly aristocratic.

 

[bboomer]

Yeah, of course Robin of Lockley could be a commoner. I have always thought of him as nobility. His main squeeze was "the maid Marian" or sometimes "Lady Marian"., so could go either way.

The notion of Robin Hood as a long bowman actually makes sense; the English/Welsh longbow was treasured; range of over 200 yards, rate of fire of up tp 10 a minute. This man was a trained warrior, with enormous upper body strength.

Robin Hood is after all, a legend . (I've actually seen what remains of Sherwood Forest, today about 400 acres..)

When the legend is more interesting than the truth, we humans often choose the legend. EG as in the froot loopery of ancient and modern aliens.

 

[Belgarion]

Robin Of Sherwood is my favourite interpretation. A great series with great actors.