The
Adventures of Robin Hood
1938
Directors: Michael Curtiz, William
Keighley
Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de
Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains
If
I were ever to enroll in a film school, I already have my thesis topic picked
out. I would love to take some
significant time and research the stories that are told time and time again. What prompts us to return to these
stories? What is it that calls a new
generation to them? Why must every
generation have its own interpretation of certain tales? None of this has to do with The
Adventures of Robin Hood, specifically, but the Robin Hood legend is
one that has been filmed literally dozens of times. We, as a society, cannot leave this story
alone. It keeps on being filmed. According to Wikipedia, there were four film
versions of Robin Hood that were made prior to this one, made in 1938. There have been literally dozens made
since. Society clearly has a fascination
with Robin Hood.
Well,
considering we do have such a fascination, this version is perhaps the most
archetypal Robin Hood of classic cinema.
You should know the story. Sir
Robin of Locksley (Flynn) is a Saxon knight who has abandoned his estate in order
to live as an outlaw in order to fight against Norman tyranny. Good King Richard is away at the Crusades,
and his evil brother Prince John (Rains, who I totally forgot was in this film,
silly me) is planning on usurping the throne with the aid of Sir Guy of
Gisbourne (Rathbone). Robin must fight
his own brand of guerilla warfare in Sherwood Forest with his band of merry
followers in order to prevent that from happening, all while wooing and winning
the pretty Maid Marian (de Havilland).
This
movie is just one big fun rollercoaster ride from start to finish. The best word I can think of to describe is
just that – FUN. It’s not serious, it’s
not sober, it doesn’t try to provide social commentary or right the wrongs of
the world. It’s just fun. Rollicking fun from start to finish. Want to put some buckle in your swash? Put this one on. It’s nearly impossible not to get caught up
in the cheerful good times of The Adventures of Robin Hood. Popcorn movies usually aren’t my bag, but I
appreciate the really good ones, and this is a really good one. Goodness triumphs over evil, no one is badly
hurt along the way, the hero gets the heroine, the villains are vanquished in a
satisfying manner, and there are plenty of amusing fight scenes. It’s just plain FUN!
The
casting of the film is a significant part of what makes it work so well,
because the same material in lesser hands could feel tedious or dull. Flynn was born to play the heroic adventurer,
and he relishes every chance he gets to toss his hair back and scornfully laugh
at the villains. He trounces around in
tights and manages to make them look manly.
He jumps around in fight scenes, doing most of his own stunts and doing
them with his trademark flamboyancy. You
want a Robin Hood who will cheerfully fill the whole screen? Errol Flynn’s got you covered.
 |
| Take a shot every time he throws his head back and laughs. |
Not
to be outdone, nearly every supporting role is played to the hilt with
glee. Olivia de Havilland doesn’t have
much to do as Marian, but she does it well, looking oh-so-lovely from underneath
a string of headpieces. I enjoy that the
movie writes her as being seriously indignant towards Robin initially; she
doesn’t automatically swoon at the sight of him, and it is only when she is
made aware of the social injustice being perpetrated by the Normans that she
begins to soften towards Robin. I like
de Havilland in general, and she plays a very beautiful Marian. Basil Rathbone is deliciously snide as one of
our two main antagonists, Guy of Gisbourne.
He looks nearly as good as Flynn on horseback and in his fighting
scenes, and the ultimate swordfight between the two of them is exhilarating
(with some pretty imaginative shadow photography thrown in for good
measure). You can’t go wrong with
Rathbone as a villain.
But
there’s also some smaller roles that are perfectly filled. Melville Cooper as the Sheriff of Nottingham
is perfect as the dastardly yes-man to Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and although you
may not recognize his name, you’ll recognize his face and his voice. Where have all our great character actors
gone? Speaking of character actors,
Eugene Pallette is very fun as curmudgeonly Friar Tuck. I’m used to seeing Pallette in the screwball
comedies of Preston Sturges, so it’s great to watch him pop up in an adventure
epic where he actually engages in a sword fight with Errol Flynn. Even Sam Jaffe pops up in a small role as a
villager who helps spread the word about Robin Hood’s band.
But
really, all of these performances, fantastic as they are, are second to Claude
Rains. I love Claude Rains. I can never get enough of Claude Rains. And honestly, I forgot he was in this
movie. How on earth did I do that? He is beyond perfection as evil Prince John,
playing the prince as an evil genius, happy in his wickedness, smarmy and oily
and unexpectedly charming. He steals
each and every scene he’s in. He has
that ineffable star power; when he’s on screen, you can’t help but watch
him. It’s a great joy to see him in an
adventure film.
The
Adventures of Robin Hood
was shot in glorious Technicolor, the original three strip technique, and I’m
glad of it. The colors pop in a big way,
making each scene look like a vivid illustration from a storybook. This was not color saturation achieved
through digital manipulation, but in-camera techniques. The reds are bright crimson, the greens are
pure emerald. The costumes are fantastic
and don’t shy away from bright primary colors.
Are they historically accurate?
Who cares! Not me, not when they
look as good as this.
Robin
Hood’s story has been told time and time again, but there’s something to be
said for this version. It’s not the
first, but it’s possibly the most joyful.
Peril never looms too closely, which just makes the whole thing
fun. The Adventures of Robin Hood is
also clearly the cinematic grandfather of Pirates of the Caribbean, one of my
favorite popcorn flicks out there (the first one, that is; I pretend the
simpering sequels don’t exist). That
film owes a debt to the spirit and grandeur of The Adventures of Robin Hood. It’s a rollicking, light-hearted grand old
time.
Arbitrary
Rating: 8/10, and I now have a yearning to watch Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Dammit, I don’t own a copy of it.
