Robin Und Marian

Most people are unaware of this movie's existence, despite an all-star cast. It is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Robin Hood is an old man now, trying to tie together some of the pieces of his ideals. The familiar characters are also still around.

The most interesting thing about the movie is the insights it offers into the nature of heroism. Robin and the merry men were heroes because of what they believed in and their courage, not because they could shoot the straightest and run the fastest.

The gang can't jump fences or climb walls any more, or do much of anything that requires physical exertion. Their efforts are sometimes comical. But they are still great men because of what is inside of them.

Audrey Hepburn is wonderful as the aging Marian, and look for the visual poetry of the three apples which are pictured in the opening as ripe and in the ending as withered, as are Rob and Johnny and Marian. There are many such metaphorical presentations which are not often seen in movies. I like to see a little of that visual poetry, even if it is a bit clumsy.

Not a great film ... not a Grand Illusion or anything, but just a nice execution of a simple, touching concept.

One needs to say straight off the bat that if one wants lots of typical Robin Hood swashbuckling then one is better off seeing the Errol Flynn, Kevin Costner or one of the countless lesser films of Robin Hood. There is not much action here. However, the shortage of action is really quite appropriate to this particular film, which can be seen as a sequel to almost any other version you've seen. 'The Last Days Of Robin Hood' would have been as good a title as the one we have.

This being a Richard Lester film, there are plenty of humorous touches. Here, they seem somewhat out of place,as the general tone of the film is bittersweet. We have a Robin Hood who is aging and aware of it, yet still has to fill the role of a legendary hero. The film portrays even better than El Cid the passing of somebody into legend, and a sense of destiny- it's more important that Robin fulfill his than opt out and not have the risk of things ending sadly. Sean Connery never did change that accent, but he could be a superb actor at times, as indeed he is here. The supporting cast is a virtual Who's Who of fine British character actors of the time, but Robert Shaw stands out as the most menacing Sheriff Of Nottingham on film.

There is much in this film that is immensely touching, especially when Robin and Marian start resuming their romance which supposedly ended 18 years previously. David Watkin's gorgeous photography of the countryside is essential in giving the film it's autumnal quality. Despite the overly lengthy build up to it, the final Robin/Sheriff duel is well worth the wait, a really realistic, convincing brawl. The film is aided immensely by John Barry's music- his main theme is beautiful and deserves to be ranked among the more famous themes this great composer has written. One could easily find a more exciting and even more entertaining Robin Hood film than this, but probably not a more touching one.

I was about to say that you'd never in a million years get a Hollywood Studio today to make a movie about Robin Hood, Little John and Maid Marian in late middle age, twenty years after their youthful adventures, but then I thought, "Oh, no, you'd still sell it - it's got Sean Connery attached!" Not far short of thirty years on, he has scarcely changed in the interim and could easily take the same part at the age of 73. There'd be no place for the excellent Nicol Williamson, the reassuring Denholm Elliott or the phenomenal Robert Shaw in such a script, of course.

That said, I first fell in love with this movie when I was quite young (I'm still only 38 at the time of writing), and was amazed some years later when it was re-shown on television to see it summarised in the Radio Times as apparently a weak effort. I couldn't disagree more with that assessment; the wonderful, wonderful script by James Goldman, perfectly balancing a late blooming love story with shades of regret, humour and action, is brought to life by this cast-iron cast.

Upon re-viewing, I realise I had neglected Robert Shaw as the Sheriff of Nottingham. My favourite kind of villain is the one who regards his adversary as kind of an old friend, and Shaw pulls this off really well. In the scene when he first meets Robin after the latter's return from the wars, he makes it clear that he has to take Marian, but he says, "God go with you." Nowadays, it's almost shocking to see Robin almost casually killing the guards who have been sent to attack him, but then Shaw's Sheriff views the dead bodies and gives them their due as soldiers: "Take up their limbs and bury them." Shaw does most of his acting with his eyes, and you can see the whole life of regret, valueless death and his own lost advancement, in them.

The love story is beautifully handled, but it has to be said that the chief and most memorable relationship in the movie is that between Robin and Little John.

The opening of the movie is something else that would never survive a modern cut: an entire sequence set at the time of the crusades with an incredible cameo by Richard Harris as his namesake, the Lionheart, along with other British stalwarts like Esmond Knight, Bill Maynard and Peter Butterworth. These characters are all amazingly well fleshed out, considering they take no part in the main body of the story. This is one of the few portrayals, if not the only one, of Richard the Lionheart which clings closer to what was probably his true character - far from the heroic king, kept hostage and kept from his beloved England by the war with the Muslims, the real Richard never spent much time in England even after his return from the Crusades, preferring to prosecute a war of conquest in France (he probably only spoke French). This Richard is not driven by religious righteousness, but by the greed which was the real motivation for the wars of the day.

The main portion of the film, however, is set in a recreation of twelfth century England, in its heartland - a land of decay and poverty being overtaxed by grasping landlords - a perfect backdrop for a story of regret and opportunities missed.

This is a real collector's item. A literate script by Bill Goldman's older brother, Jim, something of an anglophile despite being born and bred in Chicago - he'd already weighed in with The Lion In Winter, both stage and then screenplay plus the novel Myself As Witness, about King John, so he was right at home in the territory. Thirteen years after From Russia With Love Robert Shaw and Sean Connery are back as adversaries though this time around there's a healthy dose of the love-hate aspect now obligatory since The Prisoner Of Zenda brought it off to a fare-thee-well. The autumnal feel is palpable from the first image of decaying fruit and is reinforced by the muted, pastel rather than oil pastoral settings. This leaves only the playing which runs the gamut from more-than-competent to exquisite. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness indeed, in spades. 9/10

I was so happy to notice that the overwhelming majority of reviews for this film was positive. I have always regarded Robin and Marian as an under-rated classic. In it we have two major film actors at their best in legendary roles with a different spin: Robin and Marian, famed medieval lovers, separated for many years, then reunited in middle age. Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn perfectly embody these roles with a depth of realism. They take these mythical figures and make them live. Marian was the perfect role for the 46 year old Hepburn to portray, and no doubt it was the quality of the script and the fascinating premise of the story which were able to lure her back to the silver screen after a nine-year absence. (Unfortunately none of her subsequent film roles were of this caliber.) The supporting cast is solid, a real ensemble of some of the greatest British actors. Richard Lester's direction is masterful. The screenplay brings great romance and irony to the relationship of Robin and Marian. The cinematography is beautiful without painting the tragic nature of the tale in rosy hue. The music of John Barry, as is always the case, wonderfully accompanies every mood and moment of the story.