Robin Hood - La leggenda

Don't be put off by the "TV" in the title-this is a full-blown, first-class movie. Patrick Bergin gives his Robin a sense of humor and a spark of humanity. Uma Thurman, though not the most beautiful girl in the world (that honor still remains with Olivia), is sexy, vivacious, and definitely post-modern. A few scenes don't quite develop as far as they can, but all is forgiven by the Parade of Fools in the climactic moments. One big difference between this movie and Flynn's is that here they use broadswords rather than rapiers (more realistically). Instead of the "tck tck tck" of swordplay, here there are loud "Clangs" when the blades miss their target. It makes for a really good setpiece battle between Robin and his fierce (here, French) enemy. Nothing will replace the Errol Flynn Robin Hood, but this account is vigorous, funny, and filled with little surprises.

This has just been run on British TV. What a pleasure to see something from Hollywood that feels realistic when referring to something over here (no US cavalry riding to the rescue at the critical moment!!). Apart from that it is also well made, enjoyable and I'm just sorry I didn't start the recorder at the beginning. Uma Thurman is not the most gorgeous Marion I have seen (not too bad either though), but she was believable and that counts for a lot. The action scenes had a touch of authenticity about them that is all too often missing (for example when Robin was handed a staff by Will to battle with John Little it was a thick branch, forked at one end and obviously from a tree, not a martial arts supplier - just the sort of thing that might have been picked up in a real situation <accepting that something like that might well not have been lying around unless it was rotten>). All round, a film I will watch next time it is screened and I hope I manage to get the DVD recorder going in time next time.

Action? Adventure? Swashbuckling excitement? Well you have come to the WRONG Robin Hood for that. The choreography is non-existent. But that's okay.

There are other reasons to watch this movie, especially for aficionados and romantics. The costumes and sets are beautiful, delicately balanced between realism and romanticism. The greenery is lush, the settings are well chosen. There is a poetry in the dialogue, and the acting is heart-felt. This movie makes you think a little bit, including a moving, moral ending.

The classic trope scenes of the Robin Hood fairy tale are a let down. Little Jon on the river is painful to watch, and not in a good way. The bow staff fight is a yawn, as is the absurd "action" scene of Robin floating down a gentle river. If you seek excitement, again, this is the wrong movie.

On the other hand, you are treated to a version of the Robin Hood tale that offers an educational slant. Unlike Prince of Thieves, this Robin Hood dives into the Saxon-Norman antagonism that characterized the centuries following the successful invasion by the Normans under William the Conqueror. Set one to two hundred years after, this Robin Hood takes place in an England that is hosts to a ruling class of French/Viking descent. (There is even a clever allusion to the French Baron being a descendant of pirates).

As mentioned, the acting is quite good, as is the script. The characters, which at the start of the film seem one-dimensional, become infused with real humanity as the movie progresses. No cartoon villains here, just flawed humans from a vicious era, and a meditation on the attractiveness and seductiveness of simple decency when presented as a possibility.

This lush realistic retelling of the popular legend is a pleasure to watch. The historical setting, the costumes, the armor, the attitudes of the people, are all in keeping with the time the events (supposedly) took place. Bergin's Robin is a believable portrait of a nobleman struggling with the assimilation of his culture by foreigners (the Normans) and what he sees as the betrayal of a friend (Sir Miles). Thurman's Mariam is a joy to those of us who have always wanted to see her character with as much spirit as Robin's, and she has it in bushels. She is a woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to take a risk to get it. Go Mariam! I've seen numerous versions of the tale since it is one of my favorites, but this is the one I own.

Only thing I liked about Costner's RH was Alan Rickman as the Sheriff. But this take was a "stylistic" departure from the old story. The "theives village" was fascinating! And Bergen was a much more convincing Robin. If you like this one check out the BBC TV production, "Robin of Sherwood" (1984) [TV-Series 1984-1986] starring Jason Connery (son of Sean.) It's the most intersting and "magical" of all Robin versions!!