OTHER FACES UNDER THE HOOD

Perhaps, most people's filmic perception of Robin Hood comes from sources such as the 1938 Adventures of Robin Hood(1), starring Errol Flynn, or the RKO-Walt Disney production The Story of Robin Hood(2), with Richard Todd and Joan Rice. These were both produced in the United States, and it is true that the story, as Professor Stephen Knight(3) has suggested, strikes a chord with an American audience, which has led to continuous re-tellings of the mythology. In the United Kingdom it was, probably, Richard Greene in the Rediffusion television series Adventures of Robin Hood of the 1950's that kept, or at least, reintroduced Robin Hood to a culture awakening to the power of television as a mass organ of information and entertainment. To quote from Sight and Sound magazine(4):

A man of the people, but an aristcrat-a natural leader of men.
One of the Brylcreem boys; a Battle of Britain pilot grounded
in the twelfth century; a Dan Dare in Lincoln green-sagging a
little at the waist, perhaps, but still possessed of a strong jaw
and ripened vocal chords which mark him out from the loyal
rabble.

This rather humorous comment actually has a lot to say about Robin Hood and how the image changes to suit the needs or expectations of each successive generation. Every young boys hero was a character such as the science fiction character Dan Dare, tales from the very real heroes of the Second World War, the hurricane and spitfire pilots who had defended the values of Britain in a way Robin Hood, King Arthur and other national spirits would have been proud of, were still very much in the national consciousness. These were, indeed, figures we could all aspire to. However, there is also inherent in this quotation the question of class and the class system, which travels back through the centuries to the very feudal system that gave rise to Robin Hood. The concept which developed in the later historical ballads that Robin Hood was noble born, that a leader has to come from a higher class. That, conversely, a leader can not emerge from the common born classes. There is a political statement occurring here. There is also a philosophical one: Look at most mythology and this pattern of an outsider, whether it be a question of rank, upbringing or birth, coming in to lead the rank and file, is a common motif. There is a case to be heard here, even if the idea of a society based on a class system to the extent that even a folk hero like Robin Hood is consumed and manipulated within it sits heavily on our fair minded shoulders. Does a group of people need a spark from outside to motivate them to act with a group mind, are they unable to organise andinspire themselves without this outside influence. A glance at history would seem to suggest that, indeed, an outside motivational force is required. The great leaders and, unfortunately, the great dictators are, usually, born outside of the community or nation that they lead, for better or for worse. It could be argued that as the concept of a truly national identity developed in the British Isles the Robin Hood story adapted, elevating Robin Hood to a higher social standing, to explain or come to terms with this philosophical concept. Most of the filmed versions concentrate on the noble born aspect of the character to a greater or lesser extent. It is this version of the character which has come down to us. It is one argument of this dissertation that the HTV series Robin of Sherwood was unique in exploring the common born version in the first two series' starring Michael Praed. It was also important in that it redefined the character significantly, this will be discussed in context within the next chapter.

To return to the other faces beneath the hood: If you were to ask anyone today to name a Robin Hood film, it would be a sure bet that most would say Prince of Thieves. This film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves(5), to give its full title was made in 1991 and starred Kevin Costner in the lead role. A financial success and a blockbusting hit, and a Hollywood packaged film with the usual promotional trimmings. A soundtrack as familiar to the popular culture as the film itself, the Brian Adams song Everything I do staying at number one in the British pop charts for a record number of weeks, even though it is featured only briefly in the film itself, a surprise cameo appearance by Sean Connery at the end of the film all insured the success of this product. That it is historically incorrect, has action sequencies that would be impossible to perform in reality, an example being when Robin and his friend Azeem are catapulted into the castle from a siege machine, did not seem to matter to an eager audience caught up in the action and the romantic through-line so cleverly hinted at through the hit song that had played during the run up to the film's release. This character of Azeem is also an interesting addition. As an Arabic character within the mythology of the merry men goes back through the ages to, as any Robin of Sherwood fan would know, only as far as 1984-86. Thus a modern addition is assimilated into the mythology through no other source than television and then film. This is a direct contribution of these twentieth century visual mediums to the enduring mythology of Robin Hood. Another interesting point concerning Robin Hood; Prince of thieves in relation to Robin of Sherwood is the inclusion of a magical element. The forest is allegedly haunted and more importantly the Sheriff of Nottingham, played in rompish style by the British actor Alan Rickman, is into black magic and devil worship, having his own resident witch; Mortianna. A very Arthurian sounding name it has to be said. As the writer of Robin of Sherwood, Richard Carpenter has commented, he felt there was not much of a magical or mystical element to the legend until he incorporated it into this series. So again what we are seeing here is an aspect of the supposed ancient mythology developing through a film borrowing themes from a television series, and no other source other than these modern retellings.

In the same year that Prince of Thieves was released in the United States an English film was also released: Robin Hood6 starred Patrick Bergin in the lead role and was directed by John Irvin. He had previously turned down an offer to film a remake of the 1938 Errol Flynn version(7). Jonothan Romney writing a review in Sight and Sound magazine(8) speculates that this might have proved a more productive endeavour than this film he made, which Romney describes as a: non-committal attempt to retell the story in a humorous key. The result is too self-conscious to carry any genuine mythic resonance.

For the purposes of this dissertation this carries two important points within it. Firstly, what seems to the author of this dissertation to be an insistence in recent years to bring humour to films dealing with mythological subject matter. This seems more prevalent within American made films; Robin Hood originally had an American flavoured script and the British playwright John McGrath was called into "anglicise" it. The impression is that producers feel that some subject matter is too serious, too historical, to ancient, to complex, or some other doubt is raised and so humour is introduced to lighten the story. This is not to say there is not a place for humour in mythology. Indeed, many of the ancient ballads have a humorous or bawdy tone to them. Robin of Sherwood had developed relationships between the characters that included humour. From a writing or directorial point of view humour can be a very useful device to release tension, slow the pace, or as a precursor to an event meant to surprise the audience. However, this is not an excuse to trivialise the story and it could be suggested that in some films the insistence to include a humorous tone does ruin the film. This was taken to its obvious extreme in the Mel Brooks film Robin Hood: Men in Tights(9) released in 1993, but the implication of that film will be discussed in the following chapter.

The second issue raised in the above quotation from Jonathan Romney is the question of no "genuine mythic resonance" in Irvin's film. Why should this be an issue, it never was in the earlier films, such as the Errol Flynn version, or the Richard Greene series on British television. In fact it was never an issue until Richard Carpenter introduced it, or should it be re-introduced it within the Robin of Sherwood series in the 1980's. That a critic should mention the lack of mythic value in a film about Robin Hood demonstrates how the perception of the character has changed and that there is an audience demand for an exploration of the mythical significance within the legend. We seem no longer content with clean shaven young men, dressed in tights with a feather in their caps running round doing good deeds, like a pack of surreal cub scouts. More is now required. From a general point of view the late eighties and early nineties seemed like a time when a lot of reappraisal was occurring within filmic mythology. The American west was being re-examined. More importantly the way the West had been portrayed in film was being re-examined with re-makes of the Wyatt Earp story which were darker and more brutal than the original Gunfight at the O.K. Corral . This seeking after the truth seemed to be an audience demand. The star of Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves had, himself, re-examined the issues of the West with Dances with Wolves. Whether these films work is not the subject of this dissertation, but the way Hollywood attempts to portray British mythology such as Robin Hood is, and it would seem that, at times, American film makers struggle to really understand the deeper mythology contained within these tales.

As has been mentioned, the writer John McGrath was called in to contribute to the script. He is well known for being the founder of the 7:84 theatre company. This is a left wing theatre group, the name being taken from the fact that 7% of the U.K. population own 84% of the wealth of the U.K. A ratio that was not dissimilar to the situation in the feudal days of Robin Hood. There is a political sub-text within Robin Hood, the Norman rulers being seen as a comment on the Thatcherite government that was in power at the time and "the outlaw band as a rural proletariat alienated from its means of production"; to quote from the Sight and Sound review. The same review continues by stating that this sub-plot fails by the very fact that the people need to be liberated by a pair of "disenfranchised nobles". The old problem of the masses been led by an outsider of higher social standing. A tricky problem if you are trying to write from a left wing perspective. The only solution would be to return to the initial legend of a common born Robin Hood, but as we have seen, most filmed versions continue to concentrate on the high born who has fallen from his social position. One would have thought that, based on the United States concept of a classless society, some film maker would have looked at the earlier legend as a mythological confirmation of a society where a higher class was not required for organisation. The fact, however, is that very few film makers in the United States seem to examine the original legend and, instead, re-work the existing film versions and the ideas, concepts and storylines contained within them.

A whole dissertation could be written on the changing role of Maid Marion. The advent of feminist thinking in society has, obviously, influenced film, and the role of Marion has changed with it. Even the spelling alters. Within this dissertation the spelling used in Robin of Sherwood has been used. In both Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves and Robin Hood the variant Marian is perferred. Within the Errol Flynn movie, Olivia De Havilland played her in true Hollywood style. No doubt, she obtained her make up and hair style from the same place the merry men received their regular shave and hair wax. It was of the day, equal rights were not an issue, and the woman knew her place. Uma Thurman in Robin Hood has a very sexual edge to her, which Romney describes as "an improbably lascivious turn of mind for a medieval damsel, even by Chaucerian standards"(10). This is an attempt to lend contemporary modes of thought to an ancient story. Mythology is a living thing, it should adapt to each generation. This is a point that is recognised consistently within this dissertation. However, rules apply to this, and breaking them leads to a sense of disbelief or an unsettled feeling that things are not quite working. The final scene in this film of a tree blossoming miraculously in an attempt to connect with the ancient meaning of the Robin Hood figure is, on the one hand a courageous attempt to include an aspect of the mythic significance of Robin Hood which is rarely touched upon in film or television versions, but on the other hand, within the overall context of this particular version, fits uncomfortably into the whole. Attempting to contain the ancient with the modern. To examine ancient concepts, such as fertility totems, with contemporary issues is a difficult juggling act which has to be handled competently to work well.

To end this chapter we will return to the Kevin Reynolds film Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves. In the review by Richard Combs(11), it is likened to an Indiana Jones adventure. There is no social issue examined here as far as the Saxon/Norman debate is never referred to, but a more personal debate is used within the film: Robin, again a nobleman, fell out with his father and left for the Crusades. None of this has any historical or mythic credence. The co-scenarist on this film, an Englishman; Pen Densham described his starting point for the film; Robin going off to the Crusades was something that so many families could identify with. It is like a son going off to Vietnam, saying to his father, **** you, and then returning to find his whole world has changed.(12)

As many soldiers had returned disillusioned from the Vietnam conflict, so to Costner's Robin returns with a sense that the Crusades were a bad and pointless exercise. This film is about reconciliation, the coming of age of a petulant young noble who grows in wisdom and reaches manhood in the forest of Sherwood, marrying with the blessing of the king himself, played by the legendary Sean Connery. "a tale of alienated man finding himself in the wilderness" to quote from the Richard Combs review. This has nothing to do with the Robin Hood legend. Initiation into manhood, into the correct spiritual outlook is a concept contained within the Robin Hood mythology, but the themes included here have more in common with Dances with Wolves than Robin Hood. You can take a theme, however significant, and plant it anywhere, be it on the wide open prairies of the West, cutting down a field of wheat to create a field of dreams, or dropping it down into Olde Englande. Throw in a bit of romance, a smattering of comedy and you have the Hollywood formula of modern film making. What historical content that is included only goes back as far as Robin of Sherwood and the 1980's. It could be argued that this film only just sneaks in to a dissertation about Robin Hood, but at least they did not wear tights.

1- reference no longer available
2- reference no longer available
3- Interviews in sherwood: Professor Stephen Knight by Allen W. Wright p.9Website: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4198/rh/knight1.html
4- Sight and Sound Magazine. Volume 1. Issue 2. 1991. Page 5.
5- reference no longer available
6- reference no longer available
7 Sight & Sound magazine. Volume 1. Issue 2. 1991. Page 57.
8-Sight & Sound magazine. Volume 1. Issue 2. 1991. Page 57.
9- reference no longer available
10-Sight & Sound magazine. Volume 1. Issue 2. 1991. Page 57.
11-Sight & Sound magazine. Volume 1. Issue 4. 1991. Page 52-53
12-Sight & Sound magazine. Volume 4. Issue 4. 1991 Page 52-53