The very first film I remember vividly as a child was an old black and white version of Zorro. It was possibly the 1920's silent film Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks who would gain notoriety for his portrayal as Robin Hood, but it was more likely the 1940 remake of the same name starring Tyrone Power. My dad rented it over and over knowing that I loved it, I must have seen it over a dozen times. I imagine I would have used my baby blanket as a cape of some sort and can picture a younger (and chubbier) me fencing along with Zorro on screen. I bought the DVD a couple years ago and watched The Mark of Zorro for the first time in probably twenty years. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't really that good but I didn't care. I was able to recapture a piece of my childhood and those memories and feelings of youth and exuberance. Certain films never really age because of their timelessness and their ability to evoke a sense of child-like wonder. The Wizard of Oz is a film like that. Classic Disney movies are like that. The Adventures of Robin Hood is like that. It's kind of funny that I brought up Zorro because he sort of parallels Robin Hood for being heroes of the poor and also for their swashbuckling adventures.
I'm not going to bother mentioning the plot as we're all familiar with the Robin Hood legend so I'll just talk about aspects of the film. Like The Red Shoes and the aforementioned The Wizard of Oz, The Adventures of Robin Hood shows off just how great Technicolor was, or is. This film is over seventy years old and it looks fantastic and in many ways better than modern films. You just don't see these kinds of colors anymore. Take, for instance, Errol Flynn's green tights that would make Kermit the frog blush with envy. Admittedly, much of the film is unrealistically bright, but it adds to the almost fairy tale effect of the film, representing a time when things were brighter and more innocent.
Technically speaking the film is well shot. My favorite scene is when Robin Hood is dueling with Sir Guy and as they fence off screen we can see their shadows crossing swords on the pillar. Brilliant shot.
One of the film's strengths is its child like charm and simplicity. The acting is pretty over the top, perhaps even borderline bad, but it's done with such exuberance you don't really care. It kind of reminds me of school plays where none of the kids can act, but they're all having so much fun. By the time the plot thickens and the action picks up in the last half of the movie, you basically don't even notice it and are too busy enjoying the movie.
Errol Flynn does a good job as Robin Hood. He is charming and funny and makes the most out of the campy dialogue. I was pretty surprised by how physical his role is. Flynn did all his stunts in the film Jackie Chan style and some of them are pretty demanding including swinging across vines, jumping down from trees and propelling up ropes, not to mention pretty intense sword fighting. The action in this film is actually pretty well choreographed. One of the complaints I frequently hear about older movies is that action sequences are slow and clunky, which is actually a fair point. Even in a heralded action film like Seven Samurai, the sword fighting is pretty tame compared to the modern martial arts films. However, in TAORB they really go after each other and swing their swords hard and fast. Perhaps it isn't as dazzling as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but it does look real and exciting.
One thing I found fascinating is how this portrayal of Robin Hood is considered virtuous and wholesome. Certainly, he is heroic and his intentions noble, but do people really not see what an egomaniac he is? Take for example the scene when he first meets Friar Tuck and totally messes with him. He comes across as a douchebag at worst and a mean spirited prankster at best. Also while Batman may be dark and moody, his one rule is that he doesn't kill people. Robin Hood has a body count of over ten in this film! It's kind of funny this movie is rated PG because a lot of people get arrows and swords through their hearts in a pretty indifferent manner. Parents be warned.
The Adventures of Robin Hood, like the Zorro film of my childhood, brought back a little bit of my inner child. Watching the film, I couldn't help but remember how I wanted to be a swashbuckling hero and for a couple hours, I was.
Grade: B+
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