Thursday, February 18, 2010

#189: The Adventures of Robin Hood

Directed by: MICHAEL CURTIZ & WILLIAM KEIGHLEY
1938, TSPDT Rank #488

Not exactly sure on what the story is about the two directors on this one, but I do know that Curtiz is known as the master of the swashbuckler (although he worked in basically every film genre) and that he should probably be given the most credit for directing this film. That being said, Robin Hood is the quintessential swashbuckler film. Unfortunately, the swashbuckler is a dead genre, and with today's political climate, and the invasion of CGI technology, we will never truly see one again (although the makers of films like Pirates of the Caribbean have tried). The film involves a former knight (Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, one of the classic cinematic heroes), who selflessly protects the good Anglo-Saxon peasants from the tyrannical Norman government in Medieval England. Today viewers sometimes demand a gray area in their characters to make them more realistic. Thankfully this old film doesn't take itself so seriously, presenting a clear battle between a clearly defined good and evil, with a lot of humor, romance, action, and color. A thoroughly enjoyable film, and not soon to be forgotten, I hope.

(Rating: 8/10)

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