Review of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) by Tim S — 21 Nov 2010

When you look back over the number of times that the tale of Robin Hood has been adapted by Hollywood, it equals that of Dracula. But of all the adaptations, one stands heads and tails above the others, Michael Curtiz' original 1938 classic The Adventures of Robin Hood.

One of the things that makes this film so special is the handsome and dashing Errol Flynn as Robin Hood himself. His wholesome and heroic take on the character is as fresh as it was 70 years ago. Olivia de Havilland is just breath-taking as Marian, Basil Rathbone is menacing as Sir Guy and Claude Rains is great as always as Prince John.

The whole cast, including the supporting roles, really shine here. It may be worthy to note that in most of latter adaptations, the characters of Sir Guy and the Sheriff of Nottingham were peeled down and combined to form the character of the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

Here we're given these characters as they were originally intended, the evil Sir Guy and the bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham. The Adventures of Robin Hood was one of the first films to use the new process of filming and processing called Technicolor, making the movie just gorgeous to behold.

Greens, blues and reds are stark and rich with detail. Skin tone is also very strong, not orange like other contemporaries. The camera work in the film is also quite extraordinary. Of course everyone always points to the sword fighting scene where the actors go out of frame and we follow their shadows as they continue fighting, but I also enjoyed the steadycam shot that flows through crowd prior to Robin's execution to reveal the gallows.

Needless to say, there is a lot going on visually in this movie. The score is pretty phenomenal, as well. A very lush and storybook-style score from the wonderful Erich Wolfgang Korngold, it carries the film so well that it would be hard to imagine it without it.

I guess you can tell that I really love this movie and I'd watch it anytime. It may be old school, but it's THE best Robin Hood story ever told. It's got that swash-buckling charm that make modern classics like the Pirates of the Caribbean series and The Count of Monte Cristo so much fun.

In conclusion, age doesn't matter, and The Adventures of Robin Hood is timeless.