The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Collection: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

What happened to all the swashbuckling heroes and adventures on the big screen? In the early decades of cinema, action/adventure films had a rousing and romping vibe with plenty of fun, plenty of stunts, and charming, roguish heroes to get instead in. Rudolph Valentino. Douglas Fairbanks. Tyrone Power. Errol Flynn. These were the faces of the genre with plenty of great heroes from Zorro to the Musketeers to Edmond Dantes to Peter Blood to Robin Hood. These were grand heroes that injected hope and awe into the audience through their incredible stunts and endless charm. There are few heroes like this anymore outside of films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Mummy, and Pirates of the Caribbean. But this genre’s crown jewel of those early decades must be Errol Flynn’s The Adventures of Robin Hood.

What makes this adaptation of Robin Hood so impressive? First off, the visual experience is second to none. One of the key shifts in cinema at the time was the advent of Technicolor and the shift from primarily black-and-white filmmaking. The visuals of the film just burst off the screen. The colors are so rich and accentuates all the costumes, production design, and hair/make-up. The iconic green and brown outfit of Robin Hood looks so beautiful on screen. This is in stark contrast with the rich red of Sir Guy’s attire. The forest setting of the story is so important, and the setting feels so green and beautiful in every scene. Each costume is so vibrant and just brings so much life to the film. The castle settings are so starkly grey and deliver such an important dichotomy to the luscious life of the forest outside. Few films ever looked so gorgeous, and you realize that even from the opening credits with the beautiful drawn designs.

What makes this such an iconic swashbuckling film? All the swashbuckling tropes are on full display here. Films did this before this, but few have become so iconic and set such trends as The Adventures of Robin Hood did. Robin Hood himself is such an iconic swashbuckler. The grin on his face is ever-present and gleaning. The big, over-the-top chuckle of his joy gives magnetism to his presence. Speaking of his presence, he is always garnering attention, and the camera absolutely loves his. Errol Flynn’s performance is overflowing with charisma and charm. Few screen performers grabbed an audience quite like him. Robin is also the right big of roguish as he is a thief…but an honorable one. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor is such a cliché at this point but The Adventures of Robin Hood truly personified this legendary character in such a vibrant and earnest way. There are plenty of other players that fit the swashbuckling model. Robin and his roguish crew are so much fun from Will Scarlett to John Little to Friar Tuck. Maid Marian is iconic with the gorgeous and electric Olivia de Havilland delivering such an iconic performance. The one-two punch of Claude Rains’ slimy and cowardly Prince John and Basil Rathbone’s dangerous and malevolent Sir Guy of Gisbourne.

What is the key element of a successful action/adventure? The action, of course! This classic cinematic experience has plenty of that. There are multiple occasions where we witness Robin and Sir Guy go toe-to-toe with their blades. They fly aggressively into battle swinging and spinning their blades in impressive ways. Along with The Mark of Zorro, these duels are some of the most impressive sword fights you will find in early cinema. Even the great ones today find inspiration from the duels in The Adventures of Robin Hood. The choreography and stunt work are quite impressive. You even have the iconic battle on the bridge between Robin and Alan Hale’s John Little. Their battle, with wooden weapons, has the same level of craft but a tone that is a little more fun and less serious. There are plenty of exciting moments on horseback as well with some top-notch stunt work on horseback. This is a jaunting and exciting romp with so many exhilarating moments. You have a huge battle in the castle at the climax of the film as well, which is the perfect exclamation point on the whole experience. Many action films today struggle to find this number of thrills and excitement.

Why has The Adventures of Robin Hood stood the test of time? The influence that it has on adventure films is so ingrained that it will never go away. The early color vibrance is certainly hard to forget. The upping of the action expectations at the time set such raised expectations for decades to come. This film is also incredibly iconic. Every Robin Hood film has borrowed (or parodied) this version. Whether you are Kevin Costner, Disney, or Mel Brooks, you have seen The Adventures of Robin Hood and carried it forward.