The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1938 is a film that owes its reputation, I believe, to faulty memories. This is a film I would like to like. But I can’t. It ought to be a great film. But it isn’t. Errol Flynn as Robin Hood and Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne are both excellent in their roles, and the legend of Robin Hood is rich with possibilities for tales of adventure, romance, treachery, and heroism. Alas, this version is a drudgery to behold, nay, a torture. Claude Rains’ talent as a general anaesthetic permeates the film until the last scene. Flynn may be charming as the hero, but the combat scenes defy believability even for swashbuckling fare. (No, that type of fencing did not exist in 12th Century England, and they didn’t use swords of that sort.) I’m sure the garish Technicolor was dazzling in its day, but the film never gives one a sense of place other than that of a Hollywood set. The writing is unforgivably bland, the directing is uninspired, and the all-around inferior quality of the acting is a sad consequence of both. Somehow, though, Flynn’s panache shines through the dismal shambles in which he finds himself, and perhaps it is this alone that has contributed to this film’s undeserved status as a classic. At all other levels, one can’t help thinking it could have been done better — much better.
- Writing: Terrible
- Directing: Poor
- Acting: Mediocre
- Cinematography: Fair
- Stunts: Fair
- Swordplay: Fair
- Panache: Great
Overall Rating: Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Fair Good
Tags: swashbuckling