Robin and Marian (1976)

Director:

Richard Lester

Writer:

James Goldman (written by)

Release Date:

April 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Love is the greatest adventure of all.

Plot:

Robin Hood, aging none too gracefully, returns exhausted from the Crusades to woo and win Maid Marian one last time.

Plot Keywords:

Robin Hood | Crusades | Sheriff | Abbess | Aging

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Robin Hood
Audrey Hepburn	...	Lady Marian
Robert Shaw	...	Sheriff of Nottingham
Richard Harris	...	Richard the Lionheart
Nicol Williamson	...	Little John
Denholm Elliott	...	Will Scarlett
Kenneth Haigh	...	Sir Ranulf
Ronnie Barker	...	Friar Tuck
Ian Holm	...	King John
Bill Maynard	...	Mercadier
Esmond Knight	...	Old Defender
Veronica Quilligan	...	Sister Mary
Peter Butterworth	...	Surgeon
John Barrett	...	Jack
Kenneth Cranham	...	Jack's Apprentice

Also Known As:

The Death of Robin (USA) (working title)
The Return of Robin Hood (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

A rejected score was composed by Michel Legrand. It was released on CD in 2009 by Universal France.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Golden Delicious apples (in windows during last scene) did not exist in 13th century England.

Quotes:

Maid Marian: Let's take a look at you.
Robin Hood: [opens his shirt] Just a few bumps and bruises.
Maid Marian: [Reacting to his scars] Oh!
[She touches them gently]
Maid Marian: So many... You had the sweetest body when you left. Hard, and not a mark. And you were mine. When you left I thought I'd die. I even tried. I walked into the woods and laid down by a stream and cut myself. Some damn fool forrester came by, took me to the abbey. So they say. No more scars, Robin. It's too much to lose you twice.
Robin Hood: I've never kissed a member of the clergy before. Would it be a sin?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Audrey Hepburn: Ein Star auf der Suche nach sich selbst (2004) (TV)

The most moving {if one of the least exciting} of Robin Hood films

One needs to say straight off the bat that if one wants lots of typical Robin Hood swashbuckling then one is better off seeing the Errol Flynn, Kevin Costner or one of the countless lesser films of Robin Hood. There is not much action here. However, the shortage of action is really quite appropriate to this particular film, which can be seen as a sequel to almost any other version you've seen. 'The Last Days Of Robin Hood' would have been as good a title as the one we have.

This being a Richard Lester film, there are plenty of humorous touches. Here, they seem somewhat out of place,as the general tone of the film is bittersweet. We have a Robin Hood who is aging and aware of it, yet still has to fill the role of a legendary hero. The film portrays even better than El Cid the passing of somebody into legend, and a sense of destiny- it's more important that Robin fulfill his than opt out and not have the risk of things ending sadly. Sean Connery never did change that accent, but he could be a superb actor at times, as indeed he is here. The supporting cast is a virtual Who's Who of fine British character actors of the time, but Robert Shaw stands out as the most menacing Sheriff Of Nottingham on film.

There is much in this film that is immensely touching, especially when Robin and Marian start resuming their romance which supposedly ended 18 years previously. David Watkin's gorgeous photography of the countryside is essential in giving the film it's autumnal quality. Despite the overly lengthy build up to it, the final Robin/Sheriff duel is well worth the wait, a really realistic, convincing brawl. The film is aided immensely by John Barry's music- his main theme is beautiful and deserves to be ranked among the more famous themes this great composer has written. One could easily find a more exciting and even more entertaining Robin Hood film than this, but probably not a more touching one.