Robin and Marian (1976)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

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:

Crusades | Robin Hood | Aging | Abbess | Sheriff

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:

Audrey Hepburn's first film in nine years after she had taken a break to raise her family.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

Robin Hood: [to Marian] It's so beautiful, this place... the woods just now... full of noises... everything so alive. I kept thinking of all the death I've seen. I've hardly lost a battle, and I don't know what I've won. 'The day is ours, Robin,' you used to say, and then it was tomorrow. But where did the day go?

Movie Connections:

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

A new telling of an age old classic.

Oh what a wonderful idea. A new telling of the Robin Hood legend with his merry men, Maid Marion, and the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham thrown in. The twist was that the characters were all older and starting to slow down and realize their youthful adventures were long past them. The core of the story is the bittersweet love story between the title characters.

The true core of the film and what makes it so special is the casting. Sean Connery plays Robin Hood as the hero we all know who is slowing down despite his attempts to keep going. Audrey Hepburn is perfect as Marian. She reminds us of her eternal beauty and how truly a good actress she was. This was her first theatrical film in 9 years and it's a shame she was so little seen in that time. Actually, she was little seen after that appearing only in a few more films and none that were very memorable. Nicol Williamson plays Robin's ever faithful right hand man still trying to fight the good fight and always remaining by Robin's side. And Robert Shaw plays the Sheriff in a role he was born to play. The final swordfight between him and Robin is a highlight.

Then we come to the ending. I won't give it away save to say that it's a good, albeit, very bittersweet ending. The point comes across in a way that Shakespeare may have written.

It's a sweet and sometimes exciting film that is most underrated and deserves to be seen.