Film Review: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Many Hollywood films these days become subject of debates dealing with cultural appropriation, “wokeness” and (mis)casting characters with actors of wrong race or ethnicity. Such debates, while intense, generally have very little to do with actual quality of films that can succeed and fail regardless of such details. One of the earliest examples was controversy over casting and other creative decisions in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, 1991 period action adventure directed by Kevin Reynolds, which actually became one of the most popular films of its time.

The film, as the title suggests, is based on the medieval English legends about character who would become world’s best known fictional socialist and whose name would be forever associated with some very directs methods of wealth redistribution. In the film, however, he begins as Robin of Loxley (played by Kevin Costner), member of English nobility who had as a young man heeded the call of King Richard the Lionheart and joined Third Crusade. The attempt to liberate the Holy Land from Muslims failed and the plot begins in 1194 when Robin is prisoner in Muslim-controlled Jerusalem. He manages to escape and also helps liberate Muslim prisoner Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir (played by Morgan Freeman) who feels obligated to follow Robin back to England. There Robin finds that his father Lord Locksley (played by Brian Blessed) was falsely accused of devil worshipping and executed by evil Sheriff of Nothingham (played by Alan Rickman) who had seized family’s lands. Robin soon finds that many people, especially commoners, in the area share the same predicament. Sheriff uses King’s absence to enforce reign of terror and tax people to death in order to finance his attempt to seize the power in entire country. As a result, many people who can’t pay are forced to poach deer in order to survive, which makes them outlaw. Their hideout is Sherwood Forrest where Robin comes and becomes their leader in struggle for freedom and justice, which is also aided by his childhood friend Lady Marian (played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio).

Prince of Thieves was massive hit and would have been at the top of year’s box office if not for Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Today it is, however, best known as the film in which Kevin Costner disgraced himself by not bothering even to try speaking with British accent. While using his native American accent might have been legitimate, it created problems for audience to suspend disbelief, especially in scenes where he interacts with characters played by British actors who use their native accents. This, however, isn’t the worst problem with Costner in this film. He simply played his role very poorly (and deserved Razzie for Worst Actor), relying mostly on his stellar charisma at the height of personal popularity to carry film and quite successfully bring armies of his fans to cinema.

His performance, however, looks even worse when compared with other members of cast, many of whom did very good job. At first, idea to introduce black Muslim character to Robin Hood story looked like an early example of “political correctness” or cynical attempt to bring more African American and other minority viewers to cinemas. Yet, it wasn’t the original idea – popular 1980s BBC series Robin of Sherwood also featured Muslim character named Nasir. In this case, Morgan Freeman is actually the best thing about Prince of Thieves. His confident performance of a character with wisdom and dignity serves as backbone of the film. Furthermore, his presence served as valuable antidote to Arabophobia and Islamophobia which had been stirred by chauvinist hysteria in USA before First Gulf War. Furthermore, his character very effectively teaches audience of some details of medieval world that were usually ignored by Hollywood period films – like Islamic world being culturally, scientifically and technologically superior to Christian West at times when stories of Robin Hood take place.

Other attempts to spice up Robin Hood story with something original aren’t that successful. Script by Pen Densham and John Watson doesn’t bother much with historical and political background (Prince John is absent from the film). Instead, they add motives of black magic and witchcraft, represented by Sheriff’s confederate Mortianna (played by Geraldine McEwan under heavy makeup), while Sheriff uses services of mercenaries called “Celts” that are depicted as Iron Age barbarians that somehow missed thousand years of cultural and technological developments in Europe. Those anachronisms, however, aren’t that problematic as Densham and Watson adding unnecessary subplot of Will Scarlett as rebellious young man (probably in order to attract fans of Christian Slater who played the character) that turns this film into cheap melodrama.

One of the most debatable elements of the film is Alan Rickman in role of chief villain. The production was, despite huge budgets, quite messy and producers allowed Rickman almost free reign to do with his role what he pleased. The result was unhinged performance with many ad-libbed lines that makes character of Sheriff going over the top almost turning the film into parody of itself, while at the same time adding bits of black humour in what would be otherwise be too serious and often dark story (which also features some family-unfriendly content like mutilations and implied rape). On the other hand, Kevin Costner’s good friend Kevin Reynolds directs film with great confidence and stages couple of well-made action scenes. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is good in her role despite lacking any chemistry with Costner; she is convincing as very active and hand-on Lady Marian, in some ways giving some hints of proto-feminism to the character. Michael McShane is also good in the role of Friar Tuck, despite providing too conventional comic relief. That, together composer with Michael Kamen delivering one of his most memorable scores, turns Prince of Thieves into flawed, but entertaining piece of Hollywood reimagining of an old legend.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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