 |
|
| Directed by | Kevin Reynolds |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Pen Densham Richard Barton Lewis John Watson |
| Screenplay by | Pen Densham John Watson |
| Story by | Pen Densham |
| Starring | Kevin Costner Morgan Freeman Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio Christian Slater Alan Rickman |
| Music by | Michael Kamen |
| Cinematography | Douglas Milsome |
| Editing by | Peter Boyle |
| Studio | Morgan Creek[1] |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Running time | 155 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $48 million |
| Box office | $390,493,908 |
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood. The film also stars Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Maid Marian of Dubois, Morgan Freeman as Azeem, Christian Slater as Will Scarlet, and Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Plot
Robin of Locksley (Costner), an English nobleman who joined King Richard "The Lionheart" in the Third Crusade, is imprisoned in Jerusalem along with his comrade Peter. Robin escapes, saving the life of a Moor named Azeem (Freeman) in the process, but Peter dies while escaping and has Robin swear to protect his sister Marian (Mastrantonio). Robin returns to England with Azeem, who has vowed to accompany him until the debt of saving his life is repaid.In England, with King Richard still away, the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham (Rickman) rules over the land, aided by his cousin Guy of Gisbourne (Michael Wincott), along with the witch Mortianna (Geraldine McEwan) and the corrupt Bishop of Hereford (Harold Innocent). At Locksley Castle, Robin's father (Brian Blessed) is killed by the Sheriff's men after refusing to join them.
Robin returns to England to find his father dead, his home in ruins, and the Sheriff and his men oppressing the people. While fleeing the Sheriff's forces, Robin and Azeem encounter a band of outlaws hiding in Sherwood Forest, led by Little John (Nick Brimble). Among the band is Will Scarlet (Slater), who holds a belligerent grudge against Robin and does not hesitate to show Robin his true feelings. Robin ultimately assumes command of the group, encourages his men to fight against Nottingham, and trains them to defend themselves. They rob English soldiers and convoys that pass through the forest, then distribute the stolen wealth among the poor. One of their early targets is Friar Tuck (Michael McShane), who subsequently joins these Merry Men, and Marian also begins to sympathize with the band and renders Robin any aid she can muster. Robin’s successes infuriate the Sheriff, who increases the maltreatment of the people, resulting in more support for Robin Hood.
Hiring Celtic warriors from Scotland to bolster his forces, the Sheriff manages to locate the outlaws' hideout and launches an attack, destroying the forest refuge. He confines Marian when she tries to summon help from France. The Sheriff proposes to Marian, claiming that if she accepts, he will spare the lives of the captured outlaws. Nevertheless, several of the rebels are due to be executed by hanging as part of the wedding celebration. Among the captured is Will Scarlett, whom seemingly makes a deal with Sheriff to find and kill Robin in order to be set free.
Will meets back with Robin and a handful of his most trusted aides who survived the assault by the Celts. Instead of attacking Robin, Will informs him of the Sheriff's plans to marry Marian and execute Robin's men. Will still continues to take out his anger against Robin, to which Robin then questions Will as to why he hates him so much. Will then reveals himself to be Robin's younger illegitimate half-brother; Will's mother was a peasant woman with whom Robin's father took comfort after his (Robin's) mother died. However, Robin's anger toward his father caused him to separate from her and leave Will fatherless. Despite Robin's anger toward his father for being with another woman, he is overjoyed to learn that he has a brother and embraces Will.
On the day of the wedding and hangings, Robin and his men storm Nottingham Castle, freeing the prisoners. Although Robin's band originally planned to free their friends and retreat, Azeem reveals himself and his willingness to fight the Sheriff, turning the peasants to revolt. After a fierce fight, Robin kills the Sheriff but is attacked by Mortianna, who charges with a spear. Azeem slays Mortianna, fulfilling his vow to repay his life debt to Robin. Tuck also kills the Bishop by defenestrating him after learning of his corruption and treachery.
Robin and Marian profess their love for each other and marry in the forest. Their wedding is briefly interrupted by the return of King Richard (Sean Connery), who blesses the marriage and thanks Robin for his deeds.
Production
Principal exteriors were shot on location in the United Kingdom. A second unit filmed the medieval walls and towers of the town of Carcassonne in Aude, France, for the portrayal of Nottingham and its castle. Locksley Castle was a computer-restored version of Wardour Castle in Wiltshire. Marian's manor was filmed at Hulne Priory in Northumberland. Scenes set in Sherwood Forest were filmed throughout England: Burnham Beeches in Buckinghamshire was used for the outlaws' encampment, Aysgarth Falls in Yorkshire for the fight scene between Robin and Little John, and Hardraw Force in North Yorkshire was the location where Marian sees Robin bathing.[5] Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall was used for the scene when Robin first confronts the Sheriff's men.[6] Chalk cliffs at Seven Sisters, Sussex were used as the locale for Robin's return to England from the Crusades.[7]Interior scenes were completed at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England.
Reception
Critics gave the film mixed reviews. Roger Ebert praised Freeman's performance as well as Rickman's, but ultimately decried the film as a whole, giving it two stars and stating, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a murky, unfocused, violent, and depressing version of the classic story ... The most depressing thing about the movie is that children will attend it expecting to have a good time."[8] The New York Times gave the film a less than glowing review.[9] The Los Angeles Times found the movie unsatisfactory as well.[10] Costner was criticised for not attempting an English accent.[11] Even though Alan Rickman, himself, said (in a contemporaneous interview on Arsenio Hall's talk show) that 20th-century colloquial American was a lot closer to 12th-century Anglo-Saxon than modern British English.On the DVD commentary for ITV's Robin of Sherwood television series, which ran from 1983 to 1986, writer and creator Richard Carpenter explains that the stunt co-ordinator, Terry Walsh from the Robin of Sherwood series, was hired on to do stunt work for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. While on set, Walsh noticed that there was a Saracen assassin character named Nasir in the film. That character was a creation of Carpenter and is exclusive to the Robin of Sherwood series. Once the creators of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves realized there was potential copyright infringement, they changed the character's name from Nasir to Azeem. Carpenter also explains that Costner and others involved in the film have admitted to watching the Robin of Sherwood as inspiration for their film.
Media studies professor Jack Shaheen included the film among his "Best" list in his book Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies A People, praising the portrayal of Azeem as a heroic, learned, and noble man.
Posting Komentar