ROBIN AND MARIAN (1976, USA, 106m, PG) ***½
Adventure, Drama, Romance
dist. Columbia Pictures (USA), Columbia-Warner Distributors (UK); pr co. Columbia Pictures / Rastar Pictures; d. Richard Lester; w. James Goldman; pr. Denis O’Dell; ph. David Watkin (Technicolor | 1.85:1); m. John Barry; ed. John Victor Smith; pd. Michael Stringer; ad. Gil Parrondo.
cast: Sean Connery (Robin Hood), Audrey Hepburn (Maid 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), Victoria Abril (Queen Isabella), Montserrat Julió (1st Sister), Victoria Hernández Sanguino (2nd Sister), Margarida Minguillón (3rd Sister).
Twenty years after their original adventures in Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood (Connery) and his trusty sidekick, Little John (Williamson), fight alongside Richard the Lionheart (Harris) in France. After Richard dies in battle, the pair revisit Sherwood, where Robin learns that his beloved Maid Marian (Hepburn) serves as mother superior at a nearby convent. When the Sheriff of Nottingham (Shaw) orders her arrest by royal edict, Robin faces his old nemesis one last time. Richard Lester’s take on ageing heroes, unfulfilled romance and legend vs. truth contains many of the director’s trademark idiosyncrasies. The often-downbeat tale adopts a more serious tone than the director’s other work in the adventure genre, although here there are still moments of levity which occasionally undermine the drama. Connery and Hepburn establish good chemistry and Shaw is as reliable as ever. Lester excels in recreating a period feel, perfectly captured by Watkin’s camera. John Barry’s graceful score and Yvonne Blake’s costume design each add significantly. The result is a handsome production that is slightly less than the sum of its parts but is worth visiting for its many attributes.
