Robin Hood.. With a Modern Spin

The fascinating story of war, love, and justice is just the beginning of Robin Hood (2018 Film). Directed by Otto Bathurst and published by Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment in November 2018, Robin Hood is the story of Lord Robin of Loxley and his adventures through different wars to find justice and his love. First, Lord Robin of Loxley gets a draft notice to go on the Third Crusade in Arabia. While on this crusade he tries to save an Arabian’s, John, son. Robin then gets sent home for disobeying order and, upon arrival, finds his Manor gone and his wife, Marion, with another man. He then meets up with John once again and they form a plan to stop the Sheriff of Nottingham and the Cardinal of stealing all the common people’s money. 

During the plan, Robin gets in good with the Sheriff to find out where the money is, so him and John could steal it to give back to the common people. This is where Robin gets his new name, Robin Hood. While doing so, Robin Hood meets back with Marion and the two lead a revolt with the common people to overthrow the corrupt Sherriff and Church. After carrying out his and John’s plan, the common people take all the money from the Church far, far away from Nottingham, as well as killing the Sheriff The intense film leaves viewers on the edge of their seats, as there is a new Sheriff in Nottingham. At his speech, Robin puts an arrow through the “Wanted” poster of himself and just like that, the film is over.  

While the film is never said when it is set, by the draft notice that Lord Robin receives, tells us that it is set during the central middle ages. Though the film is wildly entertaining, only a few examples are made of the medieval times. Some examples of these references are; first, in the Church of Nottingham there are tall stained-glass windows that have the vaulted ribs. These are features of the gothic architecture in which many cathedrals used during this time. Second, the warriors in the film use bows and crossbows that look like the ones that the knights used, as was seen in Newman. The difference is, in the movie these bows shot arrows that sounded like and fired like bullets, which is historically inaccurate. Also, the knights that protected the Church wore gear that Newman described, such as the mail armor and the large helmet.  

Lastly, the film sites many of references of taking the captured prisoners of the crusades and using them as slaves, like the medieval times. Once again however, Hollywood puts their modern view of life spin on this and turns these people into people with the culture of the regular common people. Overall, the film Robin Hood is not fit for a class studying medieval history and specifically the central middle ages. It is a very entertaining movie that takes a medievalism prospective, instead of centering it around actual medieval customs.