How many times has the story of Robin Hood been told? How many books have been written, how many movies made about the outlaw? With The Death of Robin Hood, writer-director Michael Sarnoski goes back to the source. Rather, the supposed sources. The earliest stories of Robin Hood were ballads told by commoners across England. These tales tell of an outlaw who does not give anything stolen to the poor, instead taking pleasure in killing the rich. In the medieval ballad “Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne,” Robin beheads Gisborne and sticks his head on a spike.
This is the Robin Hood that Hugh Jackman is playing, and he’s rarely been better. Set in 1247 A.D., the film finds the titular non-hero a bitter old man living in the mountains away from society. His life is a cold, harsh scourge punctuated by a never-ending litany of sins from his past. Little John (a great Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd), Robin’s sole companion, is determined to find new adventures that will be told by many, evolving into something grand and brave. This misbegotten notion leads to further bloodshed and results in Robin Hood’s stay at a mysterious priory wherein he heals his fresh wounds. The prioress is played by Jodie Comer, once again fitting perfectly in a medieval setting (see: The Last Duel). She befriends Robin, who lies about his identity. Soon he is forced into a paternal role when a young girl (Faith Delaney) arrives on the island hurt and alone. Is some version of redemption possible for a brute such as this?
Sarnoski is concerned with the act of storytelling, and how each story evolves (or devolves) over time. It’s a fitting focus for a myth such as Robin Hood. The Death of Robin Hood is most directly adapted from the likeliest 17th-century ballad “Robin Hood’s Death.” There is a version of the same story in the final verses of “A Gest of Robyn Hode,” one of the earliest (and longest) Robin Hood tales. Much is changed in this new interpretation, but the general structure remains. Throughout, each character has a story to tell. Murray Bartlett has a standout monologue in the middle of the picture, playing a leper who serves as the boatman between the island the priory is on and the mainland. It is so comforting to watch great performers tell great stories to each other. And while this reads as an almost condescendingly simple observation, it cannot be overstated how effective these moments are.
Not since Richard Lester’s underrated Robin and Marian has there been a more clear-eyed, metatextual investigation into the stories that comprise the legend. Since the dawn of man, there was a story to be told. Humans are desperate for them, be they orated around a fire or delivered in 15-second clips on their phone. Good stories have convinced people to do bad, horrible things. They’ve convinced others to pursue great things. Once upon a time, a college professor of mine was teaching Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote. During one lecture, he told us that the book became so popular in Spain at the time of its initial release that some people fell out of the windows of their homes because they didn’t want to stop reading even as the sun set. They extended their copy of the book out the window closer to the sun, just to read a page more before it was dark. It’s a good story about a famous book about telling stories. Is it true? Who knows? Does it matter if it’s true? The Death of Robin Hood reckons with this last question, and it’s a thrill to watch.
The Death of Robin Hood opens in theaters on Friday, June 19.