Posted on June 11, 2010

(Richard Warren Field is the author of the award-winning novel, The Swords of Faith. Read here why The Swords of Faith will make a great movie.)

Note: This web-page summarizes the movie in detail. If you have not yet seen the movie, and do not wish to know the whole story before seeing it, do not read on any further. I suggest going to the review.

The story involves Robin (played by Russell Crowe), a common archer in Richard the Lionheart’s army returning from the Crusades. King Richard is killed while besieging Chậlus Castle in France. The main villain of the movie, Godfrey, has been hired by the King of France to assassinate Richard. He sets an ambush and ends up killing the party returning to England with Richard’s crown. Robin and three companions, captive for infractions against Richard, have fled the siege after Richard’s death. They come upon the ambush scene and ambush the ambushers, driving them off and taking the crown. An arrow shot by Robin grazes the face of Godfrey, not preventing his escape, but leaving a nasty scar.

At the ambush scene, Robin finds Robert of Locksley, a knight in the service of the late King Richard. Robert is dying of his wounds; he begs Robin to promise he will deliver Robert’s sword back to his father, Walter of Locksley. Robert confesses that he took his father’s sword, and left for the crusade, without his father’s permission. Robin agrees, but without much enthusiasm. He uses the sword, and the dead knights’ uniforms and accoutrements, to secure passage back to England. While on the ship, he discovers a message as he unwraps a covering of the hilt of Robert’s sword. The message rings familiar to Robin, and he now becomes serious about keeping the deathbed promise to Robert of Locksley.

Robin returns the crown to Richard’s brother John, claiming he is Robert of Locksley. Godfrey is there; he knows Robert was killed in the ambush he staged. He resolves to eliminate Robin as a man who “knows too much.”

Robin and his companions journey to Nottingham. Robin tells Walter, and Robert’s wife Marian (played by Cate Blanchett) that Robert is dead. Walter takes a liking to Robin, and makes him a proposal, that Robin pose as Walter’s son. Otherwise, Marian will lose the Locksley estate when Walter dies; Walter is over eighty years old and blind. Robin accepts. His companions have stayed with him, and start to establish themselves at Nottingham. They all befriend Friar Tuck, who tends bees to produce large casks of mead. The Locksley estate has been impoverished by excessive taxes. When thieves steal the Locksley seed grains, there is nothing to plant in the Locksley estate’s plowed fields. The church at Nottingham has been instructed to send its grain supply to York, but Robin cajoles Friar Tuck into helping him waylay the shipment, and they bring the seed back to Nottingham where they plant it at night so a miracle can be claimed when the Locksley estate fields sprout. This is the only familiar Robin Hoodish episode resembling robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, though the Locksley estate would certainly qualify as one of the biggest concentrations of wealth in Nottingham. Robbing from the rich church to give to the overtaxed rich would be more accurate.

Godfrey continues to work for the French. He convinces newly crowned King John that he can collect the taxes the new king needs. Godfrey brings French troops into England and rampages through England ostensibly to collect taxes for the Crown. But at the same time, he is preparing the way for a French army to invade England. Godfrey’s actions turn the English nobles against John. The nobles are about to march on London when William Marshal, previously dismissed from service by the newly crowned King John, contacts the nobles to inform them that a French army is on its way to invade England. William Marshal tells them that King John now knows Godfrey is a French agent, and tries to convince them to band together to defend the country. King John arrives at this meeting, but the meeting still appears to be running against unifying to contest the French.

Robin learns from Walter that Walter knew Robin’s father. Robin’s father was a stone mason, but with huge ambitions for his station in life, especially at this time in history. Walter reminds Robin of a boyhood memory—“you were there” he tells Robin—Robin’s father was beheaded for advocating a charter that would assure rights for the king’s subjects, a charter that is a not-so-subtle hint of the Magna Carta King John will be forced to sign sixteen years later (though the charter described in the movie goes a lot further toward modern democratic ideals than the Magna Carta did). Robin’s father is beheaded in front of his son when he refuses to renounce the charter idea. Robin recalls the memory, and now embraces his role as Walter’s son. He sets out for the gathering of nobles.

Robin speaks up at the gathering of nobles, convincing the nobles to unify against the French by extracting a promise from King John to sign the charter his father had proposed. King John needs the nobles to fight the French sailing for England’s shores. He gives his word he will sign the charter. The now-unified English set out to meet the French invasion force.

Godfrey’s tax collecting rampage comes to Nottingham. While his men are destroying the area with despicable atrocities, like locking men, women and children in a wood building, then setting it on fire, Godfrey seeks out Walter. In a scene that establishes Godfrey as a truly vicious villain, he crosses swords with the blind Walter of Locksley, humiliating him to cheers and jeers. When Walter draws blood from Godfrey with a lucky whack, Godfrey loses his temper and kills the old man. Just as it appears the town will be destroyed, and Marian will be raped by one of Godfrey’s lieutenants, Robin’s men return. They kill most of Godfrey’s French tax collecting thugs, and drive Godfrey away; Godfrey will join the French at the coast.

The climactic battle scene at the coast of England involves the French army trying to invade England. Amidst glorious bloody battle scenes Ridley Scott has become famous for, the English rout the French with Philip turning around and heading for home. Marian, who has grown to love this Robin character (and he loves her as well) comes to the battle at the coast in knight’s armor. She is accompanied by those pesky forest thieves who stole her grain, but also tried to free her when she was taken captive during the French assault on Nottingham. A dramatic three-way swordfight occurs, between Robin, Marian and the evil Godfrey. Marian is disabled, maybe drowning in the water. Godfrey extricates himself from the fight and tries to ride away. Robin unleashes an arrow, reminiscent of the earlier scene when Godfrey rides away and is grazed by a Robin-launched arrow. This time, the arrow, traveling a breathtaking distance, with the drama stretched out across a beautiful beach setting, goes right through Godfrey’s neck. Robin pulls Marian from the water and revives her.

But after England is rescued, John double-crosses the nobles. He won’t sign the charter after all. He claims God has given him the throne, and he will not bargain for his divinely granted power with mere mortal men. He pardons all the nobles who expressed any resistance to him, but orders death for Robin, the common archer who masqueraded as a knight and advocated the seditious charter idea. Robin, and anyone associated with him, are henceforth to be considered outlaws. The Sheriff of Nottingham posts the proclamation. Now, the Robin Hood legend the world knows can begin.

(Return the review of “Robin Hood”)

Richard Warren Field is the author of the upcoming novel, The Swords of Faith. For more information, go to RichardWarrenField.com.