‘The Death of Robin Hood’ movie review: Hugh Jackman anchors a brutal revisionist legend

Michael Sarnoski, who helmed the multiple award-winning Pig and the meditative A Quiet Place: Day One, presents a radically different version of Sherwood Forest’s famous outlaw in The Death of Robin Hood.

There is no rock ’n’ rolla Robin Hood with Taron Egerton, Ridley Scott’s magnificently staged battles featuring Russell Crowe, the Crusades and the rightness of the Merry Men’s cause, Bryan Adams soulfully singing ‘Everything I Do’ while Kevin Costner squints meaningfully as he draws a bow or even a meandering mole, a wandering extra or a rebellious boom mike in Mel Brooks’ hilarious Men in Tights.

Right in the beginning, an older Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) tells a young woman, Wainwright (Jade Croot), who has sought him out, that none of the legends about him are true (no everlasting love for Maid Marian either) and that he is a brigand and murderer. Wainwright turns out to have sought him out for revenge.

Robin Hood visits his friend and fellow outlaw Little John (Bill Skarsgård) who is now a farmer called Edward (he adopts the name of the man he killed) with a wife called Margaret and a daughter, Little Margaret (Faith Delaney).

In the fight to get John’s farm back, Robin is gravely injured and John leaves him on the island priory of St. Clement. As he recuperates on the island, with the help of the prioress, Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), Robin Hood thinks of his life and choices. He helps a traumatised Little Margaret, who also comes to the island, cope, teaching her how to fashion a bow and skin a rabbit.

Jackman is a towering presence as the world-weary outlaw who has seen too many things no one should have. Skarsgård and Comer give ample support while Murray Bartlett is arresting as the leper and caretaker on the island with an agenda and Noah Jupe uses his angelic good looks to conceal a traitorous heart.

A still from ‘The Death of Robin Hood’
| Photo Credit:
A24

Sarnoski, who has also written the film based on the 17^th-century ballad, Robin Hood’s Death, has used the bare bones of the story to look at the truth behind the legend.

Forget all the robbing of the rich to give to the poor and nasty Nottingham, in the film, 1247 England is a hard place to eke out a living. One almost wishes for the suspiciously clean medieval villages and the jaunty outlaws going about their merry ways instead of the unrelenting violence and gore that seem to be the daily lot of the villagers.

Animals did not have a good life either, and the film dwells in unnecessary detail on disembowelling and skinning various creatures. And there is no lack of eye trauma as it seems to be the preferred method of killing people.

Cinematographer Pat Scola, in his third collaboration with Sarnoski after Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One, has created heartbreakingly beautiful frames, especially on the island, with the sun-dappled trees, interspersed with scenes of unspeakable horror, blood, grime and gore.

The incessant grimness has a terrible beauty and moves inexorably to a state of grace where we heave a sigh of relief as Robin Hood gets his hard-won peace and Little Margaret gets her legend. And for a palate cleanser, one can always spend some time with Asneeze and his son, Ahchoo.

The Death of Robin Hood is currently running in theatres