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Sometimes old movies are good
May. 26th, 2025 03:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
allekhaLast night, Z and I watched The Adventures of Robin Hood, a 1938 film. We got a little curious about the Robin Hood mythos after watching an in-depth video about a Sierra Robin Hood adventure game:
and the 1938 film seemed to be one of the most well-regarded. And we could see why! It was definitely different in style than a modern film, not in a bad way - there still seemed to be a lot of stage theater influence in the acting style, and the fight choreography definitely seemed more like stage fighting than something like chambara choreo, let alone those modern shakycam fight scenes where you can't see what's happening.
While there were a few odd notes (hi Marian, have you met the poor and dispossessed we are helping? We put them behind some trees so they wouldn't spoil the banquet), but overall we really enjoyed it. There's a lot of genuinely good quippy dialogue, and the chemistry between Marian (who does get to be somewhat active in the plot) and Robin was great. I also got a kick out of the costumes, which were pretty and also not trying too hard to be very period. Robin's initial outfit has crystals on it. Marian's dresses are made of the shiniest modern fabrics they could find. The band of Merry Men are indeed very merry, often laughing and smiling, especially when they've pulled one over the Normans.
My favorite scene was the one early on where Robin bursts in on Prince John's banquet, slings down a poached deer on the table, and tells him he's a traitor. It felt exactly like watching a D&D scene with a high-charisma character, so it was a lot of fun. There's also a very neat bit in the final fighting scene where we see the characters go off screen, but the fight is still visible in their enlarged shadows on a pillar until they return to the frame.
In other news, I have added a new library card to my library app, as I found out I was eligible to get one from a much larger system than our local one. Suddenly 90% of the books on my 'plz add this' list are available, and my phone keeps sending me individual notifications for various titles. Just have to choose where to start!
and the 1938 film seemed to be one of the most well-regarded. And we could see why! It was definitely different in style than a modern film, not in a bad way - there still seemed to be a lot of stage theater influence in the acting style, and the fight choreography definitely seemed more like stage fighting than something like chambara choreo, let alone those modern shakycam fight scenes where you can't see what's happening.
While there were a few odd notes (hi Marian, have you met the poor and dispossessed we are helping? We put them behind some trees so they wouldn't spoil the banquet), but overall we really enjoyed it. There's a lot of genuinely good quippy dialogue, and the chemistry between Marian (who does get to be somewhat active in the plot) and Robin was great. I also got a kick out of the costumes, which were pretty and also not trying too hard to be very period. Robin's initial outfit has crystals on it. Marian's dresses are made of the shiniest modern fabrics they could find. The band of Merry Men are indeed very merry, often laughing and smiling, especially when they've pulled one over the Normans.
My favorite scene was the one early on where Robin bursts in on Prince John's banquet, slings down a poached deer on the table, and tells him he's a traitor. It felt exactly like watching a D&D scene with a high-charisma character, so it was a lot of fun. There's also a very neat bit in the final fighting scene where we see the characters go off screen, but the fight is still visible in their enlarged shadows on a pillar until they return to the frame.
In other news, I have added a new library card to my library app, as I found out I was eligible to get one from a much larger system than our local one. Suddenly 90% of the books on my 'plz add this' list are available, and my phone keeps sending me individual notifications for various titles. Just have to choose where to start!
