Robin of Sherwood
Nothing is forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten.
There are some experiences I can pinpoint exactly the first time they happened. Some things that made such an impact that I can point to a before and after, and one of those landmarks is the 1980’s series Robin of Sherwood.
I was eleven, I had the chicken pox and my very beloved grandmother, knowing I loved all things mythical and medieval, pointed out to me that they were showing a Robin Hood series on tv. Since I wasn’t going to school the next day at any rate, I could stay up and watch it. To say I loved the series would be an understatement. In my experience 11-year olds don’t just love a series, they become obsessed. So that chicken pox night started a life long love affair with Robin of Sherwood.
Robin of Sherwood is perhaps not the greatest show ever, but at times it was pretty good - and oh how I love it. How I still love it. This then is a post all about this love.
Here we have Robin - in this version an idealist and mystic visionary - played by Michael Praed with a slightly 80’s haircut and very tight pants.
Robin is living a simple life, until he and his step-brother Much are caught poaching and carrying the worlds least heavy deer. They are thrown into the dungeon, and after they escape their lives as outlaws begin.
Then there is Marion, who is my favourite Marion ever. She looks like something out of a Pre-Raphalite painting. She was played by Judy Trott, who IIRC was also a dancer, and so in addition to being beautiful she also moved with grace. And yes, this image is from the first episode when Robin hides in her bedroom. Luckily for him Marion knows True Love (tm) when she sees it and doesn't betray his hiding place.
One of the things I loved about this Marion was that she was strong and smart - but never in such a way that it seemed historically incorrect. She also has the most amazing hair.
But my favourite character in the series wasn’t Robin or Marion (though I do love them). No my absolute favourite was the slightly psychotic Will Scarlett, played by the always great Ray Winstone. Will watched his wife be raped and murdered by soldiers, which left him with a burning hatred of all Normans. I always found Will interesting because of the menace he brings and the fact that he is always questioning Robin’s orders.
And here we have the whole gang. From left to right:
Will, Little John, Marion, Much (who’s only purpose in the series seems to be getting captured and/or have the others yell "Come on Much!"), Robin, Brother Tuck and the very cool Nasir.
(Apparently Kevin Reynolds and Kevin Costner, who made Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, thought the Nasir character was an official part of the Robin Hood mythos, and that is why there was an Azeem in that film. They had originally planned to call him Nasir as well, until someone told them that Nasir was very much a Robin of Sherwood invention.)
The gang does the usual things - steal from the rich and give to the poor all while hanging around in Sherwood. Sometimes they dress up as Ents. Either that or they fall in the river. Seriously - this series is obsessed with people being pushed, shoved or jumping into water. Why that is I have no idea.
Here are the recurring bad guys. From the left Guy of Gisbourne - he shouts a lot. Next the Sheriff of Nottingham - he also shouts, but is also cunning and extremely sarcastic. Some of my favourite lines are "Don’t assume anything Gisbourne - except an occasional air of intelligence" or the more profound "Ah, but which devil? There are so many aren’t there? And only one God. It hardly seems fair." Last is the Abbot Hugo who is the Sheriff’s brother. He excommunicates people.
Notice how the three windows in a way echo the three bad guys? The series is very good with using this type of imagery.
Speaking of buildings. I love how the series uses old castles and churches, like this beautiful stairwell. It helps give it a medieval feel that many other series trying to portray the Middle Ages lack. Also I’ve always loved medieval architecture - if that was one of the reasons I loved the series or a result of loving the series I honestly cannot say.
Another castle with the trademark red sky. The cinematographer sure loved the red filter - it’s used everywhere!
Clannad: Strange Lands
A further reason why I loved the series was the music. Made by the Irish band Clannad it gave the series a very distinct feel. The music is also the reason why I can pinpoint exactly when, during that first watching, I fell in love. It’s when Gisbourne rides out from Nottingham to take Marion to the Abby. They are all wearing long, blue cloaks and Clannad’s "Strange Lands" starts playing. It gave me goosebumps. It still does.
I think one of the reasons that particular scene works is that the opening notes of the song has been playing the entire episode - but it is until this scene that the music swells and becomes a proper song instead of a few simple, recurring notes. In that way the song highlights the importance of the scene and gives it pathos. It's quite neat.
Lastly - lage_nom_ai? I'm sort of guessing you will be reading this - and this song is dedicated to you. Sing along now: "In these straaaange lands, these straaaaange lands". ;)
Viewing the series now I think one of the things that make it work is the combination of mystical and historical elements. It combines rather effortlessly folklore and history - and is not afraid to change the elements of the Robin Hood story it deems appropriate. For instance it has a rather nasty King Richard, and everything looks dirty and grimy. The outlaws are dressed in ragged clothes. The inside of the castles are dark and the floors are covered with hay. In contrast the forest scenes are light, sunny and airy.
