Robin and Marian (1976)

Plot:  After a 20 year absence, Robin Hood returns to Sherwood Forest and reunites with his old love, Marian
Stars: Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn,  Richard Harris,  Robert Shaw, Nicole Williamson
Worst Quote: I love you more than sunlight, more than flesh or joy, or one more day. I love you...more than God.

In this "sequel" to Robin Hood (1937), a great cast is let down by an incoherent, revisionist script, and sloppy direction.  The film-makers didn't seem to know what they wanted to do, as the movie lurches weirdly between Python-esque satire, badly done action scenes, wordy romance, and dark drama.  No attempt is made to make the characters actions or motivations consistent. And the primary focus is on "inverting" everything in the 1937 film. For example: the script makes the following changes in Robin Hood:

• Robin is no longer an expert bowman and swordsman. In R&M, he only shoots his bow twice, and barely survives a duel with the Sheriff.  In his other big fight, he's saved by "Little John".
• He's no longer a former aristocrat who worships "Richard the Lionhearted". Now he's an illiterate brawler who considers King Richard a "bastard" and hates all knights.
• Before, in 1937, Robin was somewhat religious.  In R&M, he can barely remember how to make the sign of the cross. He's spent 20 years Crusading in the Holy Land - but Christianity is unmentioned.  Instead he tells Marian it was nothing more than Killing women and children. And Friar Tuck barely exists. 
• In the Errol Flynn version,  Robin was deeply in love with Marian. But in R&M, he hasn't given her a thought in 20 years, and only looks her up out of curiosity.    

The Sloppy Action Scenes
One of the most annoying things in the film are the cheap and sloppy fight scenes**. There's no attempt to make the fights realistic or exciting. With a few exceptions, battle scenes are constantly shot at mid-to long range or with the combatants wearing helmets. Why? To disguise the stunt doubles. And the whole movie is made with 20 extras and 10 horses.

At the start, Richard besieges the Castle with 10 guys and a catapult. Later, King John's "army" marches against Robin and his band. Its said to be "in the hundreds" but we only see 20 soldiers - at long range. And when King John's "army" attacks Robin's band all we get is 8 King John horsemen attacking 12 Robin supporters - armed with sticks and stones! Most disappointing of all is the big battle between Shaw and Connery, Neither man has a shield and Shaw carries a broadsword in one hand, and a mace in the other!  How could  he have stopped a Two-handed sword thrust from Connery? Absurd!

The sloppiness/cheapness reaches peak stupidity when Sir Ranugh and his guards ride through the forest with their Helmet visors DOWN. Why would they have their visors down - and be unable to see - when arrows can pierce their body armor?  Real reason? Because the Director wanted to shoot the stunt doubles and not have to bother with the actors riding horses.

The Tepid Romance and Dumb Ending
R&M big selling point in 1976 was Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn - two of the greatest stars ever- having a romance.  But what do we actually get?  First,  Hepburn doesn't show up till the 30 minute mark, and she's in relatively few scenes. She's more supporting actor than co-star. Second, their relationship starts out with Connery sucker-punching her and ends with Marian poisoning Robin and committing suicide! Who wants to see that? And the ending is not only depressing, its nonsensical.  Do Nuns have vats of poison laying about?  Isn't suicide against the Catholic religion?  Marian loves Robin so much she kills him?  Ridiculous!

Cynical Revisionism 
Because it was made in 1976, the movie gives us - now done to death - revisionism.  Gone are the colorful costumes and beautiful castles and fairs they're replaced by drab peasant clothes, run down wooden huts and lots of mud.  This is supposed to denote "realism" except its coupled with "unrealistic" 1976 dialogue and attitudes. Nobody is religious (Hepburn has been a Nun for 20 years, but never utters a religious thought and commits murder/suicide), nobody cares about rank (everyone mouths off to their superiors without reprisal), Marian and Robin don't have relatives or family ties, and everyone has a freewheeling cynical attitude toward romance/sex.  As for chivalry - whats that? If you're going to create a fantasy world set in 1050 AD, why make it a cynical, downbeat one?

 Summary:  The only redeeming things about Robin and Marian are the excellent acting and nice cinematography. The movie did poor box office in 1976, because people wanted an uplfiting romance with two great movie stars - and they got a cheap, downbeat knock-off of Robin Hood.  For Hepburn and Connery fans only.  Rating 2 stars of 4.

** - In addition, the film gives us two other shoddy action scenes. First, Connery and Little John jump off a wall into a Hay wagon. Only to save money, the Director only shows us only ONE person jumping/landing. Second, we get a wagon full of nuns driving off a bridge. However, its shot at long ramge, so we can't see the stunt men. Accordingly, all we see is a wagon going into a creek. Yawn.