Begins perilously close to Monty Python territory, then gradually deepens into a romance reminiscent of PETULIA (Lester's masterpiece and among the greatest films ever made). In Lester's eyes Robin Hood (Sean Connery) is still a scamp, despite nearing retirement, but the concern becomes what Robin's roguishness and humor are masking: memories of a life committed to slaughter, the Crusades, horrific atrocities, young women and children being disemboweled. He tussles with Marian (Audrey Hepburn) over God and their decades-long separation, but really, in a different world, they would have been perfect together (a PETULIA motif). The landscape Lester conjures is less accommodating. Sherwood Forest is a place where Hepburn can break your heart with the sight of her gently aged face and the prospect of death is often more appealing than love.
[Viewed 1/7/10 on 35mm]
