Robin Hood (1922)
Directed by Allan Dwan

Film Review

One of the most expensive films made in the silent era, Douglas Fairbanks' lavish production of Robin Hood not only cemented the legendary actor's reputation as the most iconic of swashbuckling screen heroes but also raised the bar massively for all subsequent Hollywood adventure films of this kind.  Robin Hood was the Star Wars of its day, and easily one of the best screen accounts of the exploits of the green-stockinged bandit and his merry men, matched only by Michael Curtiz's The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).  The film cost around 1.4 million dollars to make (an astronomical sum at the time), most of which seems to have been spent on one of the grandest sets ever constructed for a film, that of King Richard's imposing medieval castle.  At one point Fairbanks was so concerned about the expense of this set that he considered pulling the plug on the whole project.

Yet it is the expense and care that has gone into the Cathedral-sized sets that make this such a visually stunning piece of cinema, not just a static backdrop but an essential part of the fabric of the film.  The towering castle sets and equally impressive recreation of Sherwood Forest give Fairbanks ample space to show off his unrivalled athleticism, leaping in and out of trees one minute, abseiling up a rising drawbridge the next.  With his elastic heels and seemingly boundless energy Fairbanks brings an astonishing pace and dynamism to the film, so that watching it is actually quite an exhausting experience, albeit pleasurably so. 

After a relatively slow first half, which develops the hero's back story in far greater depth than most Robin Hood films, the pace picks up with a vengeance in the second half as Robin and his motley crew go to war against Prince John and the even more despicably evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne.  Fairbanks dominates the proceedings from start to finish, portraying Robin less as a man and more as a human whirlwind that demolishes everything in its path.  Although the characters are far less fleshed out than in later Robin Hood films, this one triumphs over all the others in at least one respect: its sheer non-stop entertainment value.

Film Synopsis

In late 12th century England, King Richard sets out for the Crusades with his devoted knight champion, Robert, Earl of Huntingdon.  The king's younger brother John wastes no time usurping the throne and becomes a tyrannical despot, bringing a plague of misery and suffering to a once contented land.  When he hears of this, Huntingdon begs the king to let him return to England but Richard refuses and has him imprisoned for cowardice.  Undeterred, Huntingdon escapes and is soon back in Nottingham where, under the name Robin Hood, he fights back against John's evil regime.  With a band of merry outlaws living in Sherwood Forest, Robin steals from the rich and gives to the poor, but after rescuing his beloved Marian from John's castle he is himself captured and sentenced to death...