Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

The Death Of Robin Hood 

This film is a great deconstruction of the legend that is Robin Hood! Michael Sarnoski has crafted another great character piece that this time gives one of the best takes on the mythology of the bandit people have come to love and think they know. Hugh Jackman delivers what I think is a top three all time best performance of his as seeing him channel such a different version of this character that is full of anger, a complicated sense of self and overbearing sadness is brilliantly tapped into onscreen in one of his most powerful performances. The film is a slow burn for sure and it is one that will test audiences to see if they will really respond to it in terms of how the film executes the character and the way the story is presented. It is a great piece on the psychological affect trauma, regret and violence has had on this character decades later and the Death Of Robin Hood is a film you will either find yourself drawn to or cannot stand it is very divisive in its reception I am in the group that it made a profound impact on due to its originality in how it told it’s story. 

Firstly, The way this film unravels is amazingly well done as the way this film is put together is breathtaking from the production design, the costumes, the score and the cinematography the sheer work on this is magnificent and it really sucks you into it’s setting within the first frame and does not let up to the very end you feel entirely transported. The way this film just draws you in from the feel and it’s attention to detail is top notch, it will get massively overlooked but the sheer immersive nature of this story is one of the best of the year with phenomenal production design, what I think has so many people torn on this film is how it portrays Robin Hood which for me personally is what drew me into wanting to see the film to begin with. As if it was like what I have seen before I would have zero interest or engagement in seeing what this would be but the fact that it is so drastically different was unique and I like the really grim approach to it some have called it A24’s Logan which is cute but it is very different in terms of the character in my opinion. As the film tries to break apart the many stories that surrounds this man and presents the question what if all those stories were nothing but lies and false hope to make people feel good and he could of spun that narrative to get people to follow him into dark places emotionally. That I find so fascinating and its about the overall sense of storytelling and the stories we tell ourselves to cope with what is true in order to have a sense of comfort and that is what this film executes so beautifully. I think that it was tremendous of how this was a great chamber piece of a character study that goes over how the wheel of blood and revenge is never ending and it will find ways for going on for eternity once you start down that path of blood thirst. It is slow for sure but I did not mind it if it was a fast paced action adventure film it would be like the rest of them which this is not it is a slow meditative piece about guilt, myths legends  and trying to cleanse your soul of the past life you once had and recognizing the pain you inflicted on so many and some actions are beyond redemption. The way that Micheal Sarnoski fleshes that out in such a clear cut was kept me locked in the whole way through I never felt it drag or overlong it was tightly told in terms of the runtime and I love the themes as I mentioned of guilt and revenge explored in a very brutally different take then we are used to seeing it made for such a emotionally charged story that hits you right in the heart and stays with you long after it is over. The sheer tone and way violence is done in the film was never flashy it is quick brutal and at times unsettling but that is the point it drives home its not supposed to be glamorous or flashy in any sense. The story of Death of Robin Hood is greatly brought to the screen with such grit that is in my opinion the best adaption of the character we have seen so far. 

Secondly, Hugh Jackman is terrific in the role of the forrest outlaw and the way he explores the complications within his heart of how he is viewed is so striking and I honestly think this is a top 3 all time performance given by Jackman he is emotionally brutal in this. Then you have Murray Barlett who gives a great supporting turn I love how he plays this mentor wise person that is very much the conscious of Robin Hood trying to steer him to sit and marinate With his feelings instead of ignoring them and trying to tap more into the human sides of him that he has numbed for so long. He is terrific a fantastic performance that I know will be sadly overlooked. Overall all the performances are great but it is very much the Hugh Jackman show in terms of the performances that really stay with you. 

Lastly, Death Of Robin Hood is one of the best character studies I have seen of the year and it really lingered with me long after the film was over. The film has had a polarizing reaction which is to be expected as I find either you love the experimentation with the film and how it tries to really go for a different approach and some take to it and some have not but I think it really had so many deep themes that was greatly touched upon in a very emotional way in many regards due to the strong central performance given by Hugh Jackman. This film is brutal, emotionally tough and a thought provoking mediation on guilt and revenge The Death Of Robin Hood is deeply profound! I recommend anyone who likes this directors work or even just Hugh’s to check this out as it is a fantastic piece of filmmaking. 

This film revolves around the legend of Robin Hood and his trail of blood he leaves behind him and the way in how he deals with those demons 

Rated R : Strong Bloody Violence 

Hugh Jackman : This is easily one of his all timer performances at least for me it is! Now Hugh has crafted a tremendous body of work over his career he is the guy you think of when you hear the words Wolverine he has done musicals and period piece films hell he has even done animated films he does it all. But the genre I love seeing him most of all is the gritty dramas that stretch him to show off those dramatic muscles as I think Prisoners or Logan is his best performance as when given the right script he can deliver gut wrenching scenes that stay with you forever. His role as Robin Hood here is nothing short of extraordinary he plays this very jaded and emotionally dark character that has been deeply wounded from his journeys mentally and the whole myth surrounding that he is a good person gets thrown into question as he is very morally grey in the way he operates. The film throws around the theory that he may of spun these positive stories to make people follow him into very grim places and he is exhausted at the notion that people think he is this big figure of justice he has slaughtered so many people that now he is paying the price for the people seeking vengeance on their behalf to correct him due to his violence. Hugh has such a darkness to him that bleeds through his eyes and soul as the way he moves and speaks is so chilling as you can see that he has seen and experienced so many horrific things but also at the expense of his own hand so he has to find ways to live with the actions he has put others though and know those people will come looking for him seeking to hurt him. Hugh in the first 20 minutes moves like a silent calculated killer that just acts and uses his body as his weapon in order to give judgement to others and Jackman brings that physicality that is needed in order to properly bring the cold calculated essence of what this version has to be. He presents a dark part of his heart and a terrifying aspect of this man that will surprise people but Jackman has no issue exploring those really grim parts of his heart to bring that emotional striking aspect of who he is to the surface in a way that had me in total awe as he has very little remorse for people and as time goes on he learns to nurture his heart and to be in more tune with his feelings and to start to empathize for people that he would never have if it wasn’t for the people that try to help this very shattered man that has been put through hell but the question is does he want to be fixed or is he okay with the way he operates. He knows he is a flawed individual and to a certain extent he has made piece with the fact of what he has done and its now a point of trying to grasp what damage he has done to others it is a very Deep performance from Hugh that goes places you do not expect but he transforms entirely for this role diving head first into the psyche of what his moral code he lives by is. Do I think it goes next to his work in the prestige Logan and prisoners yeah I do because he never became predictable their were constantly new layers peeled back of what his motivations were and him as a person that I just found so compelling to learn as the film progressed more and more and Hugh rises to the occasion to deliver such a grim and at times unsettling character to the screen and it very much against what he usually does and I love that as he keeps finding ways to challenge himself as an actor and go places to keep audiences engaged with whatever role he tackles. This film shows such a great tough aspect to him that sure he has shown darker characters before in films like prisoners and even Logan to an extent but this is for sure one of the most grim characters he has given us and he is tremendous giving such complexity to the role while also making it his own and not trying to emulate other versions that came before him. Hugh Jackman is terrific giving one of his all time best performances Jackman is amazing in this film! 

Michael Sarnoski : Sarnoski gives one of his most polarizing films yet! Now I have watched a quiet place day one and I will be getting to his other film Pig but point is I still can point out his style and I love his approach to characters and tone in the way he executes storytelling. He takes on the myth and legend of Robin Hood and strips away all the glamour and really goes for a different outlook on how he is perceived. The film takes some pretty big swings with tone and theme and personally I really liked it as he has always Been driven by characters and tone second as he always puts character as his primary focus and I love that as he never lets tone drown out what drives his films which is how he views the characters and then builds off of that. Here he takes the visual style of a old European setting and really makes you feel transported back to the time it is set in and the beauty of the time while also showing the brutality of the time and not shying away from it but fully embracing it without it feeling glorified or flashy in any way. The way he goes about the themes of revenge is done in a way that most would of stylized it he brings up the question that what would happen if you had a life of crime yes but then those people who you took out who’s families it would impact and the domino effect that would happen because of it. The circle of bloodshed that refuses to end due to it and the way it impacts not just his life but countless others and acknowledging that pain was so interesting as a way into this story. Micheal takes the story into some very dark and unique places with the character that is bleak to say at the least and the way he develops his arc drew me in with how he dispels how legends are idolized and what is true and what is myth and the form of storytelling and how so many people make up other versions of a singular person and at the heart of it how much of it is true and what was made up. I think this film for sure divides people as it is not what people expected it which was a action A24 film but I didn’t want that anyway it is a slow piece on the lingers of emotional pain and seen through the eyes of Hugh Jackman which he gets a great performance from and the way he surrounds the film with such a rich eye of beauty and the way he soaks in the atmosphere was outstanding. I saw the vision he wanted to deliver and I think he did a tremendous job at brining it to life and as time goes on and people have more time to sit with it and digest it I feel like this will find its audience over time for sure. Micheal Sarnoski created a chamber piece about Robin Hood that is among the best adaptions I have seen of the character and I love how he once again creates such amazing layers in terms of character work and how he keeps you totally roped in until the final frame a truly well directed film by him once again.