Everyone should watch this just to see Douglas Fairbanks single-handedly storm the castle. It only gets him so far, but still -- well done!
This is an excellent movie that every Fairbanks Sr. fan and Robin Hood aficionado has probably watched and enjoyed dozens of times. If you haven't seen it yet, it's online in several websites(it's the "symphonic" one) -- this seems ludicrously over the top at first, but it really picks up the overall pace and gets you into the properly expansive mood. Also they play for the full intermission.
The story's timing is perfect, particularly near the end: your heart sinks when you realize that the Merry Men aren't going to get there in time. Robin Hood surrendered too soon!
Some overlooked gems here are:
1. Sam de Grasse's Prince John: this man registers volumes just getting up out of a chair. He's my favorite bad guy of the silent era. And his body language in that last shot is perfect.
2. The "weasel" -- the guy who goes to get that bag of gold and ends up hanging out for a while, so to speak. He's in several Fairbanks movies and always is so delightfully slimy (in this movie, especially) and crazy (as in "The Black Pirate").
3. The subtle nuances of Wallace Beery's portrayal of Richard. Yes, they're there -- things like his affection for the fool (it's not obvious but present: we only realize how angry he is at Huntingdon during the tent argument when the fool shrinks away from him in terror); and his inability to understand complex things like Huntingdon's request to head back to England -- notice how Beery conveys that with his hands -- and how he doesn't discipline John at the tournament when the prince turns his back on Richard and stalks away. Richard, we realize in retrospect, has to take some blame for the problems in this story precisely because he is a buff muttonhead. The eventual pail-over-the-head knightly disguise underlines that, intentionally or not.
4. The costumes, props, and sets: geometric patterns, rich materials, jewels galore, lots of decorative details. This movie would have been a feast for the eyes if it were in color!
I took off one point for a few dated things here and there . . . and also because Richard should have given that other dog something at the feast, too - it wanted that treat so bad!
This is an excellent movie that every Fairbanks Sr. fan and Robin Hood aficionado has probably watched and enjoyed dozens of times. If you haven't seen it yet, it's online in several websites(it's the "symphonic" one) -- this seems ludicrously over the top at first, but it really picks up the overall pace and gets you into the properly expansive mood. Also they play for the full intermission.
The story's timing is perfect, particularly near the end: your heart sinks when you realize that the Merry Men aren't going to get there in time. Robin Hood surrendered too soon!
Some overlooked gems here are:
1. Sam de Grasse's Prince John: this man registers volumes just getting up out of a chair. He's my favorite bad guy of the silent era. And his body language in that last shot is perfect.
2. The "weasel" -- the guy who goes to get that bag of gold and ends up hanging out for a while, so to speak. He's in several Fairbanks movies and always is so delightfully slimy (in this movie, especially) and crazy (as in "The Black Pirate").
3. The subtle nuances of Wallace Beery's portrayal of Richard. Yes, they're there -- things like his affection for the fool (it's not obvious but present: we only realize how angry he is at Huntingdon during the tent argument when the fool shrinks away from him in terror); and his inability to understand complex things like Huntingdon's request to head back to England -- notice how Beery conveys that with his hands -- and how he doesn't discipline John at the tournament when the prince turns his back on Richard and stalks away. Richard, we realize in retrospect, has to take some blame for the problems in this story precisely because he is a buff muttonhead. The eventual pail-over-the-head knightly disguise underlines that, intentionally or not.
4. The costumes, props, and sets: geometric patterns, rich materials, jewels galore, lots of decorative details. This movie would have been a feast for the eyes if it were in color!
I took off one point for a few dated things here and there . . . and also because Richard should have given that other dog something at the feast, too - it wanted that treat so bad!