At the cinema from August 12th. The myth of the prince of thieves is reinterpreted in a dark key. In front there is not the noble champion symbol of social justice, but a man burdened by the weight of crimes and revenge
Other than heroic outlaw, symbol of social justice. The prince of thieves is just a brutal bandit in the vision of Michael Sarnoski and in his film Robin Hood – The Price of Bloodfrom August 12th at the cinema with I Wonder Pictures.
The American director and screenwriter overturns the traditional iconography of Robin Hood to tell the story of a very different man from the generous one consigned to legend. Now he is nothing more than a criminal, no longer young, who lived between lies, crimes and revengebut he feels the weight of his choices. In all his dark torment he is played by Wolverine from the X-Men saga Hugh Jackman. Welcomed and cared for by Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), an enigmatic prioress destined to question everything he thinks he knows about himself, Robin is forced to confront his past, the myth built around his name and the truth of his existence.
His trusty friend Little John? He embodies it Bill Skarsgardan actor accustomed to dark roles (see It the evil clown and Nosferatu), and is the old companion of raids and murders.
How the retelling of Robin Hood was born
Already the author of A Quiet Place – Day 1Sarnoski builds a bold reimagining which has its seed even in the director’s childhood, when medieval myths and legends were handed down to him by the headmaster of the school he attended. A sort of substitute father figure, the old man gave the young man a copy of the Robin Hood book that he himself had read during his childhood in the 1940s.
Sarnoski immediately fell in love with these canonical stories dating back to the 14th century, but he was particularly struck by one in particular: a short ballad about the death of Robin Hood at the hands of a prioress. That story stuck with him over the years, as it seemed to contrast with the traditional image of the outlaw. “Amidst all these stories of violence and great adventures, his end in the priory felt like a contemplative and peaceful experience,” explains Sarnoski. “This really fascinated me.”
The director was also attracted to the simplistic contrast between the two main protagonists present in many of the stories centered on Robin’s death. «The prioress is portrayed as an evil and treacherous crone, while Robin is the noble man who would never harm a woman», reflected the director who became noticed in his debut with Pig – Rob’s plan. «But what if the roles were reversed, with Robin in the role of a sadistic threat and the prioress in those of her noble guardian?
In this exclusive video an excerpt from the film Robin Hood – The Price of Blood.
