Chapter 6
In: Neo-Victorianism and Medievalism
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Abstract
What does it take to make a man, and where can that work occur? For the cinematic Robin Hood tradition, the answer has long been “the greenwood.” However, the blockbuster films of the twenty-first century, Robin Hood (2010, featuring Russell Crowe) and Robin Hood (2018, featuring Taron Egerton), have changed the environments in which Robin grows into his true self. Robin Hood no longer learns the compassion and empathy necessary to battle social corruption in the greenwood. This education instead is conducted within domestic spheres, and Robin is tutored exclusively by minorities: a woman in the 2010 film and a man of color in the 2018 film. Increased narrative prominence for these spaces does not indicate that the cinematic tradition is shifting more toward true egalitarianism. Instead, the films produce a backfire effect against equality, centering the figure of Robin Hood and minimizing the contributions of women and racial minorities.