Source: Warner Brothers: DVD, 2017.
Year: 1938
Director: Michael Curtiz
Action Stars:
Genre: Adventure
Country: United States
Story Duration: 01:40:24
Act Duration:
1st Act: 00:19:20
2nd Act: 00:30:14
3rd Act: 00:18:42
4th Act: 00:32:08
Plot Turns:
1st: Robin Hood decree issued
2nd: tournament capture plan
3rd: Robin Hood’s escape
ASD Ratio: 31%
AAD Ratios:
1st Act: 46%
2nd Act: 24%
3rd Act: 34%
4th Act: 28%
Action Structure: 3241
Action Scenarios:
Capture
Escape
Fall
Fight
Heist
Rescue
Pursuit
Speed
Total Action Moments: 21
Notable Action Sequence: Prince John’s Coronation
Duration: 00:04:18
Act: 4th
Action Scenarios:
Fall
Fight
Rescue
Description: The climactic action sequence of the film consists of a battle between Prince John, and his guards, against Robin Hood, his merry men, King Richard the Lion-Heart, and his supporters. The sequence is significant for manifesting conventions that are still used in contemporary films, and for employing a stylistic flourish. First, it separates the antagonist (Sir Guy of Gisbourne, played by Basil Rathbone) and the protagonist (Robin Hood played, by Errol Flynn) from the rest of the battle to better individuate their one-on-one sword fight [Figure 1]. Second, as a result of this separation, the film’s plotline splits into two, permitting parallel editing between the one-on-one fight and the main battle [Figure 2 and 3]. Third, during the one-on-one swordfight, the participants momentarily continue their fight off-screen, allowing their swordplay to be expressively depicted through their shadows [Figure 4].