‘Robin Hood – The Price of Blood’ is a deconstruction of the myth
The film, starring Hugh Jackman as the popular archer in a decidedly darker version than usual, is now in cinemas
The film is directed by the American Michael Sarnoski, who made a striking impression with his powerful debut, 2021’s *Pig* starring Nicolas Cage, and also demonstrated considerable skill with *A Quiet Place – Day 1’ (2024), the prequel to the well-known horror saga.
“Robin Hood – The Price of Blood” is not only his third film as a director, but also his most ambitious project to date, set in a context very different from that traditionally associated with the character.
The film is set in a very raw and realistic version of the Middle Ages, in which Robin Hood is living out the final days of his life. After a lifetime spent amidst crime, war and bloodshed, Robin is seriously wounded in what appears to be his final battle. Taken in and cared for by Sister Brigid, a mysterious prioress who leads a remote community on the edge of the world, he finds himself forced to confront the ghosts of his past and the gulf between the legend built up around his name and the truth of his existence.
Set against a backdrop of remorse, redemption and the search for truth, the film subverts the traditional myth to offer an intense and contemporary portrait of a man who must come to terms with the myth he himself helped to create, condemned to face the price of violence, the burden of remorse and an unexpected chance of redemption.
Taking the 17th-century ballad ‘Robin Hood’s Death’ as his starting point, Sarnoski has created an intriguing deconstruction of the myth, completely abandoning the classic image of the bandit with a heart of gold who steals from the rich to give to the poor.
