"Robin Hood" Commentary

From the opening credits onward, the orchestral music invokes a sense of mounting anticipation. The music is past paced and the instruments used most often are the exciting instruments--brass and percussion. Sometimes when a lighter mood needs to be evoked, such as in Marian and Robin's leitmotif, instruments like violins become more prominent. This leitmotif pops up whenever Marian and Robin are together, most notably in the final scene when he rescues her.

The music in this film acts to make the action sequences more exciting. For example, when Robin Hood first appears, his arrow hits with a stinger. Later, when he enters the banquet hall with his deer, and in other action packed scenes, his leitmotif plays. Robin's leitmotif is fast paced and exciting. It reflects Robin's swashbuckling attitude and adds a sense of drama. It can be witnessed anytime Robin Hood is at his most dashing; when he's revealed at the tournament, when he fights with the Merry Men in the trees, and of course, during the climax when he rescues Marian and saves the day.

During other action packed sequences, such as the horse chase after Robin first enters the banquet, the music is played in sequence at in an increasingly higher pitch which does more to add to the urgency and excitement of the scene. Most of the music in action scenes is underscored, yet in some instances, such as during the fight with Little John, the music is diegetic being played on a lyre on the shore. Other examples of diegetic music include trumpets at the tournament and at Prince John's coronation. In these scenes however, there is a full orchestra underscoring the diegetic trumpets.

The movie ends on a jubilant note with the Robin Hood theme played in a decisive and victorious manner. The entire film seems to be very typical of modern action films today, the action and romance is emphasized with leitmotifs, sequences, and stingers.