When viewers first meet everybody's favorite outlaw Robin of Locksley, he's gatecrashing a royal banquet with a deer over his shoulders, which he then plops down on the table in front of Prince John. On the face of it, that seems like sort of an odd thing to do. But you have to remember that this is one of the king's deer, and back then to be caught hunting on the king's private grounds was a serious crime against the crown, one that was punishable by death. So the real brilliance of this scene is that just by having him enter a room, it tells the audience everything they need to know about Robin Hood's character. Basically, that he's a fearless, saucy little minx whose tales of playful antagonism and button-pushing (and justice, maybe) will be passed down through the ages.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
