Category: Robin Hood

SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM (1991), FOUR

There is no Prince John in Prince of Thieves, but the Sheriff is essentially that role. He machinates for the throne and is the primary antagonist.

I’m quite sure that Alan Rickman knew exactly what he was playing, but I’m sure I don’t. As I mentioned before, he’s in a different movie from the rest of the cast. He’s delivering large: big expressions, dynamic voice, comic reactions. It’s more of a stage than screen performance.

I would say he’s driven by envy, like the other Prince Johns, but he’s not brother to the king. Who does he envy? He has a wooden statue, life-sized, made of himself. He’s possibly just envious of anyone who has society’s attention.

He puts his trust in a witch woman. She has a satanic altar? I don’t know. She’s almost a freaking Muppet she’s so strange and inexplicable. Is she his mother? Look, don’t try to understand. He’s superstitious, though, and she’s basically one of the spinners of fate to him.

And he wants Marian. She’s the only eligible woman in the movie, so who else would he want? Did he desire her before Robin started paying attention? I can’t remember. At the climax of the movie, though, he tries to impregnate her on the floor, wrestling about in a semi-rape, semi-slapstick way, as the priest who married them is still standing there. I swear, the scene is possibly the worst Eight ever filmed. He does fight Robin and end up dead, though.

He’s emotional, he’s funny, he’s envious, and he’s only marginally competent at fighting. Four. Like Robin’s character, I believe he played the trope rather than the script, but he was consistent.

MAID MARIAN (1991), NULL

In my memory this Marian was pushy and dominating. Funny. In the first half of the movie she’s completely reasonable. As cousin to King Richard, she keeps her head down and provides for her tenants. She’s politically savvy and a good landlord. Robin, apparently, was a lightfoot lad before crusade, and she formed her opinion of him accordingly. He’s not a serious person to her.

Her practicality and efficiency are very Seven.

However, in the second half she changes her character. When Nottingham insists she marry him, she reacts much too emotionally for the era and for a Seven. A noblewoman of this time would’ve expected to marry for expedience, not love. Now, the Sheriff is repugnant and she should object, but not with such surprise and outrage. His request is logical and she would’ve expected it.

And how am I to properly judge her Enneagram when she’s given scenes utterly unreasonable? A woman with her property holdings would certainly know how to birth animals, let alone handle a woman’s breach delivery. That she’s sidelined by the guy is laughable and insulting.

I think I always expect Mastrantonio to be her character from The Abyss. She was so excellent in that part. Surprisingly, I would welcome that style for this Marian. Anything would be better than this hopscotch person we end up with. She’s a Null.

ROBIN HOOD (1991), NINE

My goodness, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is near unwatchable at this point. I don’t remember it being so horrible when it was released, but it has aged very poorly. The tone is all over the place, from Alan Rickman’s broad comedy as Sheriff, to Morgan Freeman’s limiting Magic Negro trope, Azeem. The editor could’ve made three different movies, I think, out of the footage.

Robin himself may be physically gifted. He’s a decent archer. None of his character, though, follows the trope of Hood as a dominant fighter. The focus is more on his leadership skills, although that’s not clearly defined, either. He has some right and respect as a nobleman, and he mouths platitudes about fighting back, but we see none of this as show. We do see a ragtag band living rough in the woods transformed by Robin into a community. This is one arc for Robin that the story puts on film.

So, the tradition of Robin as a Nine might be broken here. Nothing about him says Body Type. This Robin is also not a strategist. There’s no moment when he stands on a tree limb and taunts the rich while his Merry Men hide in all the right places. All he has is a soft heart, but I’m not sure he’s a Heart Type.

He’s brave. He’s ashamed of his youthful behavior and deeply regretful of how he parted from his father. He’s impulsive, mostly in a good way. When an opportunity occurs, he takes it, such as his opening escape from prison.

Really, he just wants a quiet life with family. I’m going to call him a Nine due to this avoidance of conflict. He’ll fight if he must, but he’d rather sit. I really hate to do it, because the other two Robins I’ve reviewed are such clear examples, and he’s not in their league. But he’s consistent throughout, so there it is.

PRINCE JOHN (2010), THREE

This John is played by Oscar Isaacs. So, John is a hottie now lol. During the movie John legitimately (rather than through trickery) becomes king after Richard’s death. His regency is not as important to this story. It’s his ultimate signing of the Magna Carta — his compact with the barons — that drives this John. We’re already in very different territory (historically and motivationally) from the classic of 1938.

John is volatile. When his queen advises him and he doesn’t like what she’s saying, he’s physically threatening and verbally abusive. Rains gave John a certain mustache-twirling villainy; Isaacs gives John something more realistic: unlimited power dictated by whim. No one, not even Hood, can stop him if he doesn’t want to be stopped.

This version’s King RIchard is no hero popping in at the end to save the realm, but he’s still a knight on Crusade and John still feels that baby-brother envy. I would say that Rains’ influence on the John portrayal is in effect. We will always have a Heart Type John, regardless of who he really was.

I want to say Three, though, rather than Four. This John, compared to Rains’, is harsher. Isn’t that funny? He doesn’t even try to have his brother murdered!  He’s a man, though, who doesn’t like to hear “No”. He hates being thwarted, he hates being wrong, and he hates being held accountable. Meanwhile, he’s a handsome young king. Life is pretty golden for John. And the kingship lands in his lap.

I mean, c’mon. So Three.

PRINCE JOHN (1938), FOUR

Claude Rains is magnificent. He’s so beautifully oily and conniving. Has he set the tone for how John will be portrayed in all the films to follow? 

In real life John was 33 when he was crowned. A grown man, was he as self-indulgent and childish as he’s portrayed? Did he machinate and plot his brother’s death? Whatever is true about John, Richard really was a warrior’s warrior, more interested in fighting than in staying home and ruling. Rains’ portrayal conveys some of the sense that being king is unglamorous and thankless. Everyone loves Richard, who’s not a great administrator. John, collecting taxes and running the country, is the villain.

Envy. This is what Rains works with. His John doesn’t just want to be king, he wants revenge against Richard on a personal level. Rains isn’t tall (as John wasn’t) but he’s playing a Four. It’s that sardonic temperament. He’s detached yet focused, hurt yet impervious. He’s winsome and deadly dangerous. Of the Heart Types, only a Four can embody such an interesting dichotomy.

MAID MARION (2010), ONE

She’s brave and bold, of course. This Maid is married, but she only had one night with her husband before he left for the Crusades with Richard. She lives now in the role of daughter-in-law, which is similar to ward. Only in the most technical terms is she a wife. Our Maids are very similar.

Blanchett’s Maid is more physical than de Havilland’s. She’s an archer and a farmer. She knows how to use a dagger if necessary. Let us completely ignore the movie’s climax when Marion pretends to know more physicality than is believable. Until that moment she was a great character, a great iteration of the Maid. I choose to erase that scene from my memory.

This Maid is no Three. She’s not particularly deft at social situations, and she has a sense of failure that swirls around her. I want to say Body Type. Her first instinct, right or wrong, is to engage physically. When her people are locked in the barn, threatened with burning, Marion uses a sword to pry the boards loose and free them. Her answers to most problems involve a physical response.

One, Eight, or Nine? She’s too feisty to be a Nine. Eight is the obvious choice, because Hollywood tends to write strong women characters as Eights. Bold and aggressive are not the same, but using confrontation is a shortcut writing technique to suggest bravery.

I kind of like a One, though. It’s her prickly shyness with Robin that turns me away from an Eight. She has a sharp, witty tongue, particularly with Sir Walter, and a managerial competence that feel very One-ish. It’s interesting! 

ROBIN HOOD (2010), NINE

Much to my surprise I liked this version of the Hood story very much. This is no Errol Flynn Robin, though. Not only is the fantasy-level wearing of tights not here, but the world feels more gritty and realistic. Also, the historical telling of King John and the negotiations around the Magna Carta are not often portrayed. I love stuff like that.

This Robin is honorable. He will return a dead man’s sword because he gave his word, even though no one would know if he reneged. He’s honest. Richard asks for his opinion and Robin gives it, regardless of the consequences of displeasing the monarch. He also has an interesting belief in fate. When he’s asked to pretend to be Marion’s husband, he agrees because this is where events have led him. It may not be a wise choice, but he has a trust in providence.

Of course he’s physically capable. On Crusade he’s an archer. At home he wields a sword. Does this mean he’s a Body Type? Not necessarily. A yeoman had to be competent in weapons. The focus of this Robin is more on his integrity. We must believe that Marion would come to trust him over a short period of time. What Enneagram number can sell sincerity?

Eh — he’s probably a Nine. He’s physically comfortable, beyond what a medieval soldier would feel. He’s a diplomat, gathering many friends (as Robin Hood does). He’s a fair judge, as a Nine can be. In his own way, as a poor man serving under a king, he is a philosopher, a seeker of truth. This is why others trust him. Crowe plays Robin with an interesting depth, but ultimately it’s the same archetype, the same Enneagram build as Errol Flynn gave us.

Good flick.

ROBIN HOOD (1938), NINE

Most iterations of Hood will measure against Errol Flynn’s portrayal in this version. He’s an archetype. The cheerful brashness, the resolute seeking of redress, the swordplay, even the tights — he personifies the basic understanding of Robin Hood.

Is there an Enneagram under all of that?

Nine. Of course. 

He’s very physically competent. He’s the greatest archer. He can almost best Little John with the staff. He rides, he rope swings, etc. This is a Body Type.

Part of the Robin Hood mythos is his reluctance. He’s an aristocrat who can survive the Prince John regency without pain, if he so chooses. Injustice becomes too much for him and he engages in rebellion. All of this is very Nine. Trouble must push at him until he can no longer resist.

This Hood’s Marian, as a Three, is a good match for him. Her vitality will pull him forward when he would otherwise sit back.

I am curious, though, if a Hood with a different Enneagram would work. Must this character be a Nine in all versions of his story? Stick a pin in this one.

MAID MARIAN (1938), THREE

One of the most beautiful women in film, this Marian is my heroine. The costume design (wimples!), the luminous portrayal by Olivia de Havilland, and Marian’s feisty and loyal character make this the best of the Maids.

She’s brave. As a ward she has the protection of King Richard, but he’s not around. Prince John clearly tells her that she’s vulnerable. Until that moment you could argue that Marian isn’t particularly brave. She’s entitled. However, she’s a lone woman in a rough world. Sneaking to the inn to help organize an escape for Robin is above and beyond. She’s afraid for Robin, but not for herself.

Even when she’s potentially just privileged — when she’s “invited” to share a meal with the Merry Men — she sees the poor and how Robin provides for them as pitiable and just. Marian is a “broad”, a great gal who subverts your expectation that she’ll be fussy.

So what Enneagram is she? This Marian is no Body Type. She doesn’t have a penchant for archery, horseback riding, or any outdoor activities. She’s Heart. She knows how to play a room, even a large dining hall with dogs fighting over meat scraps. She’s bold and not intimidated.

Not a Two. She’s too tough. Four or Three? Her vivacity could indicate either, but I’ll say a Three because her emotions are on such an even keel. Her ups and downs only vary slightly from center.