Episode 49: Splitting Arrows- Bringing Back the Ballads with The Arrows of Robin Hood in 1975

The 1970s was an interesting period for Robin Hood films. It saw the bouncy and raucous animated Disney film which remains a beloved classic for newer generations. There were the austere British productions like 'Wolfshead' and 'The Legend of Robin Hood' that sought to showcase the potential hardscrabble realities of what it would be like to live as an outlaw in the middle ages. Film buffs and historians also warmly recall 'Robin and Marian' with its big name stars and post Vietnam War sensibilities. In that mix we've also seen the often flamboyant and fun films that the Italian cinema houses were producing. So it was with a great deal of curiosity that I peeked over the iron current to see the sort of Robin Hood film that was being produced in the U.S.S.R. during that time. What I found was 'Стрелы Робин Гуда/Strely Robin Guda' or 'The Arrows of Robin Hood' directed by Sergey Tarasov and starring Boris Khemlnitskiy. The film delves deeply into Robin Hood lore while being presented with thoroughly Russian sensibilities. And while the film certainly lacks the shine of a Hollywood production, it is easily one of the Robin Hood films that has left the deepest impacts upon me. This is in no small part due to the powerful compositions by singer and songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky. Vysotsky had a reputation for being an anti-authoritarian and was often in trouble with the Soviet government during the 60s and 70s and the censorship board removed his songs from the film's original release. Fortunately, upon the film's later rerelease, Vysotsky's moving ballads were reinstated with the film.Along for this look at the soviet-era Robin Hood is Richard Hopkins-Lutz and Gemma Kerr.For Gemma's folklore meets astronomy podcast, look for 'The Celestial Tales'.For more from Into the Greenwood:www.instagram.com/intogreenwood/www.threads.net/@intogreenwoodbsky.app/profile/intogreenwood.bsky.socialwww.facebook.com/intogreenwoodTo support the podcast go to:www.patreon.com/IntoGreenwoodorwww.buymeacoffee.com/intogreenwoodOur selected charity: Trees, Water & PeopleInto the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke Theme music is by [email protected] the show