Mead and grain alcohol?
I thought as much.
There's something that we need to do.
At your service.
(EXCLAIMING)
ROBIN: All right, lads.
Should've left while you had the chance. Something's afoot. Off we go.
(OWL HOOTING)
DEACON: Stop. Stop the horses.
You there! Move aside! We're on Church business!
ROBIN: None shall pass
unless they can answer the riddle.
Moon-mad!
And what is the riddle, you insolent wretch?
What has 18 legs and isn't going anywhere?
Your next move will be your last.
Evening, friend.
DEACON: I demand to know who you are.
ROBIN: We are men of the hood.
(WHISTLING)
Merry now, at your expense.
"The Lord taketh..."
And we shall giveth back.
My advice is to plant it now, by moonlight.
Why is that, good friar?
When it sprouts, I can claim it as a miracle from God.
The Church in York would never deny a miracle.
DEACON: How much further? GUARD: About 11 miles.
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
I thought you had left.
The fields have been planted.
I didn't want to wake you.
How did you find the seed?
If you have to ask, it's not a gift.
Thank you.
(GRUNTING)
(SCREAMING)
Pikemen, at the ready!
SOLDIER: Arms to ready!
Prepare!
This King John is no king of mine!
You! Are you Baldwin? Open these gates!
In whose name do you come against us?
In the name of King John.
Pay or burn.
We have paid in money and men for King Richard's wars!
And we have no more to give!
- Burn it. - Archers!
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
Come on.
(SOLDIERS SHOUTING)
My Lord, this way!
MAN 1: In the name of John,
by the Grace of God, King of England,
let it be known to all who abide here that a tax is warranted!
MAN 2: Those persons refusing to abide by the law
will hereby be subject to severe punishment.
(MAN SCREAMING)
MAN 3: By order of His Majesty, King John.
(BELL TOLLING)
MAN: Father Tancred!
(GROANING)
MARSHAL: Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
I have lost the confidence of King John,
but he may still listen to you.
Allow me to know better, William.
You are much wiser than your owl.
I dare say. I've lived longer.
Edward, take him.
EDWARD: Your Majesty.
John is no Richard, alas, Your Majesty.
But I serve the throne, and the throne will endure.
Speak plainly, Marshal. What's troubling you?
The crown is in peril.
Godfrey has been plotting with Philip of France.
French troops have already landed on our shores,
and they are murdering Englishmen in the name of King John.
The northern barons will make civil war against the throne.
Leaving our coast defenceless against the invasion
which is certainly coming.
So it's left to John's mother to scold him like a child and point him to his duty.
(SIGHING)
My son has an enemy in his court closer to him than any friend.
An English traitor. A paid agent of France.
Why are you telling me when you must tell the King?
ELEANOR: Isabella!
It is you who must do that.
Tell King John that you've had word from France, from Philip himself, if you like.
Why not tell him the truth? That William Marshal...
Oh! A mother he mistrusts bearing the word of a man in dishonour?
No.
If you wish to be queen, you must save John.
And England.
PRINCE JOHN: No!
No! No!
(ISABELLA GASPING)
Godfrey! The bloody Judas!
By the bowels of Christ, it's a lie.
You lie!
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
I'm sorry, my love.
- Sheriff. - Up there.
Man won't give his name. Demands audience with the sheriff.
Demands?
- Go away. - My Lord.
BELVEDERE: Tax collections proceed apace.
Nottingham's turn is coming.
Good. Good.
Tell Sir Godfrey that the Sheriff of Nottingham is his man.
May he put his stamp on my authority.
I see trouble coming from Loxley of Peper Harow.
A blind old man gives you trouble?
Aye, and his son will give more.
The crusader, Robert Loxley, has returned this past week.
(CREAKING)
Marion.
(BOAR SQUEALING)
(SCREAMING)
(WHOOPING)
Go on! Go on.
Has he spoken yet?
CHILD: He was spying, Loop.
Spying?
Robert, I'm ashamed of you.
Hello, Marion.
I've come to save you.
(ALL LAUGHING)
LOOP: Know him?
Boys, this is Sir Robert Loxley, my husband.
Sir Robert, the runaways of Sherwood.
Untie him.
No, I don't think spies should be let off so easily.
That was unkind.
You were a crusader?
Yes.
Did you hear that, boys? You bested a crusader.
- My men are good fighters. - I don't know about that.
I think the weight of numbers might have been in their favour.
But they do move silently like the creatures of the forest.
But that's only a skill if you stay as a man.
You don't become the creatures you hunt.
- We're soldiers. - ROBIN: No, you're not.
Soldiers fight for a cause. What's yours?
You don't have one. That makes you poachers.
(CHILDREN MUTTERING ANGRILY)
Common thieves with a lot to learn.
Like what?
I could teach you how to tie knots.
I could teach you which wood to get to make your bows stronger.
I could teach you how to make arrows that fly more than 20 feet.
And I can help Marion to teach you how to stay clean
so you won't get sick.
I don't know who you're fighting, son, but it's not me. I'm not your enemy.
If you want to chat, you know where to find me.
Wife?
PRINCE JOHN: Marshal.
MAN: Stand aside! Make way for the King!
Your Majesty.
What the devil are you doing here? Hmm?
Sire?
Will you keep that animal still? What's it got, palsy?
Do you think I haven't noticed how you've deserted me?
If Your Majesty recalls, our last conversation...
At our last conversation,
Philip of France wasn't coming our way with an invasion fleet.
Was he, Marshal?
My friend Godfrey
is not the friend I thought he was.
He's stirred up the northern barons against me.
They come south with an army.
Marshal, how dare they? How dare they?
Sire, forgotten men are dangerous men.
The barons need to be told
that when the French come, we are all Englishmen.
- Fitzrobert. - Baldwin.
We'll make an army of the north and march on London.
The barons need leadership.
Wiser kings know they must let men look them in the eye,
hear their voice.
Together, let us ride north to meet them.
They march against their king, Marshal.
Their king.
We will meet them with the pikes of our militia in their gizzards.
You have lost your touch, Marshal.
Perhaps we'll look to the barons without you.
Saddle up with a spare horse. I leave immediately.
I want to know where to find Godfrey.
My Lord.
- I found him, My Lord. - GODFREY: Where?
Nottingham. In plain sight, living as Walter Loxley's son.
Then we go to Nottingham.
Take no prisoners. Leave no stone un-scorched.
Take two men, four horses.
Ride hard for the coast, then on to Paris and give a message to the King.
(BOTH SPEAKING FRENCH)
I'll make the place famous.
Come, Allan!
I'll get them drinking. You get them dancing!
All right.
(PLAYING FOLK TUNE)
(SIGHING)
WALTER: Music, laughter, the crackle of a bonfire and a roasting pig.
Life has returned. You have returned it, Robin.
(LAUGHING)
(BAND PLAYING BALLAD)
(SPEAKING LATIN)
How did you know it was me?
Who else would sit by me uninvited
like a friend from the old days?
How are you, William?
I'm well and troubled.
Ah. And what brings you?
I'm riding on to Barnsdale tonight.
I've heard something of the barons' anger against the crown's tax collector...
The anger has turned into action.
They assemble to march against the King.
You think you can persuade the barons to turn back?
Turn back, no.
To join King John against a French invasion.
- A what? - Help me, Walter.
I cannot go with you.
I cannot speak for this king.
He is the only king we have.
But not the only hope.
Explain.
- Marion. - I'm here, Walter.
WALTER: This is my old friend, William Marshal.
Lady Marion Loxley, my son's wife.
Lady, I was glad to see Sir Robert when he disembarked in London.
WALTER: I think you know better, Marshal.
Sir William, I know, would like to meet Robin Longstride again.
We've met before.
Yes, Sir, I know. In London.
No, when you were a child.
Hobby-horse age.
Sir Walter and I returned from the Holy Land to fetch you home.
But you'd gone.
We had lost Thomas Longstride's son.
It was a wound that never healed.
WALTER: You need to know what I know.
Your father was a stonemason.
Is that pleasing to you?
Yes. It is.
But he was more than that. He was a visionary.
What did he see?
That kings have a need of their subjects
no less than their subjects have need of kings.
A dangerous idea.
Your father was a philosopher. He had a way of speaking
that took you by the ears and by the heart.
None of these things can be written down, Robin.
You must commit them to your very soul.
This is the science of memory.
"Rise and rise again until lambs become lions."
Finally, hundreds listened, thousands, who took up his call
for the rights of all ranks from baron to serf.
"Rise and rise again
"until lambs become lions."
(LAUGHING)
What happened to him?
Close your eyes.
THOMAS: Foundation is set on the rights of liberty for all people!
SOLDIER: Longstride, give up the charter and their names!
WALTER: You were there.
You saw it.
I will not.
(SHOUTING)
Not dead.
Not now.
WALTER: Here is my copy of the main contract.
This charter of rights was written by your father.
And here are... There are the names of all the barons that signed the charter.
Fitzrobert, Baldwin, Marshal and myself.
What he wanted was a charter for every man...
- Wait there. - WALTER: To have the same rights.
Sir Walter? A messenger for you.
WALTER: Bring him in.
Step forward, sir.
- My Lord. - WALTER: I'm listening.
Peterborough's been burned by the King's men.
Fitzrobert gathers an army to slay King John in London.
Marshal requests your presence at counsel in Barnsdale.
Wait outside, will you?
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
The time for pretence is over.
Now, hold me like a son.
Go.
Maggie. Where's my lady?
I could not find her, sir.
Whether we fight for our lives, our family and our honour,
we must fight till the death.
You've spent too long in the palace, William.
Spending time in the palace gives me perspective.
As we speak,
King Philip sails for our coast.
Godfrey and his marauders are French!
Every minute that we waste in disunity
brings closer the destruction of our country!
FITZROBERT: We have been bled
by the King long before Godfrey.
(HORSE NEIGHING)
Go back to London and tell the King
that we will meet him on a field of his choice.
MAN: Make way!
BALDWIN: We will not fight to save John's crown.
Rather let him bend the knee to us.
PRINCE JOHN: I'll give you more, Sir Baldwin.
My breast for your sword point.
Use mine.
Go on.
No?
Oh, this is what you want, isn't it? This is what he wants.
Fine, I'd rather give it to you than have it taken by the French.
You mistake me, Sire.
I have no right and no ambition to wear the crown.
But let the rightful wearer beware.
From now we will be subject only to laws that we have a hand in making.
We are not sheep to be made mutton of by your butchers.
(ALL AGREEING)
Godfrey set himself to turn you against me.
Then he did more than was needed to accomplish that.
BALDWIN: A very important decision.
Don't you think that we've paid too much taxes for far too long...
(SOLDIERS EXCLAIMING)
(YOUNG ROBIN LAUGHING)
This is where I was born.
- What does it mean? - It means never give up.
FITZROBERT: We will not be loyal to a crown that robs and starves us!
The King must listen to what we have to say!
A king does not bargain for the loyalty that every subject owes him.
Without loyalty there is no kingdom. There is nothing.
I'm here to speak for Sir Walter Loxley.
SOLDIER 1: Let the man speak. SOLDIER 2: Let him speak!
ALL: Speak! Speak!
Speak, if you must.
If you're trying to build for the future,
you must set your foundation strong.
The laws of this land enslave people to its king,
a king who demands loyalty but offers nothing in return.
I have marched from France
to Palestine and back.
And I know
in tyranny lies only failure.
You build a country like you build a cathedral,
from the ground up.
(ALL AGREEING)
Empower every man
and you will gain strength.
Hmm.
Well, who could object to such reasonable words?
If Your Majesty were to offer justice,
justice in the form of a charter of liberties,
allowing every man to forage for his hearth,
to be safe from conviction without cause
or prison without charge,
to work, eat and live on the sweat of his own brow
- and be as merry as he can... - Sir, Godfrey's men are on to Nottingham.
...then that king would be great.
Not only would he receive the loyalty of his people
but their love, as well.
So what would you have? Hmm?
Castle for every man?
(ALL SNICKERING)
Every Englishman's home is his castle.
(ALL AGREEING)
What we would ask, Your Majesty,
is liberty.
Liberty by law!
MARSHAL: Your Majesty, My Lords,
the French fleet is in the Channel.
Sire, you have a chance to unify your subjects high and low.
It falls on your nod.
I only have to nod?
I can do better than that.
I give my word
that such a charter will be written.
On my mother's life, I swear it.
(ALL CHEERING)
Godfrey makes for Nottingham. I must stay with the King.
I will send Baldwin and Fitzrobert with you.
We will meet again at the White Horse when you are finished.
Robin, your father was a great man.
And you are your father's son.
Maggie, who's at the house?
SOLDIER: Long live the King!
(SCREAMING)
FRIAR TUCK: Gentlemen.
(SOLDIER SHOUTING IN FRENCH)
(EXCLAIMING EXCITEDLY)
I'm the Sheriff of Nottingham.
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
I'm French on my mother's side.
(SPEAKS FRENCH)
(LAUGHING)
(SCREAMING)
Sir Walter! Sir Walter!
Loxley!
Show yourself!
Loxley!
WALTER: Who calls here?
I call for Robert Loxley.
My son is not here to answer you.
That is the truth.
Because he's dead in a French ditch.
And who are you, sir, to say so?
Who am I?
I'm the one who killed him.
(SOLDIERS JEERING)
Fight me if you dare.
Lord have mercy.
(EXCLAIMING)
(SCREAMING)
Leave it on the table. Leave it! Next!
Next! Come on!
- Name? - Loxley.
SOLDIER: Christian name?
Marion.
SOLDIER: Land?
5,000 acres.
Lady Marion Loxley?
I am.
(PEOPLE CLAMOURING)
(BEES BUZZING)
FRIAR TUCK: Gentlemen, enjoy!
(SOLDIERS SCREAMING)
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
No one should have 4,000 acres.
5,000 acres.
(MAN SCREAMING)
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
(INHALING)
(HAMMERING)
(SOLDIER LAUGHING)
(SCREAMING)
(VILLAGERS SCREAMING)
Baldwin! Fitzrobert!
Take the southern flank and circle in from the west.
Will and Allan, get on the rooftops and pick your targets.
(WHISTLES)
Lady Marion.
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
Quickly.
MARION: Follow me.
(VILLAGERS CLAMOURING)
(BABY CRYING)
WOMAN: Somebody, please take the baby! Save the baby, please!
John, down!
It's all right.
Go around.
FRIAR TUCK: Stand back!
Make way!
Hurry. It's all right. It's all right. Please, hurry! Hurry!
Sword!
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
LITTLE JOHN: Get down, you bastard French dogs!
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
(PANTING)
ROBIN: Where will King Philip land and when?
(SCREAMING)
This is my last arrow.
Dungeness! Dungeness. Two days.
There we have it. We have two days.
Once before I said goodbye to a man going to war.
He never came back.
Ask me nicely.
I love you, Marion.
(CHANTING RHYTHMICALLY)
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
MARSHAL: Longstride!
What news of Walter and Nottingham?
Sir Walter is dead. Godfrey's hand.
Gentlemen, we go to war.
It is my first time. I shall lead. (URGING HORSE)
Forward!
(CHANTING RHYTHMICALLY)
(YELLING)
(CHEERING)
That's a lot of French.
What's to be done?
Archers to the cliff top.
Cavalry to the beach. We'll await you there.
- With me! - Archers!
Excellent plan.
(CHEERING)
MARSHAL: Cavalry!
LEAD ARCHER: Ready!
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
LEAD ARCHER: Raise arrows! SOLDIER: Raise arrows!
Ready!
LEAD ARCHER: Raise arrows!
Release! Release!
(EXCLAIMING)
Release!
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
For the love of God, Marion!
Loxley,
circle your troops and then join the charge.
MARION: With me!
LEAD ARCHER: Release!
Release!
(SHOUTING)
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
MARION: Forward!
WILL: Archers, forward!
Let's go, Marshal.
We're close enough, Sire.
PRINCE JOHN: This was not close enough for Richard.
And look what happened to him.
Forward!
Protect the King!
This is for you, Walter.
No!
Marion!
(YELLING)
(LAUGHING)
Marion!
ENGLISH SOLDIERS: Surrender!
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
(ENGLISH SOLDIERS CHEERING)
Sire! Sire!
They've surrendered, Sire!
Yes! To whom?
To him.
SOLDIERS: Longstride!
Longstride!
I did not make myself king.
God did.
King by divine right.
(ALL MURMURING)
Now you come to me with this document
seeking to limit the authority given to me by God!
BALDWIN: Sire, you gave your word!
No.
- Sire, you give us our word, Sire! - Did I command you to speak, sir?
- John... - Or you, madam?
Sire, we looked to you!
Look to your estates, instead.
(ALL EXCLAIMING)
LEAD ARCHER: Archers!
You are fortunate that I am in a merciful mood.
But as for Robin Longstride, that mason's son,
for the crimes of theft and incitement to cause unrest,
who pretended to be a knight of the realm, a crime punishable by death,
I declare him, from this day forth, to be an outlaw!
To be hunted all the days of his life...
- We will not stand for this! ...until his corpse, unburied, is carrion
for foxes and crows!
(ALL CLAMOURING)
SHERIFF: Hear me! Hear me!
By royal decree,
Robin Longstride, also known as Robin of the Hood,
and all who shelter him or aid him
are declared outlaws of the realm,
(ALL GASPING)
Their properties forfeit,
and their lives shall be taken by any Englishman on sight.
A nail please? And a hammer.
A nail!
(ALL LAUGHING)
Off you go. Come on.
ROBIN: Hey, boys.
- You've been practising tying your knots? - Yes.
Have you been shooting your bow and arrows?
Who hit something? Anyone?
MARION: The greenwood is the outlaw's friend.
Now, the orphan boys make us welcome.
No tax, no tithe.
Nobody rich, nobody poor. Fair shares for all at nature's table.
Many wrongs to be righted in the country of King John.
Watch over us, Walter.
For the Lion Heart!