Director Michael Sarnoski debuted his take on an iconic legend this year. “The Death of Robin Hood” stars A-lister Hugh Jackman as the titular character as he runs from his outlaw past.
This isn’t a new type of character for Jackman, who starred as Jean Valjean in the 2012 film adaptation of “Les Misérables.” However, one scene in particular proved particularly challenging.
As audiences flock to “The Death of Robin Hood” in theaters, Hugh Jackman describes one of the most harrowing experiences of his entire film career.
Hugh Jackman Admits One Fight Scene Expended a Lot of Emotional Energy
Audiences around the world love Hugh Jackman for his storytelling abilities. Now, they’re eager to see the 57-year-old play a haggard Robin Hood, living as a hermit, haunted by his past.
In one harrowing fight scene, Jackman is covered in mud as he engages his co-star, Elijah Ungvary, in combat.
“If you’d seen another film, we could have looked like lovers,” Jackman told PEOPLE, adding he got to know Ungvary incredibly well while filming. “And Michael [Sarnoski] said, ‘I love it.’ There is a weird intimacy to hand-to-hand combat and the brutality of it.”
“I am still getting mud out of places, a year later,” the actor joked about the filming process. However, it was also an emotionally challenging scene. During the fight sequence, Jackman conquers Ungvary and proceeds to lay his head on his vanquished opponent’s chest.
“That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Hugh Jackman told the outlet.
Director Michael Sarnoski Wanted to Portray a Very Specific Version of Robin Hood
The legend of Robin Hood has existed for centuries. Over the years, he became more of a mythical divine being rather than an actual person. Hugh Jackman appreciates that his version of Robin Hood regains his humanity.
“What I love so much about Mike’s vision of Robin Hood is that the script delivered power, and it examines how power can be used for good or bad,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly. “Robin Hood is a real man in our story. With all the scars, the pain, the regret, and yes, the love. Mike’s story has weight to it. For me, it’s beautiful and human.”
However, director Michael Sarnoski emphasizes that he isn’t interested in revisionist history. Ultimately, the legend of Robin Hood is a folk ballad with several different iterations. Over time, society has adapted the legend to suit different narratives.
“There are five early ballads of Robin Hood that were first written [as the story] was passed down as oral tradition. And they’re really brutal. He is portrayed as a hero of the common man, but they’re still somewhat horrifying, in the way that old folk tales are,” Sarnoski told Entertainment Weekly.
“There’s an old quote about Robin that sort of says he’s this murderous bandit who the common folk have decided to glorify, and I wanted to examine someone who was going through that in their lifetime, and trying to grapple with the role of storytelling and their actual identity,” the director added.
“The Death of Robin Hood” is now in theaters.
