ROBIN AND MARIAN
John Barry
MMMM
Review by Stephen Woolston
The troubled musical history of this film is famous. And understandable.
The movie is an enjoyable affair but a narrative mess. Is it a sincere
study of the sadness of old age? Is it making a nonesense of the
construction of myths? Is it a good old British period comic romp?
Or is it a love story? At different times it is each of these, but
it doesn't know in which of these themes to rest it's final moral.
It seems the creative forces involved - director Lester, writer
Goldman, and producer Stark - all wanted to pull the film in different
directions. Stark, in hiring John Barry to replace Michel Legrand's
score, plays his ace card to finally win.
Ordinarily, a producer bringing in a composer to write a good
old fashioned Hollywood romance score against the director's more
profound conceptions would smack of the low brow. Barry himself
is unlikely to have approached this any more profoundly than as
a job of work. After all, his life was in a hurry, he had only two
weeks and a producer's brief that said little more than 'don't get
smart, just give me a love theme they'll remember'. Yet Barry pulls
it off tremendously. His theme is one of the greatest love themes
in cinema history. And the score has much more. Militaristic marches,
pastorals for the country, and some dark study of the internal angers
that drive the main characters. He successfully ignores the tug-of-war
going on in the film to bring it the only unity the film has. This
is one of those examples where, through a coherent music score,
Barry most definitely improves an otherwise messy film.
The score was originally issued in short supply on a promotional
LP, containing the two Barry cues that were replaced in the final
film. It was, however, mono. A more recent bootleg CD was lifted
from the isolated score track of the American laser disc, but this
did not include the two unused tracks and presented the music with
varying sound levels and crude cuts. This is a complete recording
in stereo (Dolby Surround, in fact), and having the unusual advantage
of being recorded from the original manuscripts, the score is captured
in almost perfect form. Only in a very few places can you feel the
difference. It clearly becomes the new champion for authenticity
in Silva's repertoire. Jon Burlingame's notes reveal interesting
facts about the score and Richard Shore's previously little known
involvement. Another must-have for lovers of Barry, and for lovers
of romantic film music in general.
Stephen
Woolston |
Robin and Marian
Deeply personal account of Robin Hood legend Robin Hood has appeared
in cinemas many times: his most prominent appearances were in cinema's
earlier days, when Erich Wolfgang Korngold applied his unmistakable
style to Errol Flynn's swashbuckling antics; and then in more modern
times, when Michael Kamen's thematically-strong but obviously-rushed
action score accompanied Kevin Costner, supping with his father
in 'Notting-HAM'. In the mid-70s, an oft-overlooked (not, it has
to be said, without reason) take on the Robin Hood legend was released.
Directed by Richard Lester and starring the dream partnership of
Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn, this time the film tried to be
more serious and was set in the latter years of Robin Hood and Maid
Marian.
Providing the score was John Barry. The politics that preceded
that decision still rankle the parties involved today: director
Lester hired French composer Michel Legrand to write the score for
his movie but, after it was recorded, the movie's producer decided
it wasn't commercial enough so turned instead to Barry, who had
written music for Lester in the past but this time was very much
hired against his will. To this day Lester mentions how much he
hates Barry's score; he must be the only person who does. Barry
is also never slow to aim a quick aside at Lester.
It hardly needs me to say that Barry emphasises the romantic aspects
of the story above any other, but what may surprise listeners is
just how incredibly dark much of the score is. The characters are
in turmoil and Barry, always one to delve into the emotions of the
characters in any movie he is scoring, represents this by his sometimes-brooding
music. There is also a share of action music (more than would be
expected in a Barry score) that is precisely written and orchestrated
and very exciting.
Despite only having two weeks in which to write his score, the
producer still found time to dislike certain aspects of Barry's
music and tv composer Richard Shores was drafted in to write some
generic action music for a couple of scenes. There is no coherent
explanation for why this could have been. (One Shores cue appears
on this recording and sounds very out-of-place - I wish it had been
excluded.)
The cornerstone of Barry's score is his love theme, considered
by his fans to be among his finest. It appears in a few variations,
most poignantly in the very last cue on the album. It really is
very beautiful, more restrained than similar pieces penned by the
composers in more recent years, and arguably all the better for
it. This recording is new, with the City of Prague Philharmonic
conducted as ever by Nic Raine. The recording is tight and the performance
precise: perfect for this score. Jon Burlingame's liner notes are
brilliant (he's the best in the business) and Robin and Marian is
another essential entry in Silva's burgeoning Barry collection,
especially given that the score has never been available in any
format before.
James Southall |
Robin and Marion (1976) is one of three simultaneously issued
re- recordings of scores by John Barry on the Silva Screen label,
the other two being The Lion in Winter (1968) and The Last Valley
(1970). As the title suggests, the film tells the love story of
Robin Hood and Maid Marion, but is a sequel of kinds, recounting
events twenty years after the famous tales. It is a romantic, melancholy
tale, and despite starring Sean Connery, Audry Hepburn, Richard
Harris and Robert Shaw, failed to find an audience. There is a direct
link to The Lion in Winter, the best of the three scores re-recorded
by Silva, and indeed, the finest score Barry has ever composed,
in that both films were written by James Goldman. Barry's music,
while highly effective with the film itself, is not as effective
an experience in isolation as the score for the earlier picture.
The problem may be that it was a replacement, written in three weeks,
when the original score by Michel Legrand was rejected by producer
Ray Stark. Barry's score itself was partly reworked, with the American
composer Richard Shores re-scoring some of the action music and
reorchestrating Barry's 'riding motif'. This new album includes
both Shores' rearrangements and Barry's original music in two versions
of 'The Ride to Sherwood/The Ride to Nottingham'. The album also
includes the Barry cues 'Over the Wall/Escape', replaced in the
film by 'Trapped,' the one original cue written by Shore. It is
obvious to anyone that Barry's work is superior, having a greater
artfulness and subtlety. Inevitably Barry's famed romantic strings
are much in evidence, though the melodic heart of the score is most
memorably carried on a selection of wind instruments, flute, oboe,
bassoon. The action cues are dominated by simple drumming, carrying
a fatalistic portent and dramatic urgency. The central love theme
has a beautiful poignancy yet is somehow not as memorable as the
composer's very finest romantic melodies. It may be that the very
obscurity of this score (there has never been an official soundtrack
release) has elevated it in the minds of those who have not seen
the film for a long time, so that as a self-contained album it somehow
fails to inspire. Well crafted certainly, but not essential Barry.
The performances are good, though the digital sound is so perfect
it lacks a little character, missing that distinctive 1970's sound
which made such Barry soundtrack albums as King Kong (1976) such
a pleasure.
Gary S. Dalkin
|
Mark Hockley adds:
- After a score written by Michel Legrand was rejected by the film's
producers, Oscar winning composer John Barry was brought in to save
the day. Of course, without having the opportunity to listen to
Legrand's original music, it's impossible to say whether Barry's
contribution was an improvement. But whatever the case, to be frank
this is not one of his more notable compositions, allowing for the
fact that the music is never anything less than agreeable. Although
the actual 'Main Title' is surprisingly dissonant and atmospheric,
the true central theme is first introduced on 'The Ride to Sherwood/The
Ride to Nottingham (Film Version)', a very typical Barry piece of
melodic, lyrical romanticism, here incorporating a jaunty rhythm
with plenty of percussive energy. However, this version was rearranged
by Richard Shores in a higher key than Barry intended (at the request
of those demanding producers), making it both a good deal livelier
and lighter than the original (a version of which is also included
on the disk). Certainly the original take is more sedate, but for
me it works far better in the quieter moments, the orchestration
more emotive and affecting. Setting aside this artistic discrepancy,
the rest of the work is entirely dominated by this key theme, although
more often than not it appears in more genteel romantic form ('First
Love Theme', 'Second Love Theme' etc.) and these incarnations are
very much in the composer's Somewhere in Time style, although unquestionably
that wonderful theme was vastly superior. Even so, it's all still
quite likeable in a refined and sweet-natured way. In other places
we encounter this theme in more subtle variations, as with the pastoral
'Dawn in Sherwood', while what remains elsewhere only amounts to
a few brassy, reasonably suspenseful pieces such as 'In the Church/This
Way' and 'In Position/Preparation For Battle' and although these
are effective enough they never really rise above being merely satisfactory.
On the bonus side the sleeve notes are quite informative, although
there is one amusing gaff when the credits proclaim that Will Scarlet
was played by none other than Will Scarlett! A case of real typecasting
it would seem (actually the role was performed by Denholm Elliott).
Indeed, it's worth noting that this film featured some truly outstanding
actors (Sean Connery, Nicol Williamson, Robert Shaw, Richard Harris
and Ian Holm). The problem with this score and it applies to so
many others, is its over reliance on a single motif. I've said it
before and will no doubt say it on a regular basis in the future,
but after a while even the most attractive theme can lose its appeal.
The music ultimately lacks the depth and overall emotional texture
that gives so much of Barry's best work real resonance. All the
same, as with most of the output from this particular composer,
there are always pleasing moments and it makes for a solidly enjoyable
listening experience. Just don't expect this to figure near the
top of your list of John Barry favourites.
Mark Hockley |
