Cate Blanchett In Robin Hood
Cate Blanchett’s joining of the production owes much to the humble postage stamp. In early 2009, Crowe attended a function in Sydney with Blanchett, celebrating the fact that the actors’ likenesses were to be etched onto Australian postage stamps.
As they sat on stage together, Crowe looked at Blanchett and realized that she should be his Marion.
The actor recounts: "Her demeanor, everything about her I was kicking myself. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Cate is a magnificent actress. She has resilience and a resonance. She’s tough, strong and single-minded.
"Every decision she makes is about truth. She has complete control over her emotional responses, so she can make the smallest gesture a gigantic statement.
During the evening’s celebration, Crowe asked the crowd if they thought that he and Blanchett should make a film together. "A thousand people loudly supported the idea," he remembers. "Her eyes were shining, so she obviously thought it was a great idea too."
Scott agreed that Blanchett would make the ideal Marion for their production. "Cate Blanchett has a very definitive part in this overall story and context," he says. "It’s a perfect, if you like, marriage of two characters."
Blanchett discusses her decision to join the production. "Because Russell and Ridley have such a long history together of making films that go straight to the heart of the matter, it was a very exciting combination for me," she says.
As well, the Oscar® winner was drawn to the legend’s enduring appeal. The power of the forest is at the heart of the Robin Hood myth. We’re so saturated with the power of the state, and the power of the church. As an antidote, the rule of nature is really enticing."
The classically trained Blanchett had no qualms with a new telling of the age-old story and welcomed an origin tale. "It’s constantly being reinvented," she offers. "There’s no single truth to the Robin Hood myth.
2Even in Shakespeare when he mentions it in As You Like It‘like the old Robin Hood of England.’ It’s a myth, and each age retells those myths because it’s searching to have that story reflect something about the society in which they are living.
"There are certain archetypes that it deals with, such as the band of Merry Men. It’s a timeless narrative construction, and each age puts its stamp on an archetypal story like this.2
With Blanchett on board, the filmmakers developed the 'Petruchio and Kate' relationship that evolves after Robin’s return to England brings him to Lady Marion’s home of Peper Harow in Nottingham.
According to Crowe, they agreed that Robin and Marion should be 'of a kind.' He explains: "The Marion relationship has certain Shakespearean elements to it. It’s very much The Taming of the Shrew.
"Robin and Marion don’t get on at all when they first meet, but there is a latent kindness to both these people. They are similar creatures who have been looking for some sign of that intuitive kindness in other people all their lives."
As the script evolved, so did the role of Marion. In stark contrast to a number of the character’s previous cinematic incarnations, in this telling of the story, she is no weak and feeble maiden waiting for men to control her destiny.
Helgeland explains how Marion developed: "There was a law that if a noblewoman’s husband died and she didn’t have a son, the estate would revert back to the crown. If Marion doesn’t produce an heir or gain a husband, she’s going to lose her land.
So Robin and Marion’s relationship, rather than start as love at first sight, which is a typical Robin Hood device, is much more a mutual convenience between the two of them. In the process, they become closer and the attraction builds from its mercantile start."
"Ridley has created and set up a world where all the men have been called to war by King Richard, and where Marion has therefore become the lady of the manor," Blanchett adds.
"She’s presiding over a village that has no men, and so she’s having to take on the role, a bit like in the Second World War, where women had to move into industry and do things that they wouldn’t otherwise have done.
Joining the cast as Eleanor of Aquitaine, widow of Henry II, as well as Richard and John’s aging mother and one of the fiercest women to help rule the Western world, was Dame Eileen Atkins. From Gosford Park to Cold Mountain, the multi-award winner has often moved audiences with her powerful performances.
Atkins offers a bit of backstory to her character: "It’s sad that Eleanor clearly doesn’t love John. There’s no doubt he’s right when he says, ‘You only cared ever about my brother.’ Nevertheless, the throne is the throne, and he’s going to get it.
"She cares passionately about ruling and keeping the lands that they have. She’s fought so hard to extend England halfway across France, and she doesn’t want to lose it all.
"In considering the huge picture, which she’s thinking in terms of gaining land, she doesn’t think quite enough about how the peasants are getting on. But she has a lot of wisdom, and she’s certainly a great manipulator."
One of the puppets on her strings is Isabella of Angoulême, played by young French actress Lea Seydoux of Inglourious Basterds. We are introduced to Isabella, whom Eleanor initially despises, as Prince John’s not-so-secret lover.
Isabella ultimately marries the future ruler of England and quickly realizes that the only way of guaranteeing her time on the throne is to serve as a mouthpiece for her mother-in-law, as Eleanor secrets her strategy for John.
Robin Hood is released 12th May
Cate Blanchett’s joining of the production owes much to the humble postage stamp. In early 2009, Crowe attended a function in Sydney with Blanchett, celebrating the fact that the actors’ likenesses were to be etched onto Australian postage stamps.
As they sat on stage together, Crowe looked at Blanchett and realized that she should be his Marion.
The actor recounts: "Her demeanor, everything about her I was kicking myself. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Cate is a magnificent actress. She has resilience and a resonance. She’s tough, strong and single-minded.
"Every decision she makes is about truth. She has complete control over her emotional responses, so she can make the smallest gesture a gigantic statement.
During the evening’s celebration, Crowe asked the crowd if they thought that he and Blanchett should make a film together. "A thousand people loudly supported the idea," he remembers. "Her eyes were shining, so she obviously thought it was a great idea too."
Scott agreed that Blanchett would make the ideal Marion for their production. "Cate Blanchett has a very definitive part in this overall story and context," he says. "It’s a perfect, if you like, marriage of two characters."
Blanchett discusses her decision to join the production. "Because Russell and Ridley have such a long history together of making films that go straight to the heart of the matter, it was a very exciting combination for me," she says.
As well, the Oscar® winner was drawn to the legend’s enduring appeal. The power of the forest is at the heart of the Robin Hood myth. We’re so saturated with the power of the state, and the power of the church. As an antidote, the rule of nature is really enticing."
The classically trained Blanchett had no qualms with a new telling of the age-old story and welcomed an origin tale. "It’s constantly being reinvented," she offers. "There’s no single truth to the Robin Hood myth.
2Even in Shakespeare when he mentions it in As You Like It‘like the old Robin Hood of England.’ It’s a myth, and each age retells those myths because it’s searching to have that story reflect something about the society in which they are living.
"There are certain archetypes that it deals with, such as the band of Merry Men. It’s a timeless narrative construction, and each age puts its stamp on an archetypal story like this.2
With Blanchett on board, the filmmakers developed the 'Petruchio and Kate' relationship that evolves after Robin’s return to England brings him to Lady Marion’s home of Peper Harow in Nottingham.
According to Crowe, they agreed that Robin and Marion should be 'of a kind.' He explains: "The Marion relationship has certain Shakespearean elements to it. It’s very much The Taming of the Shrew.
"Robin and Marion don’t get on at all when they first meet, but there is a latent kindness to both these people. They are similar creatures who have been looking for some sign of that intuitive kindness in other people all their lives."
As the script evolved, so did the role of Marion. In stark contrast to a number of the character’s previous cinematic incarnations, in this telling of the story, she is no weak and feeble maiden waiting for men to control her destiny.
Helgeland explains how Marion developed: "There was a law that if a noblewoman’s husband died and she didn’t have a son, the estate would revert back to the crown. If Marion doesn’t produce an heir or gain a husband, she’s going to lose her land.
So Robin and Marion’s relationship, rather than start as love at first sight, which is a typical Robin Hood device, is much more a mutual convenience between the two of them. In the process, they become closer and the attraction builds from its mercantile start."
Tagged in Cate Blanchett Robin Hood