Very few actors have come close to matching the incredible onscreen persona of the late Alan Rickman. His gaunt appearance and brooding voice allowed the actor to shine in a broad range of performances, from the villainous Hans Gruber in Die Hard to perhaps one of his most overlooked as the titular character in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny. Playing the villain came naturally to Rickman, and a good example of an actor rising above a mediocre film and outshining its content and co-stars is exemplified as his role as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

A summer blockbuster released in 1991, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was one of many adaptations of the colorful tale of an outlaw robbing the rich and giving to the poor in a fight against an oppressive regime that heavily taxed the peasantry. Far removed from the technicolor adaptation that featured the likes of Errol Flynn or the animated version released by Disney, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves introduced a slightly darker narrative with a broader emphasis on action.

Featuring Kevin Costner as the famous outlaw and later the subject for fodder by Mel Brooks in his parody, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, the 1991 adaptation received a vast amount of box office receipts that paled in comparison to its mixed critical reception. Still, Alan Rickman’s performance as the main antagonist allowed the actor to rise above the mediocre and bland content and, for lack of a better term, steal the show.

A New Take on a Well-Known Tale
Warner Bros.

If any folk tale could be considered timeless and firmly ingrained in the public consciousness, it’s Robin Hood. Adapting source material and making it more palatable for a new generation is certainly nothing new, as the many incarnations of comic books adapted to the screen have shown. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is best described as an adaptation that strives to cater to two opposing audiences, ultimately not being particularly successful with either.

The merchandising after its release and emphasis on action sequences are meant to appeal to younger theatre-goers, who might be offset by the films’ darker tone. More mature audiences wanting a grittier tale of the events that occur within Sherwood Forrest might have been unable to suspend disbelief with Costner’s portrayal of the famous outlaw, as the actor made no attempt at an English accent to provide any authenticity to the character.

Despite the inconsistency with its overarching presentation, the skeletal framework of Robin Hood exists within the confines of the film. Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner) is far away from his ancestral home while fighting in the Crusades. From the beginning moments of the film, which take place in a dungeon, the emphasis on violence is established with scenes of torture occurring. Robin makes his escape with the aid of Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir (Morgan Freeman) and is soon en route to England to make his return. Besides the emphasis on action that will be prominent throughout the film, the aura of corruption and oppression exists with the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) seizing Locksley’s home and murdering his father (Brian Blessed) under the pretense of accusations of devil worship.

Locksley soon finds himself leading a band of outlaws who make their home in Sherwood Forrest, stealing the ill-gotten gains from the wealthy and redistributing them to the poor who have been heavily taxed by Nottingham, who soon takes it upon himself to rid the world of the outlaws by any means necessary. The new take on the Sheriff of Nottingham extends far past the typical expectation of a greedy landowner who has his eyes set on power and gaining wealth through unscrupulous taxation. In fact, his character’s darker aspects are closely tied to the gothic literature of the 1700s and 1800s.

Related Tree Made Famous in Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Cut Down In Act of Vandalism A U.K. landmark made famous thanks to an appearance in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves has been changed forever in an act of vandalism.

Evil Ambition by Way of Matthew Lewis
Warner Bros.

A notable difference between the way that the Sheriff of Nottingham is portrayed in Robin Hood: Prince of Thievesand other adaptations is the character’s ties to Satanism and witchcraft. Behind closed doors and away from peering eyes and the allusion to Nottingham’s Catholic faith is the sinister Mortianna (Geraldine McEwan), a witch who relies on divination through augury. Peering at blood and spittle spilled on a plate, Mortianna informs the Sheriff about the omens that predict the possible future outcomes. The room in which these auspices take place is a complete inversion of a Catholic chapel, complete with an inverted cross.

The idea of nobility engaging in activities that are a complete inversion to the religions that dominated the European continent has a rich history in multiple texts and is directly linked to the Crusades, which took place during the time period that Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is set. Trumped-up charges of blasphemy and primitive devil worship would be central to the defamation and destruction of the Knights Templar, who played a prominent role in the Crusades. The inversion of the cross, a notable attribute of the Black Mass (Le Messe Noir), a ceremony that mocks a Catholic service, was depicted in Juliette, or Vice Amply Rewarded by The Marquis de Sade.

Hubris, piety, and power being a veil that obscures evil intentions was a driving force in The Monk by Matthew Lewis. Lewis’s novel tells the tale of a pious monk named Ambrosio becoming tempted and ultimately corrupted by a desire introduced by way of a mysterious young woman named Matilda. Lewis’ tale is one of the allegedly “good” characters succumbing to evil and becoming corrupted by their desires, which is also apparent in the Bishop of Herreford (Harold Innocent), a man of the cloth who caters to the unhinged ambitions of Nottingham to satisfy his insatiable greed.

The surprising amount of depth that the antagonists in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves possess, influenced by notable literary works, is perhaps the best attribute of the film as a whole. Compared to the predictable nature and presentation of Robin Hood and others in the film, Alan Rickman is able to deliver a performance that mirrors the twisted and ruthless nature that embodies the Sheriff of Nottingham and ultimately upstages everyone else he acts alongside.

Related Alan Rickman Celebrated by Fans on Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 30th Anniversary Thanks to a UK newspaper article reminiscing about the ‘joyless’ 1991 Kevin Costner movie, Alan Rickman’s name began trending as fans came out to defend his honor.

The Defining Legacy of One of the Greatest Actors of Our Time
Warner Bros.

Throughout Alan Rickman’s career, we were treated to a broad range of appearances that entertained us, made us scared, and even allowed us to take joy in the occasional role, which allowed the actor to demonstrate his flair for comedy. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, while not being a particularly well-focused endeavor, yet still entertaining, might have been completely forgettable had it not been for Alan Rickman’s bombastic performance of The Sheriff of Nottingham.

At a time when Kevin Costner was one of the largest box-office draws and biggest names in Hollywood, Alan Rickman completely usurped the leading man and delivered one of the most memorable performances of his career. Rent on Apple TV or Prime Video.