Andrew Garfield's new film, "The Uprising," has generated confusion regarding its connection to the legendary figure of Robin Hood, stemming from conflicting marketing materials. While the film dramatizes the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, also known as the Wat Tyler Rebellion, some promotional spots in the U.S. controversially billed it as "The Uprising: The Rise of Robin Hood." This subtitle created confusion, partly because it suggested a link to another unrelated film and, more significantly, because Robin Hood is a legendary figure whose exploits are historically set about 180 years before the events depicted in the film. The film's U.K. advertising campaign quickly distanced itself from the Robin Hood association, and the U.S. ads subsequently dropped the subtitle.
"The Uprising" centers on a peasant played by Garfield who loses his family to the Black Death. When King Richard II's council imposes new taxes, including a "death tax" on those who can't produce documentation for their deceased family members, Garfield's character attacks a tax collector. This act ignites the Peasants' Revolt, with real historical figures like priest John Ball (Jamie Bell) and Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) emerging as leaders. The film depicts the negotiations between the rebels and a sympathetic but constrained King Richard II.
Garfield delivers a compelling performance as a man driven to leadership by righteous fury and deep emotional wounds. The film's depiction of the revolt employs a kinetic, immediate style, characteristic of director Paul Greengrass. However, the narrative takes a turn in its final sequence, which has led to the Robin Hood speculation.
Following the initial rebellion's suppression, the film jumps forward a year. Garfield's character, having escaped execution, is shown living in a forest with other rebels. Dressed in a greenish outfit and a face-covering bandana, he and his companions waylay the king and his mother. This scene strongly evokes the imagery of Robin Hood, leading to the interpretation that the film retrofits the Peasants' Revolt as a Robin Hood origin story. Early iterations of the project, once announced as "The Hood" with Benedict Cumberbatch attached, may have originally leaned more heavily into the Robin Hood narrative.
The film's approach aligns with a trend in modern Robin Hood retellings, which often function as origin stories. Films like "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," and the 2018 Taron Egerton version all explore how the character became an outlaw. "The Uprising's" blend of historical events with legendary elements, its focus on the transformation into an outlaw, and its departure from strict historical accuracy position it within this contemporary framework of Robin Hood adaptations. The film's marketing confusion and its ultimate portrayal of a figure operating outside the law in a forest setting solidify its ambiguous, yet thematic, connection to the Robin Hood legend.