ROB ROY
A film review by Raymond Johnston
Copyright 1995 Raymond Johnston
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones Starring: Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz Screenplay by Alan Sharp
Sometime in the last few decades screen villains became sympathetic figures. Even Darth Vader eventually had a sad story to explain how he was driven to become evil. ROB ROY is not one of those revisionist films. The villains in ROB ROY are simply evil people. The only good thing you can say about them is that their costumes are nice. Sure, the film is really about Rob Roy MacGregor, a Scottish folk hero, but the villains make the film worth seeing.
John Hurt was born to play this kind of role. He is an unpopular English born nobleman, the Marquis of Montrose. He talks in pseudo-Shakespearean double entendres. He is just plain evil. His young ward, Archibald Cunningham (Tim Roth), however, goes beyond plain evil. Every dimension of his being is evil. He proclaims himself to be a noble bastard and proves this in every scene he is in. The real threat that these two pose goes beyond class conflict and 18th century politics. Montrose and Cunningham are both spineless coxcombs. They wear wigs, make-up, and embroidered clothing. They make exaggerated courtly gestures with lace handkerchiefs. Their threat isn't to Rob Roy specifically, but an affront to the hard working agricultural lifestyle in general. To make matters worse, Archibald Cunningham is an unbeatable swordsman.
In stark contrast to these characters are Robert Roy MacGregor and his followers. They are the Highlanders of Scotland. Extended families live close to the land raising cattle. Among them, a man's word is his bond. Rob Roy (Liam Neeson) seems to be an overgrown boy scout expecting all men to be men of honor. He is head of his clan, but listens democratically to his kinfolk and tries to guide them with compassionate wisdom. His wife Mary (Jessica Lange) considers him to be proud and stubborn, but together they share an idyllic love that can only be found crowd pleasing romantic action films. Rob Roy is as good and honorable as his opponents are deceitful. Few films have such black and white characters since the classic ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD with Errol Flynn.
These two world views, the unquestionably rugged one of Rob Roy and the decidedly foppish one of the Marquis of Montrose quickly come into conflict. The plot is a pretty dusty one- a variation on the westerns like SHANE and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. Evil people conspire to run honest hard working folks off their land. Transporting this plot from the western plains to the Scottish Highlands makes it easy to forget that you've really seen it all before. The good guys wear kilts instead of white hats. Sword fights replace gunfights.
Action and romance are emphasized at the expense of history. A few terms like "Jacobite" get thrown around. The film never really explains what this is, but when it is clear that Rob Roy is one and the Marquis of Montrose isn't, one can guess that being a Jacobite is a good thing. The film spends no more time on it. ROB ROY is not meant to be an informative historical drama.
The three lead male characters bear the brunt of the action. The romance belongs solidly to Jessica Lange. She brings a fresh quality to her role. Most often the lead actress is way too glamorous for her rural surroundings, the peasant woman in designer gowns. Jessica Lange brings a realistic earthy quality to her character. Her clothing looks homemade, and her red hair blows wild in the wind. Even more strikingly, she is a female film character with more common sense than many of the headstrong men around her. Typical of the role of women in legends, her efforts are towards peace and settlement, while the male characters strive toward conflict.
As a populist crowd pleaser, ROB ROY is a classic film. It is easy to root for a hero that tries to fight fair against corrupt government officials, and easy to boo at the vainly shallow Archibald Cunningham. The film has no surprises, but it does have some well-staged action scenes, edge of the seat suspense, sharp dialogue and striking Scottish locations.
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