By Joanna Selva Kumar
Professor Peter Shickle and Dr. John Stead screened the movie, “The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)” at The Masters University in BSC 100 on March 21. This screening aimed to expose students to a film they might not otherwise watch.
The event also aimed to elevate students’ aesthetic and narrative values and their appreciation for film as an art form. According to Shickle, “Our goal is to show students something better and help raise the value of what they look for in a film.”
Stead was inspired by the complex steps involved in the creation of the movie
“Recently I saw the second part (commentary) on how the movie was made. And that’s what really stirred me up,” he said.
The 1938 movie held a unique charm and significance. Shickle highlighted the creative work of the composer in aligning the orchestra with the tone of the character’s dialogue. Additionally, he praised the pacing of the film.
“Through the beginning and the second act everything was fast, then towards the love scenes you felt the pacing slow down and picking back up towards the end.” Shickle said.
Stead observed the students’ attention throughout the movie. “Initially students didn’t know what to think but when they were into the movie about a half an hour, they were all really involved in it,” he said. Stead also emphasized that, “a good movie is what entertains” rather than creating a statement.
The event received positive feedback from students.
“It’s a special kind of movie that is just simply fun and adventurous. It’s just as high quality as any other movie released in that era and it holds up wonderfully,” said sophomore Casey Cole.
According to some, the movie exhibited perfect harmony between all its aspects.
“It was a great mixture of action and comedy with its daring sword fights and witty banter,” said Emma Allred, a sophomore. Junior Meredith Shumate described it as a “beautiful, wholesome, and timeless story with action, adventure, risk, loyalty and love.”
Shickle and Stead expressed a desire to continue these events and expand student participation. Shickle thinks these gatherings as enjoyable opportunities for students to engage with faculty outside the traditional classroom setting. Stead expressed his interest in organizing future screening events featuring films like “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962) and ”Bridge of Spies” (2015).
The TMU Mane 