MovieChat Forums > The Adjuster Discussion > Robin Hood motif

Robin Hood motif

posted 18 years ago by Dano81
9 replies | jump to latest

Any ideas on what the Robin Hood motif was all about? Noah lives in a would-be development called Sherwood Forest, shoots arrows at the signs displaying the name, and (this may be reaching) is a claim adjuster who seems to genuinely help his clients (the "poor" in light of their tragedies) get their money from the insurance company (the "rich"), as opposed to the typical claims adjuster, whose job is to ensure that the insurance company pays the smallest claim possible.

Any thoughts on how this fits into the rest of the film's themes?

[–] William_Hunt 16 years ago

I like the fact that Egoyan called this character Noah. The motel were he put his clients is almost like Noah's ark.

[–] tieman64 15 years ago

He seems to allude to fables in a lot of his films. Little Red Riding Hood, Robin Hood, Noah's Ark, The Pied Piper etc. I don't know why, it but gives his films a slightly mystical quality.

"Rape is no laughing matter. Unless you're raping a clown."

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

Very good observation, tieman! "The Sweet Hereafter" was probably the most obvious, with the Pied Piper reference. I'm embarrassed to admit that the Robin Hood theme didn't even occur to me until after reading this board, but it certainly fits. I thought the point of the bow and arrow was Noah's attempt to hit his targets in life – establishing a profound contact with everyone he came in contact with.

[–] tangopants 14 years ago

For me, the exchange with the family while shooting arrows is very telling:

(not verbatim)
"He wants to know if you're an indian."
"What if I say yes?"
"He'll believe you"
"Then yes."

So rather than seeing Noah as a genuine Robin Hood figure, I see him more as an actor who will do or say whatever to please and comfort people. Interesting too that, in this case, the thing he is asked to play as is stereotypically represented as a person of authenticity and a grip on "nature".

Just another reading.

[–] WarpedRecord 14 years ago

Very thoughtful post. I suspect the title of the film is meant to suggest that Noah will do anything to accommodate people -- including adjusting the truth.
Though this film is very somber, it borders on black comedy because the real-life adjuster is nothing like Noah (at least the real-life adjusters I've known). Adjusters seem to serve to rob people, not reward them. Prove me wrong, someone!

[–] BobStage 13 years ago

At first, I thought that the archer moments served as a sign of his true detachment from people. The archer shoots from a distance, and is thus distanced and cold from the people he kills. Considering that, and the fact that he'll talk business while having sex with a woman, seemed to lean towards referencing his detachment.

But then later on I noticed the Robin Hood motif as well, but I wasn't sure if my first assumption was completely untrue.

[–] ARH 11 years ago

I never noticed that, but you're totally right!

[–] Dan_Garten 9 years ago

Cool.

[–] TreeShaman (806) 4 years ago

I thought it might have something to do with him being an insurance agent. What are the chances that somebody might be walking out there one day and gets struck and killed by an arrow? Insurance companies calculate the odds improbably things like that happening. It's almost like he's playing the odds. He seems to get a thrill from disasters happening.