Now, being the escapist that I am, this is a quality that I can find in a wide variety of films. And, as I've been watching movies for quite some time, the range stretches, not just across genres, but also from current to vintage. That being said, it seems kind of appropriate to discuss the first movie that ever made me feel the way that I've described. I'll mention here also that it is a "vintage" film. (So, if you don't like old movies, this probably isn't going to interest you.)
The film is "The Adventures of Robin Hood", released in 1938 by Warner Brothers Pictures Inc., directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone and Claude Raines. Now, it should be understood and remembered from square one, this film exists in a completely different frame of reference than movies today. I take the time to bring that up because, every time I get into discussions about movies, and some vintage movie becomes a part of the conversation, misgivings and dislikes come up that are a direct result of the vintage nature of the film. I seem to always get into such discussions with people that always fail to (or are unable to) take into consideration the ambient society at the time of the movie's creation or the target audience of the film. If you're going to even attempt to discuss this movie in something at least resembling a practical fashion, these things should be considered.
"The Adventures of Robin Hood" was actually designed with escape in mind. From the music to the sets to the costumes, it was all about getting the audience to forget about life for a little over an hour and a half. And me being the escapist that I am, this movie was right up my alley.
This particular version of the story begins with King Richard (the Lionheart) having been captured on his way back from the Crusades, and held for ransom by Leopold of Austria. This provides Richard's brother, Prince John, an opportunity to attempt to seize the throne. The story unfolds from there.
The story and the setting of this film are refreshingly uncomplicated, as are the characters. The good and the bad exist only on either side of the line. There are no gray characters. The principle villians are Prince John (Claude Raines) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone). Prince John, in his quest to secure the throne, sets upon a campaign of oppression through taxation against the Saxons in England. With the announcement of Richard's captivity, Prince John increases the collection, claiming the raising of a ransom to save King Richard as a reason. When the Saxons, already taxed into poverty are unable to meet the demands of the collectors, they are abused, tortured and killed.
The film's hero, Robin of Loxley (Robin Hood) first appears in rescue of Much (the Miller's son), the first of his followers (they're never referred to as "merry men" in the movie), from Sir Guy. Much's passionate defiance of Sir Guy inspires Robin to act, supporting Much's defiance, defending his life and winning his loyalty. Robin Hood, as a character, is the sort of hero you can't help but love, tailor-made for a movie of this kind. He greets everyone, friend or foe, with a cheerful (if not charming) disposition and a clever, polite sarcasm that gives as good as it gets. But he doesn't use it as a facade. When the time comes, he's up-front and clear about his passions, sometimes, almost to the point of being brazen. He's a self-proclaimed hater of injustice who backs up his words with action, and seeks no reward accept the well-being of all around him. His greatest passion, however, exists in his loyalty to King Richard. Nothing stands of greater value to him than that. And, later on in the film, though the king's identity is unknown to him at the time, he expresses this fact to King Richard himself.
I don't know if it was the writers, or Errol Flynn's portrayal, but I just couldn't get enough of how Robin Hood handled himself when facing his adversaries. I was just tickled to death at his response to Sir Guy's reminder that the death sentence for killing the king's deer applied to both surf and noble. He says, "Really?", then he reaches back to his quiver, grabs an arrow, places it in his bow and says, "Are there no exceptions?", and then points the arrow right at Sir Guy. (As you can probably tell, this is the first of my favorite scenes.) In his first encounter with Marian, as he crashes a celebration held by Prince John at Sir Guy's castle, Robin finds her hostile to him because of the trouble he's causing the Norman nobility, seeing him only as a common criminal. Robin's witty sarcasm is more than a match for Marian's expressions of contempt. A contempt, by the way, that is fueled by the fact that Robin had just muscled his way into Prince John's celebration with the very deer, for which his life is forfeit, over his shoulders, and then, being allowed to approach, tossed it onto the table, right in front of Prince John. It is at this celebration that the lines are clearly drawn between Robin and Prince John. Consistent with his bold form, Robin announces his intentions to resist Prince John, leading a revolt in order to preserve the throne for King Richard. 
(Lady) Marian is confused, at first. Unlike Prince John and Sir Guy, Marian is a good person. She's just been too sheltered to realize what's really happening and is unable to see the wrong that's being done to the people. Her eyes are opened, however, when she's captured by Robin and his men in the company of a procession carrying the treasure taken from the people by force. Having confiscated the treasure, Robin shows her that his and his men's only intention for the treasure is the ransom of King Richard. He also shows her the victims of the injustices inflicted on the people by the Norman nobility. With the knowledge of the truth of what Robin is doing, and that he's doing it because it's right and not for personal gain, she not only understands why, but begins to admire him for it. She recognizes the level of his dedication to the welfare of the people in his willingness to sacrifice his own privileges as a noble to protect them from Prince John and the Norman nobles. It is from this point that Marian begins to fall in love with Robin.
As medieval villians go, Prince John's pretty typical. His contempt for the peasantry, particularly the Saxons, is matched by his treachery and ambition. He has no compunctions whatsoever when it comes to getting what he wants. Especially when it comes to the crown. He's relatively good to his friends, but, that only extends as far as their usefulness. While his manner is typical of genteel nobility and royalty, his ruthlessness seems to know no bounds and is no respecter of persons. The head he puts on a pike could just as easily be the closest and highest of his friends as the lowest and most hated of his enemies.
Sir Guy of Gisbourne, as a character, is just a step above a hatchet-man. For a greater part, he wears his nobility much like Prince John, but he's just not as "genteel". Though it is said at one point that he's in love with Marian, you wouldn't be able to tell that watching him. What attention he does show her seems to amount to little more than just trying to impress a pretty face. When he discovers Marian's efforts to help Robin, there's no visible sign of disappointment, and no compunctions about exposing her. With the exception of his loyalty to Prince John, anything else that you might be able to glean from his character is eclipsed by his hatred for Robin. And the humiliation he suffers at Robin's hands just intensifies it.
The exchanges between Prince John and the Norman nobility, and Robin and his men reach a climax when King Richard turns up in England after escaping captivity in Austria. The events and plans that follow lead to the final confrontation between Sir Guy and Robin. This confrontation takes the form of a sword fight that is still legendary in some film circles. Being the kind of movie that it is, it is generously laced with action sequences that are (for the times) well choreographed and executed. And all of them fun to watch. When Robin and King Richard move to stop the coronation of Prince John, there begin the greatest sword-fighting sequences of the film. The castle is filled with wall to wall sword fights. At one point, you see a sea of light glinting off swords, and hear only the sound of striking blades. From the midst of this, Robin and Sir Guy separate themselves in combat. The sword fight between them is classic, moving from room to room, up and down stairs and in and out of camera. In the movement of their fighting, at one point, they slip out of camera shot and their shadows slip into view on a nearby wall, their silhouettes clearly showing their continued vigorous combat. Slipping back into camera shot, combat begins to involve furniture. (It just wouldn't be complete if furniture weren't involved.) Sooo, much fun! 
As is typical of adventure films of the time, at the end of the fighting, all the villains are vanquished. Prince John and the nobles that aided him in his plans are defeated or surrender, Sir Guy is dead, defeated in mortal combat, and Richard retains his throne. And, for the perfect ending, the king pardons Robin's men for their actions as outlaws, fighting for the preservation of Richard's throne, Robin is made earl with lands to support his title, command is given for Robin and Marian to be married, the two of them confessing their wish to be together to the king, and Robin and Marian, expressing their gratitude to the king, leave the castle in each other's arms to the cheers of Robin's men. Once again, given the kind of movie it is, when it was made and the audience targeted, a predictable and expected ending.
With the kind of escape that this film offered, it's little wonder one might find one's self sorry that the film was over. Everything about this movie was designed (and rather effectively) to take the mind off of the cares of everyday life. It was so well designed to this task that it serves to provide that level of escape to this day. At the time the movie was released, the Great Depression was just approaching its end and life was not easy. I can only imagine that the escape this film provided was welcomed and enjoyed.
I've been watching this film since I was a child. I've lost count of how many times I've seen it. And I can say with the greatest certainty, that, every single time I watched it, when it ended, I was sorry it was over.
