Could Kevin Costner’s longbow save a child’s life?

Film Buff investigates the facts behind outlandish movie plots. THIS MONTH ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES

QIn Costner’s Hood romp, Robin saves a hanging child by slicing through the rope with a well-aimed arrow. A credible bullseye moment or wide of the mark?

AJOHN STANLEY,

EDITOR OF BOW INTERNATIONAL

I say yes [it’s credible], if the rope was under tension and the arrow had a sharp blade on the end, which is common on modern hunting arrows and some historical arrows used for warfare. The VFX shot of it suggests a pointed metal blade, although it would have to be razor-sharp. Hitting a strong rope with a normal pointed arrow, it would probably just stick in there. I’ve hit the ropes on target bales shooting at long distance and they just go in and stay, like you’d walked up and stabbed it with an arrow. The distance he shoots from doesn’t look like it’s more than about 25m, which is certainly doable with a longbow, if very difficult.

Elite Olympic archers can hit a spot the size of a CD at 70m pretty consistently. Good archers with modern bows using sights can hit a spot the width of a hefty rope all day long at 18m, so I suppose Kevin Costner with a longbow could just about pull it off, too. I wouldn’t bet on him doing it first time, though.

Does licking the arrow before shooting help? No. Assuming the arrow is perfectly balanced, you’re unevenly adding weight, and changing the properties of one of the three vanes, which are usually identical. You can make up arrows with the vanes all at a slight angle to help the arrow to spin, but over a short distance it might turn once or twice, but not like a rifle bullet. Archers don’t lick their arrows. I’m guessing Costner or the director thought it would look like a badass move.

VERDICT NOT BOLLOCKS (LICKING ASIDE)