Henry V (1989)

Best movie ever!

Absolutely Fantastic

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

I'm not a big fan of period costume dramas (or musicals for that matter), but what Kenneth Branagh did here as screenwriter, actor and director served to bring Shakespearean verse to life in a way that would have made using modern dialog an injustice. I'm not that familiar with Shakespeare apart from cursory study in high school, and with that being so far in the past, the film was a welcome departure from more traditional movie fare for this viewer. One mention in particular was surprising to hear, that of a 'band of brothers' referred to in Henry's St. Crispin's speech, only to learn a short time later that the verse actually inspired the title of that acclaimed World War II mini-series. I thought Branagh's Henry was quite eloquent in motivating his men to battle, and no less so in wooing the French Princess Kate (Emma Thompson). The film itself and Branagh's delivery is decidedly pro-England, but then again, so was William Shakespeare, and with this film one gains a measure of the bard's rich language and emotion.

Some years ago I read a history of the 100 Years War and it was by a British author named Desmond Siward who advanced the notion that Henry V was one of the great tyrants in making of English history. Had it not been for his early death that's how he would have gone down in history. Thinking on it, imagine if you will how history might have regarded him had he lived another decade and had been in power for the British occupation of over half of France and had been the man in charge when Joan Of Arc was burned at the stake?When Winston Churchill gave all aid and assistance he could to Laurence Olivier;s Henry V during World War II it was to show the glory of English arms at a high point in their history. Even if it was at the expense of France whom the British were now allies with. Olivier played Henry V in true heroic mold, but in this production of Henry V, Kenneth Branagh gives Henry V a touch of the tyrant as in current historiography.This Henry V was not guided by wartime necessity, but could be closer to the truth. I did like the inclusions of those flashback scenes from Henry IV where we see merry Prince Hal cavorting with his low companions like Sir John Falstaff. Those might have been some invention of Shakespeare, but certainly the man who was Henry V was all business when he was on the throne.This newer Henry V received several Oscar nominations including one for Kenneth Branagh to match the one that Laurence Olivier got over 40 years earlier for Best Actor. It's certainly a different Henry that Branagh gives us. You can hardly see a Prince Hal in this king.

I like Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare films, and Henry V is one of his better ones. The play is a very good one, and this film does it justice.Visually, it is very beautiful to look at, with interesting camera angles and great scenery and costumes. The music fits each scene very well and doesn't fall into the trap of being too melodramatic.The film like the play has a fine, compelling story that makes you feel all sorts of emotions, and the dialogue is wonderful. Branagh's directorial flair has a lot of vigour to it, and the Battle of Agincourt especially is very evocatively staged.The performances are uniformly good, Branagh is particularly impressive in the title role and the supporting cast are all fine Derek Jacobi coming off best in yet another one of his great performances. Overall, very well crafted. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This is the best on-screen rendition of a Shakespeare play that I'm aware of. The acting talent that Branagh brought to bear here is stupendous, with Derek Jacobi doing the best job ever as Chorus, Ian Holm representing the men in the trenches with wicked wit, and Branagh himself delivering a St. Crispin's Day speech for the ages. But... the most innovative aspect of this film is the cinematography used at the Battle of Agincourt, with most of the actual battle shot in close-up rather than the sweeping vistas we've come to expect from such films. We never see the ranks of the two sides drawn up for battle, nor do we see massed troop movements. All we see is the unforgettable looks on the Englismen's faces as they stand waiting to receive the initial French cavalry charge, followed by utter mayhem as the individual characters fight it out in the rain. This is a perfect device, since at the end of the battle Henry screams at the French herald that he knows not whether the day is his. At that point, neither do we, meaning Branagh has hit the nail on the head.The only reason I'm not giving this film ten stars is because the play itself is flawed. The scene in the middle with the French princess is a non sequitur, as she serves no function in the film but to be married off to Harry at the end. That ending could have been eliminated and would have made the play (and thus the film ) much better, because with it the last fifteen minutes feel anticlimactic. Had we simply ended it with the end of the battle, leaving the stage littered with bodies as in so many other Shakespeare plays, it would have been far better. Still, the rest of the film is so brilliant that the movie as a whole rates nine stars.