Henry V | | Cast : | Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi | | Director : | Kenneth Branagh | | Studio : | MGM/UA Video | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | November 08, 1989 | | DVD Released Date : | July 18, 2000 | | Language : | French (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 01, 2005 | | Summary | What a Piece of Work is this Movie!! | Content
 | +++++
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap with any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."
This is the famous, thrilling speech you will hear in William Shakespeare's history play "Henry V" (written circa 1599) now adapted to the big screen by Kenneth Branagh who also directed (his directional debut).
This play is about how King Henry V defeats, against all odds, the French. It is a masculine play that, in this movie, has only three women, and they all have small parts. This movie is a picture of real war, with all its filth and gore.
Branagh helps those viewers who are not totally familiar with the play by presenting, in the form of flashbacks, King Henry's past relationship with Falstaff (Robbie Coltrane), Shakespeare's greatest comic creation. Falstaff does not appear in this play (even though he is talked about) but he was prominent in "Henry IV." Branagh's flashbacks provide the viewer, as well, with helpful continuity. It was touches like this that made me realize why Branagh was nominated for Best Director.
This movie has seven major characters:
(1) King Henry V of England (Kenneth Branagh): Prince Hal (of Henry IV) matured into noble manhood, courageous, energetic, generous, just, modest, warm-hearted, wise, practical, and "with a stubborn outside, with an aspect of iron."
(2) Fluellen (Ian Holm): an honest Welsh captain in the English army, a man of "much care and valor" but "out of fashion" and pedantic in his claim to know the discipline of war.
(3) Charles VI (Paul Scofield), King of France
(4) Lewis (Michael Maloney), the Dauphin, son of Charles, a conceited coxcomb full of hollow and ostentatious valor, who overestimates himself and underestimates Henry V and the English Army
(5) Katherine (Emma Thompson): charming and coy daughter of Charles, betrothed to King Henry, who believes that she has "witchcraft in [her] lips" and is like an angel. Her attendant is Alice (Geraldine McEwan).
(6) Boar's Head Tavern gang (from Henry IV): Pistol (Bob Stephens), Nym (Geoffrey Hutchings), and Bardolph (Richard Briers) who now become camp-followers, cheaters, and thieves in the English Army. There is also the hostess of the tavern, Mistress Quickly (Judi Dench).
(7) Prologue or Chorus (Derek Jacobi): is kind of a narrator that directs the action at certain points. A very important part.
Kenneth Branagh as King Henry gives an extraordinary acting performance. His appearance is deceptive. While he looks like an adolescent, he speaks with the voice of a man who has seen and lived through everything. Branagh's Henry abhors the futility and barbarism of war but he stills gives an inspirational Saint Crispin's day speech (the name of the speech above) in which every word is spoken with conviction. After seeing Branagh's performance, I could understand why he was nominated for Best Actor.
Derek Jacobi as the Chorus also does a superb job. In fact, one of this movie's most thrilling moments takes place, not on the battlefields, but in the movie studio. The movie begins with the Chorus (dressed in modern clothes) initiating the action with the flick of a light switch and lighting up an empty set with medieval props and other paraphernalia. Then as the music quickens in pace, he hurries to a massive door and flings it open, magically thrusting the viewer into medieval England. Unforgettable!!
Look for Emma Thompson's performance as the French-speaking Princess Katherine. It is with her scene that the devastation and brutality of war are suddenly swept aside, and we are permitted a glimpse of her boudoir where she is receiving an English lesson from her attendant. This scene is not to be missed!
Ian Holm as Fluellen gives this character just the right balance of humor and integrity. Yet another fine performance.
The cinematography, sets, and costumes were visually stunning. In fact, this movie won an Oscar for costume design. As well, the background music added to each scene.
The DVD picture and sound quality are practically perfect. Unfortunately, it has only one extra: a theatrical trailer. I also found it strange that this movie had no English subtitles. (This would have proved invaluable for the French scene with Princess Katherine.)
Finally, I also recommend the movies "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993) and "Hamlet" (1996), a Shakespearean comedy and tragedy
directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh.
BOTTOM LINE: This movie is a worthy addition to the Bard's cinematic canon.
(1989; 2 hr 20 min; widescreen; 36 scenes)
+++++
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| Rating | | | Date | August 01, 2005 | | Summary | Exhilirating | Content
| It is rare for film to bring history and story alive. However, HENRY V achieves that!
HENRY V is used in the study of Shakespeare, business schools on leadership, and in history courses to cover the British victory in the famous Battle of Agincourt.
The film is breathtaking. It is extraordinary. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 27, 2005 | | Summary | A Muse of Fire | Content
| "Henry V" is undoubtedly one of my favorite films of all time. Kenneth Branagh's adaptation and direction are marvelous. It may seem a little odd, but I watch this film when I'm nervous and it immediately gives me a jolt of confidence. My favorite part of the film is Derek Jacobi's nuanced portrayal of the Chorus. My heart started racing the first time I heard his "O, for a muse of fire" speech. Jacobi somehow gives the Chorus dimensions that I never picked up on in the text. Branagh himself is a wonderful Henry. There is an innate dichotomy in the King that Branagh makes very clear. His Henry is both frightened and brave, strong and weak, and Branagh conveys every side of the King. His "St. Crispin's day" speech is rousing and spellbinding. Branagh's adaptation is far more bleak than the text, but this does not harm the film. As it is, the film ultimately becomes a lament on the effects of warfare. The losses on each side are keenly felt. To this day, the image of Branagh carrying the dead boy across the field while the soldiers sing "Non nobis, domine" is one of the most moving moments I have ever seen. "Henry V" is blessed by a wonderful score by Patrick Doyle. The Overture, St. Crispin's day, and Non nobis domine are all high points in a majestic score. Though the film is set in medieval Europe, it could take place in modern times. The film is a bleak, yet cautiously hopeful, tale of two countries at war. "Henry V" frequently finds its way to my DVD player. Branagh's speech is always inspiring and Derek Jacobi never fails to give me chills. "Henry V" is must-see viewing for students of Shakespeare or history or film buffs. Viewers will not be disappointed by Branagh's stunning effort. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 18, 2005 | | Summary | Gritty and gutsy | Content
| Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of "Henry V" would be remarkably good even made by an experienced director; this as a directorial debut is astounding. It is gritty and engaging, rarely dull, and full of a fiery passion that grabs the viewer and will not let go. Branagh clearly loves Shakespeare, and this comes across onscreen.
Branagh, who plays the title role, brings a delightfully youthful presence to the play. Unlike previous versions, such as Lawrence Olivier's 1941 film, Henry here is presented more as a youth than a man, still retaining a bit of that Jack-the-Lad persona that Prince Hal had in the Henry IV plays. He is remarkably charismatic, however, and the famous speeches ("once more unto the breach" and "band of brothers") are delivered with so much personality and passion that, were I a soldier, I'd want to follow him too. He makes a believable warrior, and his scenes with Princess Katharine are appropriately tenderly awkward.
Supporting Branagh is a cast of talented performers, who bring gravitas and personality to even the smallest of roles. Branagh has chosen his people well, and the cast list reads like a Who's Who of super-talents: Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench, Brian Blessed, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Geoffrey Hutchings, Robert Stephens, and Christian Bale are only a few of the many talented performers here. Everyone does an excellent job: Derek Jacobi as the present-day one-man Chorus particularly springs to mind. I especially like the little group playing Falstaff's "family": Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, and Christian Bale all together on one screen is an electrifying experience. Coltrane is perfect as the avuncular Falstaff: he has a knack for completely disappearing into character and his screen presence is magnetic. With his twinkling eyes and bushy hair one can see hints of the equally-cheerful Hagrid, but Coltrane makes Falstaff his own and is a pleasure to watch. Dench's Mistress Quickly is funny, witty, and heart-wrenching all at once. Bale's young lad (he has no name, credited only as "Falstaff's Boy" in the Dramatis Personae) has a sprightly youth to him at first, which gradually becomes wearier as the film progresses. It was Kenneth Branagh and this role that convinced Bale to return to acting, so it holds a bit of a special place in my affections for this too.
The structure of the play has been mixed around a bit, and there are scenes providing background material included from "Henry IV, Part I." Some of the less-interesting dialogue has been trimmed - though the rather amusing tennis-balls scene remains - but this is all for the better: Branagh produces a Shakespeare adaptation that moves along at a fairly rapid clip for most of its running time, slowing down only occasionally to explain situations. The slowest part of the movie is at the beginning, due largely to the necessary exposition, and the scenes with Princess Katharine feel slightly sluggish after the gritty fight scenes preceding it. However, Branagh and Thompson convey a tender budding of affection in their roles onscreen that is delightful to watch.
The big battle scenes are the film's clearest triumphs. Stage combat can be excellent, but there is no substitute for seeing a bloody, bedraggled Henry, carrying the limp, lifeless form of a young flag-bearer (Bale) as he clambers over the equally bloody bodies of both enemies and friends. He is victorious, but it has not been without cost. There is blood and mud aplenty in this version, and it conveys the horrors of war in a way few films I've seen do: it is rarely graphic but impresses on the viewer how dreary, dreadful, and vain combat is. It is a powerfully anti-war film.
All in all, this is an excellent adaptation of a Shakespearean play, and makes a great introduction to the play for those unfamiliar with it, or the Bard in general. The music can be a little overwhelming, and it's definitely a budget production, but these things don't matter once the people start speaking. It's an engaging and thoroughly enjoyable adaptation. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 12, 2005 | | Summary | Still waiting | Content
| Well, I have seen the movie before, which is great. However, I am still waiting for my order to arrive. It has been over a month and it has yet to ship. Amazon is not impressing me. |
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