Henry V is a 1989 film directed by Kenneth Branagh, and based upon the Shakespeare play about the famous English King. Branagh stars in the title role with Derek Jacobi as the Chorus (a narrator). Brian Blessed, Ian Holm, Christian Bale, Paul Scofield, Jimmy Yuill and Emma Thompson are among the other stars, whilst Robbie Coltrane and Judi Dench have the cameo roles of Falstaff and Mistress Quickly, both of them major characters in other Shakespearean plays. Another minor character, "Michael Williams", is played by the actor Michael Williams, Judi Dench's husband in real life.
The film was produced by Bruce Sharman with the British Broadcasting Corporation and Renaissance Films. Whereas the 1940s film used the Elizabethan Globe theatre as a setting in which to introduce the action, the 1989 version used a film set as the background to Chorus's opening speech. The visual and verbal styles of the film are much grittier than the Laurence Olivier film (see: Henry V), particularly with respect to the Battle of Agincourt scenes, which are strongly reminiscent of the battle scenes in the films of Akira Kurosawa, or the Battle of Shrewsbury in Orson Welles's Chimes At Midnight. The film's budget was $9 million.
One of the most surprising roles was that of Mountjoy, the French herald. Although he appears only in a few short scenes (and always wears the same royal-blue garment), he is given several memorable lines. Mountjoy was also named in Olivier's 1944 film and the 1979 BBC television version.
One characterization is surprising. Before the battle, the young Edward Duke of York asks to lead the vanguard; then he bravely dies, coughing up blood, when three French knights run him through at the same time. The scene is graphic and memorable. However, it is known that Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, died at Agincourt, but his death was not quite so heroic as Shakespeare and Branagh would have it. He was found dead but unwounded, apparently smothered by the weight of men and horses that fell on him. The error is more likely Shakespeare's than Branagh's, but Branagh could have chosen another person—who was known to have died of wounds—to make his point about the horror of war.
Reception
Henry V received near-universal critical acclaim for Branagh's Oscar-nominated performance and direction, for the accessibility of its Shakespearean language and particularly for its music by first-time composer Patrick Doyle, which was performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Simon Rattle.
The film grossed $10 million in the U.S. and at the time of its widest release played on 134 U.S. screens. Phyllis Dalton won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design and the film was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Branagh) and Best Director (Branagh).
Full Cast
External links
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