Henry V [VHS] Overview
Very few films come close to the brilliance Kenneth Branagh achieved with his first foray into screenwriting and direction. Henry V qualifies as a masterpiece, the kind of film that comes along once in a decade. He eschews the theatricality of Laurence Olivier's stirring, fondly remembered 1945 adaptation to establish his own rules. Branagh plays it down and dirty, seeing the bard's play through revisionist eyes, framing it as an antiwar story. Branagh gives us harsh close-ups of muddied, bloody men, and close-ups of himself as Henry, his hardened mouth and willful eyes revealing much about this land war. Not that the director-star doesn't provide lighter moments. His scenes introducing the French Princess Katherine (Emma Thompson) are toothsome. Bubbly, funny, enhanced by lovely lighting and Thompson's pale beauty, these glimpses of a princess trying to learn English quickly from her maid are delightful.
What may be the crowning glory of Branagh's adaptation comes when the dazed, shaky leader wanders through battlefields, not even sure who has won. As King Hal carries a dead boy (Empire of the Sun's Christian Bale) over the hacked-up bodies of both the English and French, you realize it is the first time Branagh has opened up the scenes: a panorama of blood and mud and death. It is as strong a statement against warmongering as could ever be made. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Customer Reviews
Kenneth Branagh is one of the leading actors of our time, known for his excellent work with William Shakespeare known. In this big budget 1989 production of Henry V, Branagh directs and plays the title role. Does a great job to bring to take the life of Shakespeare's Henry as a young single party, which now has the moral certainty that the great power of France to venture to a duel.
In addition, the budget for large production completely, which means that visually very funnyClock, with a great sense of reality. The production is of great names such as Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, and even a young Christian Bale not to mention many other faces you see are filled immediately.
This is a great production of Shakespeare's Henry V, perhaps the best ever made. If you love Shakespeare, then you will like this movie, I know for sure, and I give him my best regards!
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