Henry V (1989)

• Year: 1989
• Released: 08 Nov 1989
• Country: United Kingdom
• Adwords: Won 1 Oscar. 11 wins & 13 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097499/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Henry_V
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/henry-v
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, French, Latin
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Biography, Drama, History
• Runtime: 137 min
• Writer: William Shakespeare, Kenneth Branagh
• Director: Kenneth Branagh
• Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Simon Shepherd
• Keywords: based on true story, based on a true story, based on play or musical, france, sword fight,

	7.5/10
	83/100

Henry V Storyline

The still young King Henry V of England (Sir Kenneth Branagh), intending to tax the English church, is sent off to war by the Bishops to enforce the (doubtful) claim to France. The King, thus sure of devine blessing for his cause, wages war on the French all too proud in overpowing strength. After the Battle of Agincourt, King Charles VI of France (Paul Scofield) has to yield his daughter, Princess Katherine de Valois (Dame Emma Thompson) as a peace offering. In a bitter satire, this political marriage is then portrayed as the happy ending joining the two recent lovers.

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Henry V Movie Reviews

“We would not seek a battle as we are, yet as we are, we say we will not shun it.”

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.

Very well crafted

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

Touch Of The Tyrant

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.