"Henry V" is a stupendous achievement on the part of actor/director Kenneth Branagh. At 28-years of age, he created a definitive interpretation of William Shakespeare's play for our times. What's more, it was his directorial debut.
Despite youth and inexperience, Branagh shows the incredible affinity for Shakespeare's work which he became famous for. "Henry V" made Branagh's career and rightly so.
It is a spectacular film depicting spectacular battles and the struggles of a young king. It brings Shakespeare's principal war play into the post-Vietnam era. Overall, however, it is simply excellent entertainment.
In "Henry V," Kenneth Branagh creates a Shakespeare for all of us, from the high-minded connoisseur of film to the regular action junkie. He did "Braveheart" first and from a Shakespeare play at that. Branagh takes some liberty with the text of the play to move the action along and to keep the film's running time at a reasonable length, and the result is a truly watchable authentic Shakespeare film.
Even though "Henry V" is a British film, Branagh expertly uses Hollywood methods to keep his audience interested. The battle scenes are played realistically, unusual for a Shakespeare production, and the editing is flawless. Branagh's intimate close-ups take us into the hearts and minds of the characters.
All the supporting characters turn in excellent performances. Paul Scofield is convincing as the French king and Robbie Coltrane is perfect as Falstaff, Harry's reminder of his past.
No performance is stronger than Branagh's, however. He is even better an actor than he is a director, no mean feat. He finely portrays Harry's nuances, from deceiving his soldiers as he walks among them, his fabulous St. Crispin's Day speech, to his comic and romantic wooing of Katherine (Emma Thompson), the French princess. Branagh communicates to us both the fortitude that King Henry needed to persevere through the war, and the pain that came of it.
This dual nature of war is a theme throughout "Henry V." Like Oliver Stone's "Platoon," "Henry V" cannot quite decide between absolute patriotism and the all-out opposition of war. It paints the horrors of war, but the glory is still there. Branagh is not afraid to explore all aspects of Harry's raw ambition and patriotism.
While King Henry's quest for glory is ultimately successful, the audience cannot help but remember the casualties along the way. These are not only the thousands killed in battle, but the friends he once had and the man he used to be. Like any great war movie, "Henry V" creates a conflict in the heart of the average audience member. War is so glorious, but the sacrifices are so great.
Branagh made "Henry V" on a shoestring budget, and his greatest achievement may be that one can hardly notice it. The battle scenes are large and commanding, and the medieval sets are more than convincing. Branagh got an Oscar nomination for both directing and acting in "Henry V."
He has since moved on to bigger, more elaborate Shakespeare productions. "Much Ado About Nothing" was a breezy delight. And his four-hour "Hamlet" surpassed all expectations.
But if you want to see a truly great piece of filmmaking, writing and acting, look no further than "Henry V." It is a rousing, stirring depiction of love and war. It is an amazing story of a boy-king discovering what it means to be both a man and be king.
Go out and be moved by the words of a man 400-years dead interpreted by a 28-year-old genius.
