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I adored Prince Hal's antics in Henry IV (Part 1). I even got to play Prince Hal in my Shakespeare class. If you've read the play, you know the fun-loving youth must become a monarch, and he is forced to lay aside his best drinking (and teaching) buddies. Both Kenneth Branagh and Laurence Olivier did Henry V films. These are two very different films, although Branagh gives an homage to Olivier in the great "Crispian" speech.
Olivier's Henry V I was appalled at the portrayal of my favorite character, Fluellen. When I read the play, I found Fluellen's devotion to the histories of war endearing, because it showed that he is not only a soldier in form but also a soldier in his heart. His devotion to the histories showed that he considered soldiering an honorable profession with a tradition that he must uphold. I read him as a foil to Pistol and Nim, who were off to war because it was their duty (or opportunity) and not their Vocation, which is how Fluellen views his role. In the Olivier Henry V, Fluellen is a horrible caricature of what I can only imagine to be the worst stereotype of a Welshman. The Olivier Henry opens with a wonderful, panoramic shot of the Globe Playhouse (and the River Avon). The camera zooms in to give the viewer a place in a 17th century audience. The scene is historically accurate, with the orchestra featured in a balcony, the groundlings hovering about in front of the stage and the pricey seats above them and on the stage. The Chorus is wearing an earring and a gold cape. After the Chorus speaks and the Archbishop and the Bishop bring the audience up-to-date on Henry V's transformation to a pious and scholarly king; and explain the salic situation. The players are standing in front of a curtain, and it is clear that they are on one of the Playhouse stage's balconies. At the end of Scene I, the camera takes the viewer behind the scenery to see the actors changing costumes. There is a wonderful shot of Sir Laurence drawing a deep breath before he begins his entrance. Scene 2 has a marvelous bit where the Archbishop loses his "lines." The French Ambassador is extremely effeminate, giving a lurid (and probably intended) double entendre to the tennis balls. Olivier's Henry is a king's king -- he tosses his crown onto a post on the throne, and swaggers off the stage after he dismisses the mincing ambassador. The film moves easily between the theater setting and the sweeping film scenes that do not incorporate the stage. After the film leaves the theater, the Chorus' parts begin after the end of the act fades to black, and the screen slowly fades up to the Chorus. It's an elegant effect. The conclusion returns the viewer to the theater. It is a nicely done package;
revolutionary in it's time. This a delightful movie (outside of my Fluellen complaint). It
is a film that does not allow the viewer to forget this story springs from the theater.
Olivier
Branagh's Henry V is a different kind of warrior. He is ambivalent about the salic situation and makes it plain that he must be on solid ground before he considers invading France. The film has a beautiful grayish-blue cast, many of the scenes are overcast. As always, Branagh uses film techniques not available on the stage to fill out the story for those who are not Shakespeare scholars. Ian Holm plays Fluellen, and he captures the essence of this character. The entire cast is strong (and British) and the greatest fault I can find with the film is that the Battle at Agincourt is so climatic, the scenes of the surrender of France to England and Katherine to Henry pale in comparison, making the end seem a little weak. I caught the end of the film the other night on cable. I had not been taken to the height to which the battle takes the viewer. I found the final scene between Henry and Katherine sweet and touching when I saw it out of context. The score by Patrick Doyle is magnificent and unobtrusive. If you are fortunate enough to see the two Henry Vs, look for Branagh's homage to Olivier when he does the Crispian speech before the battle of Agincourt. Derek Jacobi is an enthusiastic chorus, keeping the threads of the many scenes together. Highly recommended. |
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