Back home

Henry V

403 votes

In 1415, in the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France.

Status: Released

Released Date: 1989-10-05

Runtime: 137 mins

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Writer: Kenneth Branagh

Spoken language: English

Genres: War, Drama, History

Original title: Henry V

Production Companies: BBC Film, Renaissance Films, Curzon Film Distributors

Production Countries: United Kingdom

Cast

Kenneth Branagh

Derek Jacobi

Brian Blessed

James Larkin

Paul Scofield

Emma Thompson

Judi Dench

Duke Humphrey of Gloucester

Simon Shepherd

Duke Edward of York

James Simmons

Archbishop of Canterbury

Charles Kay

Bishop of Ely

Alec McCowen

Earl Richard of Cambridge

Fabian Cartwright

Lord Henry Scroop

Stephen Simms

Sir Thomas Grey

Jay Villiers

Reviews

DocTerminus

28 year old Kenneth Branagh really reached for the stars with **HENRY V**, his cinematic directorial debut. Quite often, a young director falls on their backside in ones first attempt at making film. Luckily for us, **Henry V** is nothing short of a triumph. Branagh's directorial approach is ambitious and confident. Filled with high excitement - quite an accomplishment when staging a 400 year old stage play told completely through dialogue. His visual style certainly are more film than stage play, and his screenplay adaptation tightens the story, even with the inclusion of a scene that was originally from Shakespeare's **HENRY IV Part 2** to clarify the story. More amazing, Branagh also portrays the Young King in a tremendous interpretation of the role. Not only does his Harry fit organically into the story, his understanding of the language makes the story relatable to today's audiences without destroying the poetry. Others in the regal cast include excellent performances by Emma Thompson and Derek Jacobi as the omnipresent Chorus. Many other performers will star in Branagh's later films as he seems to operate in a collaborative community approach. The stunning musical score by Patrick Doyle cements what will become one of the greatest director / composer relationships. Brash and operatic, the score is as capable of supporting the many battles as well as the intimate romantic scenes. Obviously, Branagh's **HENRY V** will be compared to Olivier's film - a production that has not aged as well for today's audiences. Olivier's production is bright and colorful with sets resembling a production of the Wizard of Oz. Branagh's film is gritty and dirty and brings viewer onto the bloody field of Agincourt. On a personal level, Branagh's **HENRY V** was the first film that I watched in its entirety and stayed in my seat and watched it all the way through a second time. It shows that Shakespeare can be vibrant, entertaining and beautiful.

2022-02-02

Recommendations

3.6

Troy

2004-05-13

In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan

3.8

Avant la catastrophe - La Chute de la République de Weimar (1930-1933)

2022-10-21

3.8

The Six Triple Eight

2024-12-06

During World War II, the US Army's only all-Black, all-women battalion takes on an impossible missio

3.1

Oedipus Rex

1957-01-06

The story of Oedipus' gradual discovery of his primal crime, killing his father and marrying his mot

3.6

Pickpocket

1959-12-16

Michel takes up pickpocketing on a lark and is arrested soon after. His mother dies shortly after hi

3.9

Manhattan

1979-04-25

Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer dating a teenage girl is further

3.7

The Terminal

2004-06-17

An Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up tem

Titanic

1997-12-18

101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A y

4.2

City of God

2002-08-30

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths

4.1

Full Metal Jacket

1987-06-26

A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow rec

3.6

Farha

2021-09-14

Palestine, 1948. After the withdrawal of the British occupiers, tensions rise between Arabs and Jews

3.6

Out of Africa

1985-12-20

Tells the life story of Danish author Karen Blixen, who at the beginning of the 20th century moved t

3.9

Downfall

2004-09-16

In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the ea

3.8

The Last Samurai

2003-12-05

Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, whic

3.3

Blackmail

1929-07-28

London, 1929. Frank Webber, a very busy Scotland Yard detective, seems to be more interested in his

2.4

Boots on the Ground

2017-08-26

The story of five British soldiers trying to stay alive on the last night of the Afghan War, facing

3.7

Apollo 13

1995-06-30

The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, risking the l

The Italian Alphabet

2015-07-14

Seven students from different countries come to Rome to a school for foreigners. The diverse age gro

3.7

The Killing Fields

1984-11-23

New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the

Age 13

1955-01-01

Tells the story of Andrew, a 13-year-old whose mother dies and leaves him with an indifferent step-f