Henry V (1989)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Pehaps Kenneth Branagh's most fully realized Shakespeare adaptation, Henry V is an energetic, passionate, and wonderfully acted film.
Movie Info
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Cast
as Henry V
as Chorus
as Exeter
as Fluellen
as Duke of Gloucester
as Bedford
as York
as Earl of Westmoreland
as Archbishop of Canterbury
as Bishop of Ely
as Cambridge
as Scroop
as Grey
as Sir Thomas Erpingham
as Capt. Gower
as Jamy
as Capt. MacMorris
as Bates
as Court
as Williams
as Lt. Bardolph
as Cpl. Nym
as Ancient Pistol
as Sir John Falstaff
as Falstaff's Boy
as Mistress Quickly
as French King
as Dauphin
as Duke of Burgundy
as Duke of Orleans
as Grandpre
as Court
as Constable of France
as Mountjoy
as Princess Katherine
as Alice
as Governor of Harfleur
as Messenger
as Warwick
as Talbot
as Duke of Berri
as Bretagne
as Child
as Soldier #1
as Soldier #2
News & Interviews for Henry V
Critic Reviews for Henry V
All Critics (40) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (0) | DVD (3)
Branagh has made a hotblooded, lively and moving Henry V that speaks pertinently to a new generation.
There is a great deal of value in Branagh`s version, not least in his own lead performance as a soft, indefinite Henry who defines himself over the course of the play.
If Olivier gave us the glint of sunlight on armor and the wind roaring through the pennants and flags, Branagh gives us the rot, the mold, the wounds and the crusted blood underneath.
There's a boldness to Branagh's Henry V, which shows off the cinematic possibilities of Shakespeare without a lot of distracting razzle-dazzle.
A stirring, gritty and enjoyable pic which offers a plethora of fine performances from some of the U.K.'s brightest talents.
It might never be as famous as Olivier's, but it should carry considerable clout for years to come.
Audience Reviews for Henry V
The Branaugh take on Shakespeare starts here with the film that had everyone comparing him to Larry Olivier. It is possible that we embraced this first very good Shakespearean film since Olivier a little easily. Branaugh is no Olivier after all and this film is not as good as Larry's in '44.
Super Reviewer
Good. But too much left out.
Super Reviewer
Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Shakespeare's play was his directorial debut and at the time many balked at the very idea that this young whipper snapper could dare to get in the ring with Laurence Olivier and his then definitive version. This film is a completely different proposition however, choosing to use the cinematic medium to great effect to breathe gritty, believable life into the characters and story. He is of course backed up by probably the finest assemblance of Shakespearian talent whose pedigree shines through in a faultless collection of performances, from the arrogance and politicking of the nobles to the earthy pathos of the common soldier. Even the uninitiated who can be intimidated by the seemingly inpenetrable prose should be able to follow the plot because of the clever use of performance and realism to convey the meaning of the florid dialogue, but I must admit from time to time I wished I had some Cliff notes to aid my understanding of the nuances. The battle scenes are recreated in a way obviously influenced by John Boorman's Excalibur, all sweat and blood and filth, and to echo the modern climate offers a more human portrayal of bloodshed on such an epic scale. The highlights are of course all provided by Branagh's excellent and naturalistic interpretation of Henry (although Paul Scofield's subtle performance as the melancholy King of France is near its equal), most notably his pre-battle speeches which inspire without the clodhopping patriotic manipulation you have seen in everything from Braveheart to Independence Day. His inexperience behind the camera tells occasionally as he gets a little slo-mo happy and the battle is a little confusing, but as a whole it's a great achievement.
Super Reviewer
Henry V Quotes
| Henry V: | And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by from this day until the ending of the world but we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, Be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition, and gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves acursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whilst any speaks, that fought with us upon St. Crispin's day! |
| Henry V: | I pray thee take my former answer back. Bid them achieve me than sell my bones!" |
| Henry V: | And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by from this day until the ending of the world but we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, Be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition, and gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves acursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whilst any speaks, that fought with us upon St. Crispin's day! |