Henry V (1989)

Henry V (1989)
Member Rating:  
Kenneth Branagh makes his feature-film directorial debut with this adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V. After the Chorus (Derek Jacobi) introduces the play, young king of England Henry V (Kenneth Branagh) begins an angry dialogue with King Charles of France (Paul Scofield). The king's son, Dauphin (Michael Maloney), insults Henry and the argument escalates into war. In flashback, Henry is seen as a young man drinking in a tavern with Falstaff (Robbie Coltrane), Bardolph (Richard Briers), Nym (Geoffrey Hutchings), Pistol (Robert Stephens), and Mistress Quickly (Judi Dench). Meanwhile, Henry and his captain, Fluellen (Ian Holm), assemble an army and invade France. The French greatly outnumber the British troops, yet Henry leads them to victory in the Battle of Agincourt after delivering his famous St. Crispin's Day Speech. Throughout this struggle, Henry also courts Katherine (Emma Thompson) and eventually wins her over. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

 Read More


Starring:
Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, (more)
Director(s):
Kenneth Branagh
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
PG13
Format(s):
DVD
View All Versions to rent and buy
 
 
 
 
 
 

Synopsis of Henry V

Kenneth Branagh makes his feature-film directorial debut with this adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V. After the Chorus (Derek Jacobi) introduces the play, young king of England Henry V (Kenneth Branagh) begins an angry dialogue with King Charles of France (Paul Scofield). The king's son, Dauphin (Michael Maloney), insults Henry and the argument escalates into war. In flashback, Henry is seen as a young man drinking in a tavern with Falstaff (Robbie Coltrane), Bardolph (Richard Briers), Nym (Geoffrey Hutchings), Pistol (Robert Stephens), and Mistress Quickly (Judi Dench). Meanwhile, Henry and his captain, Fluellen (Ian Holm), assemble an army and invade France. The French greatly outnumber the British troops, yet Henry leads them to victory in the Battle of Agincourt after delivering his famous St. Crispin's Day Speech. Throughout this struggle, Henry also courts Katherine (Emma Thompson) and eventually wins her over. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
138 mins

Complete Cast of Henry V


Director(s):
Kenneth Branagh
Writer(s):
Kenneth Branagh
Producer(s):
Bruce Sharman
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
PG13(War Violence, Questionable for Children)
Categories:
Independent Films
Henry V Awards:
  • 1989 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Director
  • 1990 - European Film Academy - Best Young European Film
  • 1990 - European Film Academy - Best Actor
  • 1989 - National Board of Review - Best Director
  • 1989 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best New Director
Looking for special editions of Henry V?
See All Versions
Subtitles:
Check All Versions
Closed Captioning:
Check All Versions
 
 
 
 

BY MAIL

Monthly Subscription
NEW! 7 - Day Rental
No subscription required. Usually ships in 24 hours.
 

IN-STORE

 

What's Your Take?

Add to FavoritesIn Favorites  |  Share:     Email to a friendShare on FacebookShare on Twitter
    YOUR REVIEW
    WRITE A REVIEW
     
    1000 
     
    Member Reviews
    Read all (16)
     
    Miguel G.

    I loved the interpretation, the acting and the music. It is sad to see how impatient people are with intelligent dialogue and plot development. Too many words???? Tell that to Shakespeare. It's like telling Mozart "too many notes."

    Yes   |   No

     
    Shannon B.

    Branagh's *Henry V* is just about as near perfect as Shakespeare on film can get. Unlike Olivier, whose overly patriotic and nationally sentimental version followed quickly on the heels of the Allied victory in WWII, Branagh deftly explores the conflicts and ambiguities of leadership. He splices in scenes from *Henry IV*, Parts 1 and 2, as flashback sequences with the morally shady and cowardly Falstaff and company to illustrate Henry's reluctant abandonment of his former friends in favor of his new duties. Branagh's rendition also illustrates the necessity of both military conquest and courtship (Henry's scenes with Katherine reveal his humor and vulnerability--Olivier seemed arrogant and patronizing) in winning over a nation. Though he is more liberal with his script editing, Branagh better captures the nuance and thematic subtlety of Shakespeare's play than his predecessors.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Ken B.

    A great adaptation! Branagh's use of Chorus (Derek Jacobi, who is superb with Shakepeare) as a modern "stage director" works. In addition to skilled battle scenes that wowed me, I had several favorite moments: the hanging of Bardolph (Richard Briers), the moving St. Crispin's Day Speech at the Battle of Agincourt, and the hilarity of Katherine (Emma Thompson) learning english words. This is one of Shakespeare's greatest works, and it is excellently executed here!

    Yes   |   No

     
    Read All 16 Reviews
       

      Quick Links

      Email Exclusives

      Find Us Online: BLOCKBUSTER Blog - BLOCKBUSTER Widgets - BLOCKBUSTER RSS FEED - BLOCKBUSTER Facebook Page - BLOCKBUSTER Twitter Page - BLOCKBUSTER Wiki

      FIND MOVIES

      ALL MOVIES

      Popular | # | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

      ALL ACTORS AND DIRECTORS

      Popular | # | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

      BLOCKBUSTER CORPORATE

       

      BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C. © 2012 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.

      Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2012 Rovi Corporation.