HENRY V (1944)

Country: U.K.

Genre(s): Drama / Epic / Propaganda / War

Director: Laurence Olivier

Cast: Laurence Olivier / Renee Asherson / Harcourt Williams

Plot

King Henry V of England heroically leads his army on the French battlefield of Agincourt.

What I Liked

Significant as the first movie adaptation of Shakespeare to incorporate a truly cinematic approach, “Henry V” was a colorful and eye-popping epic for British films of its time.  This was of course important for the filmmakers, who were essentially working for the British government to make a propaganda film in the midst of World War II.  What better inspiration for the British people than to witness a dazzling adventure about the single greatest victory the English people ever accomplished, that of Agincourt, where Henry V personally accompanied his outnumbered troops into battle and inflicted roughly 10,000 casualties on the enemy, while sustaining only 112 casualties of their own?

The film might be full of bright colors, finely decorated sets, and feature a historic battle, but the real reason for enjoying this film is Laurence Olivier in the title role.  Despite acting with all the loud bellows and flamboyant gesturing of a Shakespearean stage actor, he nonetheless possesses a natural star quality that overcomes his silly overacting.  He brings all the necessary charisma and confidence to embody a national icon like Henry convincingly.  Much of this film is now badly outdated, but a larger-than-life presence like Olivier’s never grows old.

What I Didn’t Like

As a director, Olivier made the interesting choice to present the first motion picture adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” to his audience as though they were sitting in the Globe Theater in Elizabethan times, witnessing the Globe’s players put on a live performance.  I’m still not sure how I feel about this approach.  On one hand, I think it’s an interesting statement of the film’s intent to remain as loyal to the source material (and the history of English drama) as possible.  On the other hand, if I wanted to watch a play, I’d have gone to a play.

Most of the scenes are shot in front of obviously painted backgrounds displaying rolling hills, towns, or castles.  These are so ridiculously obvious and ill-proportioned that I would almost have to respect them as artfully surreal, had this been intentional.  I was glad when the camera eventually passed through a curtain to take us out of the Globe sets and into a real field, where the battle scenes would eventually take place.  Unfortunately, after the battle is won, we return to the hokey and pathetically dated sets.

Most Memorable Scene

While the battle of Agincourt itself is the main focus of both the film’s drama and its action, as well as the centerpiece to the advertising for the film, these scenes no longer retain the adventurous appeal they once did.  They are simply too tame and bloodless to be believable, nor would they prove at all exciting for a modern viewer, except by comparison with the dialogue-heavy remainder of the movie.  Personally, I found the most interesting segment to now be the series of nighttime scenes where Henry, garbed as a common soldier, travels from one camp fire to the next to assess the minds of his men.  These moments humanize the otherwise bombastic King and also help build suspense for the fighting to come.

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5