Henry V (1989)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Kenneth Branagh (adaptation)

Release Date:

8 November 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

The great adventure of a king who defied the odds to prove himself a man.

Plot:

The gritty adaption of William Shakespeare's play about the English King's bloody conquest of France.

Plot Keywords:

King | Battle | Shakespeare | William Shakespeare | Courage

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Derek Jacobi	...	Chorus
Kenneth Branagh	...	Henry V
Simon Shepherd	...	Gloucester
James Larkin	...	Bedford
Brian Blessed	...	Exeter
James Simmons	...	York
Charles Kay	...	Canterbury
Alec McCowen	...	Ely
Fabian Cartwright	...	Cambridge
Stephen Simms	...	Scroop
Jay Villiers	...	Grey
Edward Jewesbury	...	Erpingham
Ian Holm	...	Fluellen
Danny Webb	...	Gower (as Daniel Webb)
Jimmy Yuill	...	Jamy

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for a bloody battle.

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Crowlink, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Contains a flashback scene to ACT 1, Scene 2: of Shakespeare's "Henry IV, part 1", where Jack Falstaff proclaims "Do not thou, when thou art King, hang a thief." This flashback line is instead given to Bardolph, to make it more poignant when Henry hangs him.

Goofs:

Continuity: French soldier wearing blue dies twice of an arrow in the back.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Chorus: O! for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention; A kingdom for a stage, princes to act and monarchs to behold the swelling scene. Then should the war-like Harry, like himself, assume the port of Mars; and at his heels, Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire crouch for employment.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Defector (#3.10)" (1989)

They're wearing the right clothes!

When this film came to my town, I had never heard of Kenneth Branagh (or indeed several others in the cast whom I have now come to respect immensely); however, I went with high hopes. From the first scenes on, I found my optimism rewarded. I was impressed with the acting, the staging, and everything else. But something kept nagging at me. It wasn't until Mountjoy (the French herald) entered Henry's throne room that I realized what was impressing me so much. THEY WERE WEARING THE RIGHT CLOTHES FOR 1415! That kind of attention to detail shows throughout, and makes what would otherwise be an exceptional effort even more superlative. Also, while I am a great fan of Laurence Olivier, I still feel that in this performance Branagh IS Henry. A truly masterful effort!