Henry V (1944)
Directed by and starring Laurence Olivier
Summary: Shakespeare's history Henry V is presented in Laurence Olivier's film as a combination of Elizabethan theatrical bustling and modernized visual representation. Olivier shows simultaneously the history of King Henry being played out both in the theater and as a filmic presentation. This juxtaposition of theatrical and movie techniques reveals not only Olivier's conscious use of Shakespeare's play, written for the theatre, but also his questions about the representation and reproduction of history.
The film begins with the staging of Shakespeare's play Henry V in the Globe Playhouse. The audience gathers in the Globe, and the players seem to be not well prepared yet. The first action on the stage is King Henry and his advisors at court discussing diplomatic affairs and the laws. In this comic scene the Archbishop of Canterbury can hardly continue reading the pieces of papers scattered on the ground. What happens onstage makes the audience laugh, shout and applaud. As the chorus addresses the audience at the beginning of the second act, it rains and the public theatre provides no shelter for the audience. The onstage settings shift to the Boars Head tavern, where Bardolph, Nim, Pistol and Mistress Quickly talk about crime and murder. According to the audience's response, Pistol seems to be the most popular actor among them.
At this point in the film, the setting shifts from the representation of a stage to a filmic setting, like what we are accustomed to see in movies-a seemingly real representation, when Mistress Quickly describes the death of Sir John Falstaff. Then war begins. Olivier differentiates the English and French camps in terms of language, attitude and costume. The English soldiers in their impoverished, starved state seem almost rustic, while the French soldiers with their expensive, shiny armor are more like a group of knights. King Henry attempts to boost his army's morale, while French King Charles and the Daulphin drink before going to the battlefield. Olivier has made Agincourt a magnificent battle scene in which English foot soldiers fight against French cavalrymen. England wins the war, thus earning the right to rule France, and also Princess Catherine. An ironic scene follows the victory of King Henry: Gower, Fullen and Pistol steal chickens in France. The final scene of the film returns to the Elizabethan stage where the Chorus delivers the epilogue that concludes Shakespeare's text.
Other Reviews:
User Comments: mnfried New Jersey, US
Date: 21 April 1999
Summary:
Historical epic of young English king who waged war against the French Olivier was asked by his government to make this film during the second world war to raise the morale of civilians and troops alike. He abstained from showing excessive blood and gore, used the language of Shakespeare brilliantly and achieved his mission. I have seen this film many times and it never fails to thrill me. The story line is commonly known, we know how happily it came out in the end. It was the first Shakespearian play made on film in color and enthralled all who saw it.
Quoted from IMDB