Description
He ruled a massive empire...and fought a mighty war! Kenneth Branagh, Paul Scofield, Derek Jacobi, Ian Holm, Emma Thompson and Judi Dench star in this heroic, action-packed epic based on the timeless play by William Shakespeare. "Magnificent, passionate and steeped in powerful emotion" (The Washington Post), Henry V is a "stunning," (Leonard Maltin) OscarÂ(r)-nominated* adventure that takes its place amongst the greatest war films of all time.Having recently been crowned King of England, Henry (Branagh) commands a massive invasion to assert what he believes is his legal right to the throne of France. But a mighty army stands in his wayÂ...and the young monarch must rely on untested reserves of courage and cunning as he personally leads his outnumbered forces into a desperate battle for the honor and glory of the British Empire. *1989: Director, Actor (Branagh), Costume Design (winner)

Amazon.com essential video
Very few films come close to the brilliance Kenneth Branagh achieved with his first foray into screenwriting and direction. Henry V qualifies as a masterpiece, the kind of film that comes along once in a decade. He eschews the theatricality of Laurence Olivier's stirring, fondly remembered 1945 adaptation to establish his own rules. Branagh plays it down and dirty, seeing the bard's play through revisionist eyes, framing it as an antiwar story. Branagh gives us harsh close-ups of muddied, bloody men, and close-ups of himself as Henry, his hardened mouth and willful eyes revealing much about this land war. Not that the director-star doesn't provide lighter moments. His scenes introducing the French Princess Katherine (Emma Thompson) are toothsome. Bubbly, funny, enhanced by lovely lighting and Thompson's pale beauty, these glimpses of a princess trying to learn English quickly from her maid are delightful.

What may be the crowning glory of Branagh's adaptation comes when the dazed, shaky leader wanders through battlefields, not even sure who has won. As King Hal carries a dead boy (Empire of the Sun's Christian Bale) over the hacked-up bodies of both the English and French, you realize it is the first time Branagh has opened up the scenes: a panorama of blood and mud and death. It is as strong a statement against warmongering as could ever be made. --Rochelle O'Gorman

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 157 reviews)

An enduring Masterpiece by a genius director and actor

It is difficult to sum up the power of a genius such as Kenneth Branagh. One thing that he accomplishes is that he speaks the immortal lines of Shakespeare with such gentleness and clarity that we Americans can understand him, and even young people, or people not accustomed to Shakespeare can respond wonderfully to his films. In addition, he is an actor of limitless talent and unforgettable power. He is surely the greatest producer of Shakespeare in our time, and I pray every day that he gives us more and more of the bard. ---- This film is in every respect beautiful, brutal though it is, and candid as it is about the violence of war. I cannot recommend it too highly especially to young viewers or viewers who have found Shakespeare too difficult in the past. Branagh's Hamlet is just one more of his many works of pure genius. I look forward to the Blu Ray of this film. I hope we see it soon. Let me say in conclusion that this film is not entirely free of the charge of glamorizing war. Almost all good war films do that somewhat. However the film is certainly more about peace and love than it is about battle. And it is Shakespeare at its very finest. A work for all time.
August 21, 2008

...shall think themselves accurs'd they did not watch (this DVD)

"This story shall the good man teach his son; and Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, from this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he to-day that 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-a-bed shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."

It seems pointless to add to the overwhelming supply of positive reviews for this film. But as Amazon.com requests it...

A review close to this one remarks that teachers should put down their books and show this movie to their students instead. I can not agree more. Please attend:

SHAKESPEARE PLAYS WERE MEANT TO BE SEEN & HEARD, not -read-! Iambic pentameter is a difficult enough meal to acquire a taste for, as heard. To -read- it is the height of boredom. And reading a script of any sort (which Shakespeare's plays -are-) is deadly dull.

Henry the 5th is one of the true gemstones in the bard's treasury, and Kenneth Branagh should be rightly hailed as a genius in his directing & performing of any of Shakespeare's works.

If you hate Shakespeare, give one of Branagh's movies a try, and if only one, chose this one. You won't be sorry.
June 28, 2008

Best Henry V Ever!

Henry V
Amazingly good version of Henry V with lots of background story of ordinary soldiers that followed him. The St. Crispin's day speech seems woven into the fabric of the play and not apart from it. This is not a sanitized war. As the end of battle draws near, the Henry V is barely recognizable underneath all the blood and mud. There is also the pertinent discussion of morality of following orders - who bears the burden of bad order, the king or the soldiers that follow it. A disguised Henry answers that the soldiers owe the king their obedience, but they are responsible for their own souls. A wonderful movie, excellent cast, and memorable music.
May 16, 2008

A Masterpiece

Kenneth Branagh's directorial debut in this film, which he also wrote the screenplay for and played the title role, is nothing short of amazing. From Branagh's performance as Henry to the rest of the cast, to the music, cinematography, sets and battle sequence, Henry V has it all. It's a masterpiece in very sense of the word.

Kenneth Branagh plays Henry V, a young king thrown onto the throne. In many respects Branagh is much like his character as he, at the age of 28, led up the monumental effort to make this film. Branagh is nothing short of amazing to watch as henry. He plays menace when needed, emotional when needed, an action hero at times, and the rallying point of his army. His speeches are done so well that you might cheer with his men at times.

The rest of the cast is just as good as Branagh. Derek Jacobi's Chorus serves as the films narrator and his opening monologue in the film studio is nothing short of amazing. Judi Dench, Robbie Coltrane, Robert Stephens, and a young Christian Bale all do very well as commoners who knew the king in his youth. Emma Thompson does well in the role Katharine and while her and Branagh do lack chemistry, their scenes together is still fun to watch.

The rest of the films elements are just as amazing. Patrick Doyle's score is an amazing piece of work, film score or not. His music at the end of the is incredible to listen to and fits the scene perfectly. The cinematography by Kenneth MacMillan is incredible throughout the film from the opening monologue to the end of the battle and the films final scenes are all visually stunning. The films sets all bring to life the era of the film convincingly as do the Academy Award winning costumes.

The highpoint of the film is the climax: the battle of Agincourt. This sequence remains one of the most brilliantly executed and visually stunning film sequences ever created. The acting during the battle, the mud on the actors, the horses, the music, the editing, and everything come together perfectly. This sequence alone makes this movie an instant classic.

The DVD itself is lacking, though. The film is great but comes only in mono. This is one of those films that really need to be in 5.1 and it's a shame there isn't one on this disc. Also the only real special feature is a single trailer for the film. Could we not have gotten Branagh to do a commentary? Him looking back on his first film and some of the choices he made in adapting it from the original play would make for an interesting listen. But this is a case where the film is the star of a DVD release.

Henry V is, for lack of a better description, flawless. The acting is perfect from everyone, especially from Kenneth Branagh. The music, cinematography, sets, costumes, editing and the like are all incredibly well done. This film qualifies as a classic with the battle sequence alone, but with all of these elements together you can not call this film anything other then a masterpiece.
May 14, 2008

Henry V

The film is wonderful. The sound track is superb. However, the DVD was supposed to come with a booklet but didn't. It would have been helpful in following the story line and understanding the British language. Shakespeare isn't easy to grasp.
April 29, 2008

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