Film Review
The definitive screen adaptation of the most patriotic of Shakespeare's
great historical plays. Of the three Shakespeare films that
Laurence Olivier directed, his
Henry
V is the most inspired and the most visually arresting, a
spectacle of pageant and poetry that brought the Bard to an
appreciative mass audience and galvanised the morale of the British in
the darkest days of WWII. This is a timeless masterwork of
cinematic genius, Shakespeare's immortal text beautifully complemented
by some extraordinary design and camerawork, its greatness underlined
by Olivier's enthralling bravura performance.
Made at the height of WWII, the film was intended as wartime
propaganda. Part-funded by the British government, its release
coincided with the invasion of Normandy in 1944 and provided a
much-needed boost to the British people at a time of great uncertainty
and fear. Laurence Olivier was serving in the Royal Navy when he
was given leave to appear in Anthony Asquith's film
The Demi-Paradise (1943). On
the back of this, he was persuaded to take the lead in an adaptation of
Henry V, and ended up
directing the film, at the suggestion of producer Filippo Del
Giudice. It was Olivier who hired the great English composer
William Walton to compose the film's score, which is a masterpiece in
its own right.
What is most striking about this production of
Henry V is the way in which the
story is presented, gradually segueing from a stage performance (at the
Globe theatre in London, where Shakespeare's plays were originally
performed) to a realistic setting, passing through several intermediate
phases of decreasing stylisation. It is as if the spectator,
watching a stage play, finds himself drawn into a kind of virtual
reality. As he becomes more involved in what he sees, the layers
of artifice are stripped away and he imagines himself actually standing
on the sidelines of one of history's great battles.
Olivier would subsequently direct two other notable film adaptations of
Shakespeare plays,
Hamlet (1948) and
Richard
III (1955). Although both of these films are highly
regarded and great technical achievements, neither possesses the
inspired touch and magnificence that Olivier brought to his unique
interpretation of
Henry V.
This is a wonderful creation that succeeded in making Shakespeare
relevant to a contemporary audience, a rare and noble feat.
And who can ever forget Olivier's rousing rendition of the St Crispen's
Day speech, possibly the greatest call to arms in English
literature? "
We few, we happy
few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother..." This is as perfect a
rendering of a Shakespeare play as you can expect to find outside the
hallowed precincts of the R.S.C., and a true cinematic jewel.
© James Travers 2009
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Next Laurence Olivier film:
Hamlet (1948)
Film Synopsis
London, 1600. At the Globe Theatre, players are performing
Shakespeare's
Henry V to a
packed house. The play opens in 1415. The young King Henry
has proven himself a worthy successor to his father and has succeeded
in uniting the English nation. He now turns his attention to
France, which he believes is rightfully his. Provoked by the
French Dauphin, Henry leads his army to Southampton, and then onto
France. Having taken the fortress at Harfleur after a protracted
siege, Henry takes his forces to Calais. On the way, they are
intercepted by the French army, on a plain near Agincourt, and a bloody
battle ensues. Although weary and vastly outnumbered by the French,
Henry's army triumphs. He cements his country's union with France
by taking Katherine of Valois as his wife.
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.