Henry V

Olivier makes the Bard palatable to a dummy like me. Much of the fat (and cynicism) was cut from the text, leaving an exciting, thoughtful, and engaging tale. Olivier injects the play with a dose of humor. And he blurs the line between theater and cinema, opening the film in the Globe Theater and gradually drawing the proceedings into the world of reality. Olivier is clearly in his element, turning in a compelling performance. In fact, the entire cast is quite good.

There's nothing particularly bad here, but I was mostly uninterested. The opening is cool but after that the visuals are really bland and the film brought little to the table, feeling like a series of scenes strung together more than a coherent tale.

# 419

I don't really know what to say about it other than "it's decent." The fourth-wall breaking structure works surprisingly well and it's one of the most accessible and straight-up joyous Shakespeare adaptations I've ever seen. In fact, I'd probably recommend this to the top of the list as a first-time film for those more unfamiliar with the bard's work. That being said, there's also nothing particularly masterful about it, and the more nationalistic and militaristic elements make it feel dated.

Beautiful and cleverly staged Shakespeare adaptation. The comedy falls a bit flat, however.

Not a great adaptation. The framing device lasts too long, few of the actors other than Olivier himself have the ability to bring Shakespearian dialogue to life, and the direction, music, and general style are generically '40s.

Propagantastic

395

I am not the audience for whom Shakespeare was writing. Nonetheless, even though I am kind of a Shakespeare idiot, this is a pretty darn watchable film, and MUCH better than Kenneth Branagh's version. A lot of little creative touches are added instead of just slavishly reproducing the play on film, and the combat scenes are exciting no matter how many sword & horse battle scenes you have seen

Immensely stirring, experimental and almost wholly successful production of Shakespeare on film, sturdy both in its stylization and its command of more conventional cinematic resources for the battle.

86.50

87.000

I've better enjoyed other renditions of this work. This seems little else than blustering propaganda. Hail the conquering hero. It is rather ambitious and high concept, being somewhere between a filmed play and "proper" cinema. Even so, the staginess leaves me cold.

The archaic language is still there, making some bits a little cryptic, but I can see how this would be a rally-round-the-flag movie. The sets are both incredibly hokey and yet just perfect for the story. Quite enjoyable.

Outstanding cinematography and costume design. Dialog and plot true to the play..

Very nice sets and Technicolor is stunning, but I am just too dumb to appreciate Shakespeare. It feels dated, and it probably felt dated when it was first released. If you are average joe like me, I doubt you will find this film entertaining. I know I felt bored to death.

83.375

Very creative, having the first half a preformence at the Globe theater!

The Shakespearean performances are marvelous, to be sure, but the sets and presentation leave something to be desired.

407

I feel like I should like this more than I did. The idea of moving from play to "real life" is a good one, and is executed brilliantly. And Olivier's performance is quite good, more subtle that Branagh's version. However, the comic scenes consistently fall flat, and Olivier as director of the action does little to remove the staginess of the play until the very final scenes. Maybe that's part of the point, but that doesn't make it any easier to sit through.

This was a struggling experience. So fascinating in turns, yet the stage play atmosphere of it was a big turn-off. I'm not a theater man. What they attempted didn't compute well on screen, regardless of how much flashy color they threw in there. That they seemingly couldn't decide on doing it play-style or go adventure mode only made it more confusing. I can't deny them trying something completely different compared to contemporary trends was intriguing and quite a few of its scenes did have me.

Olivier's performance is one of the most brilliant ever captured on film, in this, the first film version of Shakespeare's great drama. The entire film is superb in every detail. The battle scenes are brilliantly directed by Olivier, the color photography is breathtaking.

#404