Henry V

PG-13

Released Nov 8, 1989

2 hr. 17 min.

History

Drama

List

98%

42 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this gritty screen adaptation of Shakespeare's play about the heroic and ruthless king, Henry V of England (Kenneth Branagh) determines to lay claim to the kingdom of France. Henry's self-doubt and the diminished morale of his army stand in the way of a victory that would unite the two countries and provide Henry with a queen (Emma Thompson). However, his sheer determination and his impassioned speeches ready his men for the bloodiest of battles -- Agincourt.

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Critics Consensus

Pehaps Kenneth Branagh's most fully realized Shakespeare adaptation, Henry V is an energetic, passionate, and wonderfully acted film.

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Richard N

St Crispins Day! The greatest speech by the most outstanding actor of the last 50 years. Next to Olivier, Branagh is KING!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

Full Review

Blu B

A Classic War Drama of a Shakespheare play. Everything is really well done with the standout being Kenneth who commands every scene he is in. Sometimes the flashbacks can be a little abrupt and this seems very faithful to the source material. Perhaps a little too faifthful at times. For me the dialouge is over my head but I could follow it very well because of the acting and production value really immersing me quite well. I will say despite how good this is it defintely is an acquired tase and isn't necessarily for everyone. Anyone who is a big fan of Shakespheare or Branagh will like this a lot.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/24

Full Review

Robert H

Incredibly moving. A masterpiece.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Mth F

reminds me of the hit film henry v

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/10/22

Full Review

Pink F

Wonderful, epic, heartbreaking. The best of the best of storytelling.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/09/22

Full Review

Audience Member

In the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V (Kenneth Branagh) of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415... Henry V received near-universal critical acclaim for Branagh's Oscar-nominated performance and direction, for the accessibility of its Shakespearean language, and for its score by Patrick Doyle. Rotten Tomatoes consensus reads: "Pehaps Kenneth Branagh's most fully realized Shakespeare adaptation, Henry V is an energetic, passionate, and wonderfully acted film." On Metacritic it has a score of 83 out of 100, based on 17 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim". Henry V also ranks #1 on the Rotten Tomatoes list of Greatest Shakespeare Movies, beating Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985) and Branagh's own version of Hamlet (1996), respectively ranking in second and third place. Roger Ebert, noted critic of the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, praising Branagh's performance and writing, "There is no more stirring summons to arms in all of literature than Henry's speech to his troops on St. Crispan's Day, ending with the lyrical 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' To deliver this speech successfully is to pass the acid test for anyone daring to perform the role of Henry V in public, and as Kenneth Branagh, as Henry, stood up on the dawn of the Battle of Agincourt and delivered the famous words, I was emotionally stirred even though I had heard them many times before. That is one test of a great Shakespearian actor: to take the familiar and make it new." Variety magazine also gave the film a positive review, calling Henry V "A stirring, gritty and enjoyable pic which offers a plethora of fine performances from some of the U.K.'s brightest talents." Kenneth Branagh´s 1989 adaptation of Shakespeare´s play feels pompous, theatrical and stiff today. Branagh himself feels as well as pompous as possible as Henry V and he really does everything he can to look like the ultimate Shakespeare interpreter in this film. It becomes silly and overacted in my opinion plus the film simply doesn´t hold up today in terms of the direction, look, feel and vibe. The film did receive worldwide critical acclaim and has been widely considered one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations ever made. For her work on the film, Phyllis Dalton won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design and Kenneth Branagh, in his directorial debut, received Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Director. I am afraid I can´t agree to this acclaim. I personally think that Justin Kurzel`s "Macbeth" from 2015 with Michael Fassbender is one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

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Kenneth Branagh

Director

Kenneth Branagh

Henry V

Derek Jacobi

Chorus

Brian Blessed

Exeter

Ian Holm

Fluellen

Paul Scofield

French King

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

The film’s point of view leaves you without elation, but the actors are so up that you feel their pride in working on true dramatic poetry.

Sep 12, 2023

Full Review

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Branagh has made a hotblooded, lively and moving Henry V that speaks pertinently to a new generation.

Jun 12, 2020

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

There is a great deal of value in Branagh`s version, not least in his own lead performance as a soft, indefinite Henry who defines himself over the course of the play.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 27, 2019

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Completely unnecessary. [Full review in Spanish]

Dec 1, 2022

Full Review

Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

Reigniting Shakespeare's poetry on screen, the movie is not only accessible to a general audience -- it has enough excitement, wit and suspense to hold its own in the Hollywood fray.

Jun 12, 2020

Full Review

David Parkinson

Radio Times

This is a solidly mounted production, with the contrasts between the finery of the court and the grime of the battlefield as striking as the excellent cast of noted thespians.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 27, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this gritty screen adaptation of Shakespeare's play about the heroic and ruthless king, Henry V of England (Kenneth Branagh) determines to lay claim to the kingdom of France. Henry's self-doubt and the diminished morale of his army stand in the way of a victory that would unite the two countries and provide Henry with a queen (Emma Thompson). However, his sheer determination and his impassioned speeches ready his men for the bloodiest of battles -- Agincourt.

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Executive Producer: Stephen Evans
Screenwriter: Kenneth Branagh
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Company, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Renaissance Films
Rating: PG-13 (A Bloody Battle)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 8, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.2M
Sound Mix: Surround

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