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      Henry V

      Released Jun 17, 1946 2h 17m Drama List
      100% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 74% Audience Score 2,500+ Ratings Olivier's masterful, sweeping rendition of Shakespeare, filmed in rich color and ingeniously including a typical performance at the Globe Theatre as it might have been seen 400 years ago. The film earned Olivier a special Oscar for outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director. Read More Read Less

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      Critics Consensus

      A patriotic booster, Laurence Olivier's directorial debut and star turn as Henry V result in a sharply realized and resonant take on Shakespeare's deeply British warrior king.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Manny Farber The New Republic While definitely athletic, pageant-minded and somewhat recognizable after all of the war dramas that have come out since Elizabethan times, no movie has given a more poignant impression of men in battle or been so cutting about the waste and folly of war. Aug 31, 2012 Full Review James Agee TIME Magazine The movies have produced one of their rare great works of art. Aug 29, 2012 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader One can pick plenty of bones with Laurence Olivier's direction of the Shakespeare play, but this 1945 film is still a powerful production from many standpoints. Jul 9, 2008 Full Review Fannie Hurst Modern Screen "With winged heels, like English Mercuries," the beauty of the Olivier version of Henry the Fifth soars to what comes close to perfect achievement. Jun 15, 2023 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Overwhelming production of the William Shakespeare epic historical play. Rated: A+ Sep 2, 2020 Full Review David Parkinson Radio Times A colourful and rousing spectacle. Rated: 5/5 Nov 27, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Andy F A true masterpiece. The cinematography and staging is as impressive as Shakespeare's play itself. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/30/24 Full Review Leaburn This film was woeful 👎 Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Tom M One of the better adaptations of the play. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/15/21 Full Review Audience Member An authentic film adaptation of the classical play. I would however recommend that any Non-Englishmen watching this film should look into researching the history of Henry V to better understand the events of the film. The Old-English language of the film is poetry, although admittedly hard to follow without subtitles. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member I first watched when I was a teen. The first Shakespearian movie I could understand. Now as an older man I can see the desire to raise British patriotism among a weary populace while acknowledging their weariness of the horror of war. The artistry that initially starts as if we are among the audience of the Globe Theatre for the premiere of Henry V. Gradually the scenes advance to move from the confines of the Globe Theatre to almost fairytale imagery until the very grim, cold, bloody reality of battle is shown. The spirit and theatrical scenery becomes more fairytale as Henry woos & wins Catherine and France. Unfortunately, this beautiful movie reveals an England and Britain that no longer exists, but replaced by children who have forgotten their strength in God. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review William L The combination of Shakespeare's magnificent compositional talents, Olivier's powerful delivery, and exceptionally high production value for the time results in a fantastic end product, still one of the greatest efforts to put the Bard's work to film (and with studios exhibiting a clear reluctance to allocate top-tier budgets to the adaptation of material that doesn't maintain the popular edge it did in centuries prior, it will likely retain its position for some time). It certainly requires a particular mood to immerse oneself in, but there are so many lines that have underpinned English-speaking culture, and they are so well-delivered (St. Crispin's Day still stirs the spirit), that it really is must-watch film at some point. Still, some of the vernacular in the less timeless is a bit difficult to get through, and the "French" accents can be rather distressing, so it's not like the film is without fault. (4/5) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/26/20 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Olivier's masterful, sweeping rendition of Shakespeare, filmed in rich color and ingeniously including a typical performance at the Globe Theatre as it might have been seen 400 years ago. The film earned Olivier a special Oscar for outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director.
      Director
      Laurence Olivier
      Producer
      Laurence Olivier, Dallas Bower
      Screenwriter
      Laurence Olivier, Dallas Bower, Alan Dent
      Distributor
      United Artists
      Production Co
      Two Cities Films Ltd.
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jun 17, 1946, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Mar 2, 2017
      Runtime
      2h 17m
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