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I have been fascinated with Shakespeare since I first read Midsummer Night's Dream nearly fifty years ago. The direction in this trilogy varies wildly. Richard II seems to have taken a cue from Marlowe's Edward II, with Whitshaw playing it as a barely closeted Michael Jackson figure (including a pet monkey). The supporting players carry the day up to the final installment, where for whatever reasons, the groundling characters were deeply excised.
The huge disappointment here, for me as a lover of the Bard, is Henry V. Perhaps Branaugh's bravura and his supporting cast make it akin to comparing apples and oranges, but this version of Henry is more like a 21st century motivational speaker than a king walking the razor's edge on the road to Agincourt. The conspiracy is deleted, the wonderful groundling characters that appear at Harfleur are nearly all gone. Fluellen is parsed down to almost nothing. All the exposition of the French chevaliers idly bragging about their armor, horses and the ease with which they will destroy Henry and his army--gone.
It reflects poorly on the lead and director, because in Henry IV of the series, Hiddleston does well enough as Hal. Henry IV, part one comes off as the strongest of the four, perhaps because the director knows his subject matter.
What also sticks out is the amount of screen time a relatively minor character is given in Henry V. Watch it and see if you can pick him out.
On the plus side, seeing Alun Armstrong and his son playing Northrumberland and Hotspur was a highlight of the series. Also, watch for James Purefoy, Geraldine Chaplin and several actors who don't usually appear in mainstream cinema. Skip Henry V of the series and watch Branagh's or Olivier's Henry. If you love Shakespeare, watching this version is a bit disappointing.
score 7/10
killerquean 1 October 2013
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2879292/ |
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5-12-2019 01:07:22
