If you recall the Oscar nominations announced a couple of weeks ago, you know 28-year-old Kenneth Branagh, director and star of the new film adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry V," is nominated as both.
So it's a given that the movie is worthwhile, maybe even very good. But who would have expected it to be such an incredibly superior effort?
Branagh has made this "Henry V" extremely accessible to a wide audience, yet, thankfully, refrained from diluting the material.
Comparisons to Laurence Olivier's Oscar-winning 1945 version are inevitable, and there are some obvious similarities in structure. Yet Branagh's vision is his own, and modern audiences should be more than pleased.
Like Olivier, Branagh sees "King Harry" as a noble, perhaps greedy, but certainly sensitive and valiant soldier. And the king's efforts to take France and make it his own are shown as contrasting efforts in violent battle sequences and the gentle climactic wooing of his desired French princess.
But unlike Olivier's vision of gorgeous countryside battles that seem graceful and proud, Branagh brings his soldiers into war in rain and mud and bloody savagery. In that regard, where Olivier glorified war for a country that was itself in the darkest hours of World War II at the time, Branagh's film could be said to be anti-war in its more realistic depictions. And he has a fine eye for throat-choking battle scenes that never seem to revel in questionable glory.
The great pleasures for me, however, came from Branagh's directing of Shakespeare's dialogue and his brilliant cast's excellent readings. There is an emotional power here that transcends strict reliance on the Bard's classical dialogue in favor of a subtle twist on certain words. This may or may not please purists, but the inner feelings conveyed to the audience are unmistakable and should therefore please more of them.
Many of the actors are well-known to those familiar with British cinema, and they offer some fine acting turns, in particular Brian Blessed as Harry's Uncle Exeter, Ian Holm as Fluellen, Paul Scofield as the French king and Derek Jacobi as the Chorus.
As for Branagh, he's a bit more slight than might be expected, but he cuts a compelling figure as Henry, especially when he opens his tight-lipped mouth (he's been compared physically to James Cagney). His speeches are moving and his temperament perfect for this interpretation, whether he's addressing his troops with force or quietly visiting with soldiers who don't recognize him as their king.
"Henry V" is a triumph for Branagh and highly recommended.
It is not rated but is probably in PG-13 territory for its violence.