Henry V (2012)

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Oh, those immature heirs grow up so fast… Our very own Prince Hal has become King Henry V.  He’s put the misspent days of his youth behind him, and he’s taken to his newfound responsibilities with focus and care.  (From now on, I’ll refer to him as Henry; since his same-named father is no longer with us, I trust that we’ll avoid confusion.)

 

Because this is just the sort of thing that happens in history plays, Henry gets himself and his subjects involved in a bit of a war.  This time, the enemy isn’t a cousin usurper or a rebel faction within his kingdom – it’s his neighbor across the Channel.  The young king has taken a shine to France and plans to make it his.  France, for its part, remembers Henry for his old wild, reckless ways, and as such, misjudges his ability to make good on his intentions.

 

To an extent, I think the Henry IV plays serve mainly as a bridge between Richard II and this work.  They particularly lay the foundation for Henry V.  Henry is a strong character – not infallible but heroic, striving to be the king his people deserve – but he’s far more interesting for his introduction in the earlier plays.  When Henry V stands alone, Henry might seem too brave, too inspirational, too thoughtful.  

 

When set alongside the Henry IV pair, however, and we see how the raucous, fun-loving prince has become the awe-worthy king, there’s much more to the story.  You can see the doubt in his more private moments, praying for his soldiers and hoping that he’s made the right choice.  You can still see glimpses of the old mischief – though the aim and execution are very different, the idea of disguising himself and moving among the soldiers incognito seems pure Hal.

 

Our eponymous king is basically the whole show here.  Tom Hiddleston predictably shines.  The big rallying battle speeches are stirring and finely delivered.  Major points for saying, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends,” and actually making it sound like dialogue; Shakespeare’s most famous speeches are so hard to give without them sounding like Shakespeare’s Most Famous Speeches.

 

The “once more unto the breach” scene is, as a whole, shot quite unexpectedly.  Director Thea Sharrock places it without pomp in the midst of a chaotic battle.  Henry isn’t filmed heroically atop a white horse, but grimy and sweaty.  The soldiers he speaks to are frightened peasants, many of them too young or too out of shape to be there.  It’s not Time for the Big Speech; it’s a desperate attempt to help his outnumbered, outgunned (or would that be out-sworded?) men keep their nerve.  Overall, the direction is thoughtful, avoiding the more obvious go-to moves for this story.

 

The late Richard Griffiths makes a brief appearance here.  Additionally, on the Who side of things, we have John Hurt, Owen Teale (Torchwood’s “Countrycide”) and Paterson Joseph (“Bad Wolf” / “The Parting of the Ways,” though he’s far better loved for his splendid turn as the Marquis de Carabas in Neverwhere.)