The Anglobrarian Bibliography: Who's Next? Prince Hal, I Think.

Okay, Charleen, we'll go back in time a bit to Henry the Fifth. I can't think of any popular media for Prince Hal except the two films of Shakespeare's play--Olivier's version (1944), and Kenneth Branagh's version (1989). NINETEEN EIGHTY NINE!!?!? My gosh, I've gotten old. That's almost 20 years ago.

Now, I won't include here any film versions of Henry IV parts 1 & 2. Granted, Prince Hal was indeed in there, but only as Prince of Wales until the very end of Part 2.

There's always been loads of discussion out there comparing and contrasting the two films in the context of when they were made. Olivier's version was done when the world was near the end of World War II. Times were hard in England, but at least by that point we kind of knew how the war in Europe was going to turn out. It was a patriotic ode to England, and seems to be a glamorous spectacle meant to celebrate the forthcoming victory in Europe. It was, again, Olivier at his stilted best. This is alsothe one the English teachers in high school got for us to reward our learning the "Once more into the breach" speech from the play. Very little dirt or blood or battle. It was a pretty film, showing us that not only could the English kick the poo out of the French, they could do it without getting a speck of dirt on the shining armor. I remember reading somewhere that Olivier tried to do the play on stage just prior to the war and (no doubt due to the sentiment against the war,) was practically booed out of the country, but when the film came out near the end of the war, people went crazy over it. It won awards, but you can follow the link and read about it at Internet Movie Database.

Ah, now to Branagh's film, some 45 years later.

Thanks to that Shakespeare teacher from high school, (I will always remember her fondly) I ran to the theatre to see Henry V when Branagh did it. It was almost like hearing Beethoven for the first time. It was love at first sight. It was one of those moments when you knew the world would never be the same. (Okay, I'm getting a little carried away with the melodrama.)

It wasn't a romantic thing for Branagh, but for his adaptation and obvious love for the play and the medium in which he worked. For this production, Olivier was pure stage and Branagh is pure film.

The supporting cast is another one of those who's who of British actors, and they are also the ones you will see more than once when Branagh takes on Shakespeare. (See Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet and Othello) I will say unabashedly that I love this film. It's full of mess and dirt and battle and blood and light and dark. It's a wonderous spectacle, and his version of the St. Crispin's Day speech prior to the battle of Agincourt still makes me want to jump up and cheer.

Make your own comparisons--the Olivier version: