Henry V (1944)

Original title

The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fifth with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France

Directed by

Laurence Olivier

Genre

drama film, medieval film, historical film

Country

United Kingdom

Runtime

2h 23m

Rated

12

Rating

6.7 of 10 from 134 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Laurence Olivier directs, produces and stars as the English king in this adaptation of Shakespeare's play. The film follows Henry V as he leads his army into battle against France during the Hundred Years' War.

patrioticformalstatelyorchestralrousingtheatricalhistorical

What happens

Henry V is a 1944 British film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play. The film is directed, co-written, produced by, and stars Laurence Olivier in the title role. It was Olivier's first film directorial effort. The cast also features Renée Asherson as Katherine, Robert Newton as Pistol, and Leslie Banks as the chorus. The play was adapted for the screen by Olivier, Dallas Bower, and Alan Dent. The score was composed by William Walton. The film was made near the end of World War II and was intended as a morale booster for Britain. Consequently, it was partly funded by the British government. The film was originally "dedicated to the 'Commandos and Airborne Troops of Great Britain the spirit of whose ancestors it has been humbly attempted to recapture.'" Henry V was produced by Two Cities Films and distributed by Eagle-Lion. It premiered on 22 November 1944. It was both a critical and commercial success, and has been credited with legitimizing screen adaptations of Shakespeare. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Olivier. The director/star also received an Honorary Oscar for "his Outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director in bringing Henry V to the screen." In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked Henry V in its list of Top 100 British films, at number 18. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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