My first experience with Henry V was during the undergraduate class that included I Henry IV and II Henry IV. (See previous two weeks' posts.) At least, that's what the class notes tell me. Admittedly, much of the discussion has disappeared from memory. (It was twenty-five years ago, after all.) At some point during the course--or maybe that was during high school--we also may have watched some of Kenneth Branagh's film version of Henry V. For some reason, a visual of Branagh dressed as a king comes to mind.
The story line is still familiar due to the 2016 Stratford production, Breath of Kings. It is a pretty straightforward plot, though--the continuing adventures of King Henry V as he battles with France while continuing to mature as a ruler and leader. Helping to sort out the plot is a chorus, a Shakespearean addition not present in the first three chapters of the Henriad. The chorus appears in The Hollow Crown version, voiced by actor John Hurt. The placement of the voice-over makes sense in a stage production of Henry V. It is used to open the play apologetically, urging the audience to let their imaginations run wild. It is impossible to turn "this wooden O" (the Globe Theatre) into a realistic presentation of Agincourt and to play out the tale of Henry, so the audience is asked for patience as the play describes soldiers, battles, and horses "Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth." For a film version, however, which is not constrained by one location (or a small budget), it does not fit as well. Such a willing suspension of disbelief is not required for this lavish production.
The film opens at the funeral of Henry V, an additional scene not taken from the source text. The bulk of the film follows as a flashback, perhaps lending more credence to the idea of the chorus as storyteller. Tom Hiddleston reprises his role from the previous two chapters. In the current episode, he has grown to be the mature leader of England. The tavern fun of his younger days is gone, illustrated only in a passing flashback. His former tavern friends, Bardolph and Pistol, are now soldiers in his army.
What of Falstaff? As with Shakespeare's play, there is only the briefest of mentions. The tavern hostess recounts the sad tale to Bardolph and Pistol. Tossed aside by his former friend, the King, Sir John sits alone, left to perish from a "fracted" heart. It is a sad end to one of Shakespeare's greatest characters.
The action in Henry V moves quickly. Henry's army is victorious in the siege at Harfleur. Bardolph is caught plundering a church, violating orders from Henry. The punishment is death by hanging. There is no room in the King for mercy for his old friend, and we see Henry react to the sight of Bardolph dangling from a tree. While there might have been some sense of sadness in the King, he covers it well.
As the army awaits the next battle, Henry dresses in a cloak and mingles incognito among the soldiers. This spying is reminiscent of his tavern days. Although the King is a ruler, there is still some of the old fun streak left in him. It is a stretch to believe that Pistol does not recognize him, though. An additional interaction with a soldier leads to an exchange of gloves and the promise of future fisticuffs, another bit of comic relief.
The Battle of Agincourt is very well produced for the screen. Unlike previous battles, the editing is not so quick as to cloud the action. The depiction is befitting a battle that left thousands dead (on the French side). Of course, the famous St. Crispin's Day speech is present and well delivered. Following the battle, Henry re-encounters the soldier who unknowingly had threatened to fight the King. The humorous interaction leads not to violence but rather to the soldier being given a glove full of gold crowns.
The film drags for the last portion as it turns into a (mercifully) brief love story between Henry and Katherine. Following the victory at Agincourt, the wooing scene is an anti-climax. As Henry wins the hand of Katherine, we jump back to the King's funeral and the voice-over by the chorus, who appears in person to close out the film. Henry V is dead, and infant Henry VI is king. A teaser is delivered about the reign of Henry VI to come, and the Henriad is concluded.
For a great telling of Richard II, I Henry IV, II Henry IV, and Henry V, one need look no further than The Hollow Crown. (Certainly avoid Netflix's The King!) Excellent on all counts, it was (and is) an excellent way to spend a few Saturday afternoons, whether it is a first exposure or a chance to revisit old friends. It has given the author the incentive to continue into Shakespeare's Henry VI...once libraries are reopened and one can check out videos again.
What to do next Saturday? Well, that's seven days away, but I have an idea or two. Until then...
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