Discount Shopping Online :: DVD Henry V : : Kenneth Branaugh

Henry V
starring: Brian Blessed, Richard Briers, Fabian Cartwright, Patrick Doyle, Ian Holm
directed by: Kenneth Branaugh

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Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: HENRY V (DVD MOVIE)
EAN: 9780792846154
Format: Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 079284615X
Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code: 1
Release Date: July 18, 2000
Running Time: 137 minutes
Sales Rank: 2182
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Theatrical Release Date: November 08, 1989

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Editorial Review:

Description:
He ruled a massive empire...and fought a mighty war! Kenneth Branagh, Paul Scofield, Derek Jacobi, Ian Holm, Emma Thompson and Judi Dench star in this heroic, action-packed epic based on the timeless play by William Shakespeare. 'Magnificent, passionate and steeped in powerful emotion' (The Washington Post), Henry V is a 'stunning,' (Leonard Maltin) OscarÂ(r)-nominated* adventure that takes its place amongst the greatest war films of all time.Having recently been crowned King of England, Henry (Branagh) commands a massive invasion to assert what he believes is his legal right to the throne of France. But a mighty army stands in his wayÂ...and the young monarch must rely on untested reserves of courage and cunning as he personally leads his outnumbered forces into a desperate battle for the honor and glory of the British Empire. *1989: Director, Actor (Branagh), Costume Design (winner)

Amazon.com essential video:
Very few films come close to the brilliance Kenneth Branagh achieved with his first foray into screenwriting and direction. Henry V qualifies as a masterpiece, the kind of film that comes along once in a decade. He eschews the theatricality of Laurence Olivier's stirring, fondly remembered 1945 adaptation to establish his own rules. Branagh plays it down and dirty, seeing the bard's play through revisionist eyes, framing it as an antiwar story. Branagh gives us harsh close-ups of muddied, bloody men, and close-ups of himself as Henry, his hardened mouth and willful eyes revealing much about this land war. Not that the director-star doesn't provide lighter moments. His scenes introducing the French Princess Katherine (Emma Thompson) are toothsome. Bubbly, funny, enhanced by lovely lighting and Thompson's pale beauty, these glimpses of a princess trying to learn English quickly from her maid are delightful.

What may be the crowning glory of Branagh's adaptation comes when the dazed, shaky leader wanders through battlefields, not even sure who has won. As King Hal carries a dead boy (Empire of the Sun's Christian Bale) over the hacked-up bodies of both the English and French, you realize it is the first time Branagh has opened up the scenes: a panorama of blood and mud and death. It is as strong a statement against warmongering as could ever be made. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Excellent !!!
Highly recommended. I never thought a Shakespeare play can be so higly acclaimed by a modern audience.

Rating:

- An enduring Masterpiece by a genius director and actor
It is difficult to sum up the power of a genius such as Kenneth Branagh. One thing that he accomplishes is that he speaks the immortal lines of Shakespeare with such gentleness and clarity that we Americans can understand him, and even young people, or people not accustomed to Shakespeare can respond wonderfully to his films. In addition, he is an actor of limitless talent and unforgettable power. He is surely the greatest producer of Shakespeare in our time, and I pray every day that he gives us more and more of the bard. ---- This film is in every respect beautiful, brutal though it is, and candid as it is about the violence of war. I cannot recommend it too highly especially to young viewers or viewers who have found Shakespeare too difficult in the past. Branagh's Hamlet is just one more of his many works of pure genius. I look forward to the Blu Ray of this film. I hope we see it soon. Let me say in conclusion ... Read More

Rating:

- ...shall think themselves accurs'd they did not watch (this DVD)
"This story shall the good man teach his son; and Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, from this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen in England now-a-bed shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."

It seems pointless to add to the overwhelming supply of positive reviews for this film. But as Amazon.com requests it...

A review close to this one remarks that teachers should put down their books and show this movie to their students instead. I can not agree more. Please attend:

SHAKESPEARE PLAYS WERE MEANT TO BE SEEN & HEARD, not -read-! Iambic pentameter is a difficult enough ... Read More

Rating:

- Best Henry V Ever!
Henry V
Amazingly good version of Henry V with lots of background story of ordinary soldiers that followed him. The St. Crispin's day speech seems woven into the fabric of the play and not apart from it. This is not a sanitized war. As the end of battle draws near, the Henry V is barely recognizable underneath all the blood and mud. There is also the pertinent discussion of morality of following orders - who bears the burden of bad order, the king or the soldiers that follow it. A disguised Henry answers that the soldiers owe the king their obedience, but they are responsible for their own souls. A wonderful movie, excellent cast, and memorable music.

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