soonertbone

Decent adaptation, with a really interesting introduction/conclusion at the Globe Theater. The camera self-consciously alerts us that we're watching a film (as the play's prologue does), but then transitions into a more classic film style during the middle 80%. I thought this was super interesting. Unfortunately, not sure I really loved the play itself? The comic relief moments stood out as especially odd in this adaptation, with some awful, mannered performances that I thought were hard to watch. Interesting to see this framed as propaganda during the war (especially since Britain and France were on the same side?)

christopher_brink

Olivier was, of course, great, and he got good performances out of his cast. The way the film opens-up from the Globe through a medieval book of hours into a location-shoot action/adventure was brilliant, and the film itself is a remarkable artifact of war-time propaganda. What I didn'#39;t like was how busy the movie is: it seems to be trying to cram too much of Shakespeare'#39;s story into the production. There'#39;s plenty that doesn'#39;t advance the narrative or contribute to the entertainment that could have been left on the cutting room floor.

Maarten Delfgou

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