Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5854 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-04-14
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 137 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The definitive call to arms, Laurence Olivier's Henry V is a patriotic saga awash with pageantry, battles, romance and political chicanery. Intended to rally Britain during the darkest days of World War II, the film shows how the star of England sought to stake an ancestral, royal claim on the soil of France. Olivier once said, famously, that "it isn't until you're older that you can understand the pictorial beauty of heroism". And at the ripe age of 37, the actor essays an insouciant character endowed with great powers of strength, spirit, and intellect. From the moment Olivier strides on screen, the audience is held both rapt and willingly captive. During his magnificent "St. Crispin's Day" speech, Olivier refuses to indulge in excessive personal close-ups, choosing instead to depict the communal impact of his words on the troops. Though he understands the importance of clear, realistic communication, Olivier the director also displays a penchant for artifice--as exemplified by his decision to open the film in a replica of the Globe Theatre. The play's various diplomatic exchanges--usually of the dull, obligatory variety--are enlivened through touches of light comedy: a sly wind blows court papers over the set as courtiers argue over boundaries and treaties. There is also humour to be found in the King's taciturn romancing of Princess Katharine (Renée Asherson). But there are also plenty of large-scale events, with Olivier demonstrating the fleetness of Shakespeare's world even as he mimics the headlong rush of destruction. A romanticised film of a nation at war, the director leaves no doubt that the British victory over the French at Agincourt (1415) was Medieval England's and the King's finest military triumph. The film is rendered complete by William Walton's magnificent score, which pushes all the appropriate patriotic buttons. For his efforts, Olivier received a special Oscar "for his outstanding achievement as actor, producer, and director in bringing Henry V to the screen". --Kevin Mulhall

DVD Description

Henry V is one of Shakespeare's most compelling historical plays. Early in the play, Henry sets out to press his claim to the Crown of France. His small expedition encounters vastly superior French forces at Agincourt, and there Henry delivers his famous exhortation to the soldiers. His army victorious, the King visits the French Court where he meets and marries Catherine of Valois, thereby establishing the beginning of a promising alliance with France. Henry V was produced and directed by Laurence Olivier.

Customer Reviews

An unmissable classic. Olivier at his best.
For anyone who has never seen this film, this DVD is a must. Olivier's translation of Shakespeare to the screen is still a masterpiece and stands comparison with modern films such as Shakespeare in Love. Granted, the images are slightly hazy in a few places, and Walton's fine music suffers from old recording techniques and mono presentation. But these quibbles fall aside in the face of superb acting, wonderful re-creation of the Globe Theatre and a chuckle-making insight into acting practices and audience reactions of the day. The film moves seamlessly between The Globe itself and realistic sequences like the Battle of Agincourt, via semi-stylised representations reminding us of the Book of Hours. There are no subtitles, but (joy!) they are not needed, for this film was made before the days of mumbling actors. The opening 15 minutes of this film alone are worth the very modest price of this DVD.

Excellent interpretation of Shakespeare, and cinema classic.
Shakespeare's Henry V tells the story of the battle of Agincourt, in which a small English force faced and defeated a vastly superior French army. This battle clearly demonstrated the superiority of the English longbow against the French cavalry. In Shakespeare's time it provided an excellent vehicle for propoganda.

Laurence Olivier directed this film version in 1944. Then, as the second world war was raging, the story again provided an excellent vehicle for boosting national morale.

But the film is more than that. It is an excellent interpretation of one of Shakespeare's best known and loved plays. It is full of Shakespeare's magnificent language, including great lines such as; "Once more unto the breach, dear friends". It is a sensitive portrayal of a leader taking his troops into battle and worrying about the consequences for his men, where Henry disguises himself as a commoner to walk among the troops on the eve of the battle to judge their mood ("a little touch of Harry in the night").

Olivier recognised the difficulties of filming Shakespeare and making it believable, and making it work on the screen. He therefore used the genial device of setting the film in the theatre of Shakespere's time, showing how the theatre operated, the mistakes of the actors and the reactions of the audience. In this setting the language of Shakespeare also works in the cinema. Having sensitised the audience to the environment, the viewer is transported to the "real" world of Henry V. The climax of the film comes with the charge of the French cavalry and the responding volley of the English archers, enhanced by the magnificent score composed by William Walton. This is one of the finest moments in cinema history.

The film includes excellent performances. Olivier himself is at his best in the role of Henry. Robert Newton (perhaps best known for playing Long John Silver in Treasure Island) provides a touch of humour as the boastful but cowardly Pistol. Leslie Banks inspires the audience as the chorus, painting a colourful verbal picture of events as they unfold.

Because Olivier used the technique of presenting cinema as theatre, today this film does not seem as dated as other films of the period. It is a thoroughly worthwhile addition to any video or DVD collection.

IMPORTANT FORTHCOMING NEWS
For those who already have this DVD and are disappointed by the deteriorated colour and the distorted soundtrack, or are contemplating purchasing it, Granada International that owns the rights to this film, have made a new high definition copy with a new musical sountrack that is due to be issued in May 2007. Whether this will be available on a normal DVD I have not been able to find out. One holds out hope that it will be and that it will appear on Amazon.