Henry V

[J]

Hello, I need help! I am supposed to compare the battle scenes in henry the fifth (made in 1944) and henry the fifth (made in 1990, please help!!

[Hugo]

The battle scenes in Olivier's 1944 version of HENRY V were notable for the complete absence of blood although there were exciting shots of hand-to-hand combat and of course the famous shots of flights of English arrows which momentarily darkened the sky (great special effect). Olivier was very much influenced by the 'battle on the ice' sequence in Eisenstein's classic Russian epic ALEXANDER NEVSKY (1938).

In Kenneth Brannagh's 1989 version he went much more for realism and the battle scenes are full of mud, blood, guts, sweat and drizzle.

[Beast]

I have to write a paper about Henry V. The topic is, "Would Shakespeare like Kenneth Branagh's reproduction of his play, and why or why not?" Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Steve Crook]

No. Shakespeare didn't go to see any films. I presume that's because he was snobbish about them and only liked stage plays.



Well if the lecturer asks a silly question they can expect a silly answer.



Steve

[Beast]

sorry for not being specific. The question is, if Shakespeare were alive today would he like Kenneth Branagh's reproduction?

[JamesM]

If I was Shakespeare and came back alive over 400 years later, I would be pleased by a production of my plays being put on by the cast of Emmerdale Farm, let alone Kenneth Branagh. Especially seeing Middleton et al hardly getting a look-in.

[deckard]

If Shakespeare came back today,he would probably be Shanghaied by Hollywood where his scripts would be chopped,twisted,suppressed,pulled and pushed in so many ways that,say, "A Midsummer Nights Dream" would more likely resemble "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"!!!

[Gibbie]

Here, here - exactly!



Old William would first get a solicitor and have a chat about something called copyright.



But then, don't you think he would write a letter to the Times and then go on a talk show circuit in the UK and the North America and have the masses march on Hollywood. thumbs_u



"We few, we happy few. We Band of Brothers... Once more into the breach."



Gibbie