Henry V (1989) Film Review

Henry V is a movie created in 1989 and is based on a William Shakesphere play of the same name. It stars Kenneth Branagh as both the director and as the titular title character Henry V. In the film, King Henry is convinced that he is the rightful ruler of France and goes to war against King Charles IV and the current French regime with a much smaller army than the French, culminating in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The film doesn’t deviate too much from Shakesphere’s original play as the movie is usually considered one of the more faithful adaptations of Shakespeare. The reception to this film is astounding, as the film holds a perfect 100% on the popular movie review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Kenneth Branagh was even nominated for Best Actor and Best Director at the 1990 Academy Awards. With all of this praise, the movie must have done something right in regards to its historical accuracy and depictions of Medieval society. Does the film’s representation of Medieval times hold up to the massive critical acclaim?

I would say that for the most part, the film does a good job in accurately portraying Henry V's story and Medieval life in general. At the Battle of Agincourt, Branagh shows off a variety of medieval weaponry like swords, axes, lances, and maces. The film also shows the importance of the longbows that wiped out much of the French army. Branagh also emphasizes how the English were underdogs, not only in how the English army was outnumbered 5 to 1, but also in how the French have better equipment. The Frenchmen wear conical and bascinet helmets along with chest plates and leggings. While some English soldiers have hauberks (chain mail armor for the head and neck area) and some armor, they were less equipped compared to the French. The film also shows off the Christianity prevalent in the Middle Ages, like when English soldiers pray to God and kiss the ground before battle. The English soldiers also sing a latin hymn named Non Nabis Domine after their victory at Agincourt, which is probably the greatest musical composition in the movie.

One of the more interesting aspects of the film is King Henry’s relationship to the citizens in his army and in his country. Throughout the film, King Henry makes many difficult decisions to further his goal of conquest, which tires his men as they might be paying a terrible price for this war started by King Henry. In one scene, he disguises himself with a cloak to gauge his army’s reaction to fighting this war. The response was polarizing, as some of the soldiers lament the fact that they are risking their lives for Henry V’s gain. Henry V’s internal conflict with taking France versus helping his people can be connected to real-life conflict of the Middle Ages. The struggle between the royalty and the common folk was very pronounced in the Middle Ages, and the film uses this conflict well for dramatic effect and giving more insight into King Henry as a character. 

This doesn’t mean that the movie’s historical accuracy is perfect though. Upon doing some research, Henry V actually ordered mass executions of French prisoners after his victory at Agincourt, a decision which is omitted from the movie. However, I can understand why Branagh would leave this out if he wants to make Henry V more sympathetic and not wanting to kill the mood of the victory of England with the death of prisoners. However, whether it’s because of the excessive violence or slight differences in how both sides attack, the film’s depiction of the Battle of Agincourt is not the most historically accurate (although it makes for a good climax). Other than that, the movie has many scenes of which it’s muddy, rainy, and/or dirty, kind of making the Middle Ages look more unsanitary and dirty than it really was.

Henry V manages to be entertaining and insightful about the Middle Ages. The film accurately paints a picture of the battles and lifestyles that typically took place in Europe in the Late Middle Ages. All in all, I would say that the high praise for the film is mostly deserved.