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Information

A.k.a.
Henry V
Year
1944
Runtime
137 min.
Director
Laurence Olivier
Genres
Drama, War, Biography, History
Rating *
7.3
Votes *
4,314
Checks
1,570
Favs
56
Dislikes
40
Favs/checks
3.6% (1:28)
Favs/dislikes
1:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    I should preface by saying that I am not particularly a fan of Olivier's acting, but I do find the films he's directed creative and interesting. His Henry V is, in fact, a revelation. Filmed in 1944 in gorgeous Technicolor, it surprises by spending the first half hour as an Elizabethan play, complete with flubs, a rowdy audience and actors winking at it, then takes us into highly stylized scenes that look torn out of Medieval paintings, and then into realistic battle scenes before pulling us out again. Not only does this make the boring parts of the play (i.e. discussions of Salic law etc.) incredibly exciting (that giant model of 1600 London is just amazing) and outright FUNNY (love the bishops), but it also makes the film do what the Chorus asks his audience to do, i.e. imagine the world on stage. Film historian Bruce Eder's commentary track is scripted right down to the exclamations, but it never gets tedious because he's got so much to talk about, from the real history, to Shakespeare to the film itself. 8 years 6 months ago
  2. TheInfanta's avatar

    TheInfanta

    I much prefer Branagh's Henry V but this film still has its good points and it's an interesting piece of wartime propaganda. I especially liked the set designs, there are moments when the scenes look exactly like medieval paintings. 10 years 11 months ago
  3. dkaymc777's avatar

    dkaymc777

    Having seen Brannagh's Henry V MANY times, I was only watching this for personal literary reasons. And I did not expect to enjoy it. A previous commentor mentioned the humor and I agree. The bishops were quite funny, and WS has written a brilliant dialogue between Harry and Katherine. I love that scene and it was no less entertaining than Brannagh's. 4 years 4 months ago
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In 12 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #9 in Stanley Kubrick, Cinephile
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    Stanley Kubrick, Cinephi…

    9
  2. This movie ranks #15 in National Board of Review Award - Best Film
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    National Board of Review…

    15
  3. This movie ranks #18 in BFI's Top 100 British Films
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    BFI's Top 100 British Fi…

    18
  4. This movie ranks #41 in The Criterion Collection
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    The Criterion Collection

    41
  5. This movie ranks #117 in Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown
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    Halliwell's Top 1000: Th…

    117
  6. This movie ranks #155 in Academy Award - Best Picture Nominees
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    Academy Award - Best Pic…

    155
  7. This movie ranks #163 in BFI's 360 Classic Feature Films Project
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    BFI's 360 Classic Featur…

    163
  8. This movie ranks #171 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
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    1001 Movies You Must See…

    171
  9. This movie ranks #178 in The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die
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    The Guardian's 1000 Film…

    178
  10. This movie ranks #239 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    239
  11. This movie ranks #292 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?
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    David Thomson's Have You…

    292
  12. This movie ranks #373 in The New York Times's Book of Movies
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    The New York Times's Boo…

    373
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