Henry V

"The great adventure of a king who defied the odds to prove himself a man."

1989 2h 17m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

🔥

98%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.5

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 423🍅98%Rotten Tomatoes●83Metacritic★7.5IMDB · 33,567

WarDramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1415, in the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France.

“The great adventure of a king who defied the odds to prove himself a man.”

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Cast

Kenneth Branagh
Henry V
Derek Jacobi
Chorus
Brian Blessed
Exeter
James Larkin
Bedford
Paul Scofield
French King
Emma Thompson
Katherine
Judi Dench
Mistress Quickly
Simon Shepherd
Duke Humphrey of Gloucester

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writers: Kenneth Branagh
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, shot by Kenneth MacMillan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael Bradsell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Kenneth Branagh and Derek Jacobi and Brian Blessed carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The great adventure of a king who defied the odds to prove himself a man.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0097499 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kenneth Branagh directs. Kenneth MacMillan behind the camera. Patrick Doyle scores. Michael Bradsell cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Kenneth Branagh, shot by Kenneth MacMillan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Michael Bradsell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Kenneth Branagh and Derek Jacobi and Brian Blessed carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The great adventure of a king who defied the odds to prove himself a man.".
7IMDB entry: tt0097499 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 16 themes, including "france", "kingdom", "theater play", "based on true story".

The technical file

Cinematography: Kenneth MacMillan
Original score: Patrick Doyle
Editing: Michael Bradsell
Production design: Tim Harvey
Costume design: Phyllis Dalton
Makeup / hair: Sue Love
Sound: David Crozier
Stunt coordinator: Vic Armstrong
Runtime: 137 min · 2h 17m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $9,000,000
Box office: $10,161,211
Return: 113% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Henry V (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 83/100
IMDB rating: 7.5/10 · 33,567 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 12 wins & 14 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
European Film Award for Best Actor
BAFTA Award for Best Direction
National Board of Review Award for Best Director
Academy Award for Best Costume Design
Young European Film of the Year

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Kenneth Branagh

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

DocTerminus2022-02-02
★ 10/10
28 year old Kenneth Branagh really reached for the stars with HENRY V, his cinematic directorial debut. Quite often, a young director falls on their backside in ones first attempt at making film. Luckily for us, Henry V is nothing short of a triumph. Branagh's directorial approach is ambitious and confident. Filled with high excitement - quite an accomplishment when staging a 400 year old stage play told completely through dialogue. His visual style certainly are more film than stage play, and his screenplay adaptation tightens the story, even with the inclusion of a scene that was originally from Shakespeare's HENRY IV Part 2 to clarify the story. More amazing, Branagh also portrays the Young King in a tremendous interpretation of the role. Not only does his Harry fit organically into the story, his understanding of the language makes the story relatable to today's audiences without destroying the poetry. Others in the regal cast include excellent performances by Emma Thompson and Derek Jacobi as the omnipresent Chorus. Many other performers will star in Branagh's later films as he seems to operate in a collaborative community approach. The stunning musical score by Patrick Doyle cements what will become one of the greatest director / composer relationships. Brash and operatic, the score is as capable of supporting the many battles as well as the intimate romantic scenes. Obviously, Branagh's HENRY V will be compared to Olivier's film - a production that has not aged as well for today's audiences. Olivier's production is bright and colorful with sets resembling a production of the Wizard of Oz. Branagh's film is gritty and dirty and brings viewer onto the bloody field of Agincourt. On a personal level, Branagh's HENRY V was the first film that I watched in its entirety and stayed in my seat and watched it all the way through a second time. It shows that Shakespeare can be vibrant, entertaining and beautiful.

Production companies