Page 92 - Shakespeare in the Movie From the Silent Era to Shakespeare in Love

The Hollow Crown / 81

dios he surprised everyone by admitting he didn't realize it was his
job to shout, "Action!"
Nevertheless, he had carefully storyboarded the visual scheme,
then brought the picture in on time (seven weeks) and under budget.
Not everyone felt comfortable with some young upstart daring to
compete with the abiding memory and lofty reputation of Olivier's
Henry V. "The greatest act of hubris since Prometheus absconded
with the rights to divine fire," huffed one outraged London critic;
but as Branagh stated, "I passionately believe that all of Shakespere's
plays need to be constantly reinterpreted," adding: "If a previous
Henry V had existed, it certainly wouldn't have stopped Olivier."
Though he greatly admired Olivier, Branagh understood that his own
vision of the Bard's work in general and Henry V in particular was
radically different from that of his idol.
Branagh replaced Olivier's declamatory theatrical delivery of great
speeches with a naturalistic rendering. "Whereas Olivier's Henry
was a knight in shining armor," Branagh explained before his film's
release, "I feel the play is about a journey toward maturity." His
Henry learns by doing, unsure whether any of his decisions will
work out for the best, trusting in his own instincts for a positive
outcome. If Olivier's film was shaped by the time during which it
was created, that holds equally true for Branagh's. Completed in
1989, this Henry V was influenced by abiding international memo-
ries of the Vietnam fiasco and the patent absurdity of the recent
Falklands war.
Olivier (though a commoner by birth) had played the role as aris-
tocrat, a lofty hero to his faceless troops, an inspirational leader
transforming simple clay into a fighting force. Conversely, Branagh's
men are carefully particularized as individuals; their leader draws
his inspiration from them. Although Olivier did include the "band of
brothers" speech moments before the final battle, these words are all
but thrown away, insignificant in his film's context. We are more
taken by his charismatic appearance and mellifluous voice than his
words. In Branagh's version, the words themselves rather than the
man speaking are what we remember. Branagh's Henry is identical
in appearance to his soldiers.
Indeed, he is them! When Olivier's Henry, face covered by cape
and shawl, attempted to mix with his men on the eve of Agincourt,
it appeared a clever trick perpetrated by a blueblood learning what
his troops thought of him. When Branagh's Henry does the same
thing, the impact is something else entirely. He tries and, sadly, fails