One of the methods that the film uses to help depict the life of King Henry V is the use of flashbacks. Branagh does not make the assumption that his audience will know the plays which precede Henry V, so he splices in scenes from parts 1 and 2 of Henry IV to show the relationship of the young Prince Hal to Falstaff and his band of cronies at The Boar's Head tavern. These flashbacks provide the audience with a great deal of information in a short amount of time. The first flashback occurs while Falstaff is on his deathbed, and his remaining friends lament his impending loss. Branagh gives Pistol a line of Falstaff’s, describing Falstaff in his own words as "A goodly, portly man, in faith," (I Henry IV. 2. 4. 421), apparently to establish Falstaff as the well loved character he seems to be in the Branagh film. It is in this flashback that the audience sees the Machiavellian seeds being sewn in Prince Hal’s personality as he shows his willingness to banish "valiant Jack Falstaff", The audience sees Falstaff’s importance, and, by Hal’s silence, the difficulty of the rejection of someone so well loved.
We learn that the King was a party animal in his youth, and that is why the young French Prince mocks him by sending him a chest of tennis balls. We learn that Prince Hal was a friend with the gang at the tavern, but that when it came time to live up to his responsibility as King, he turned his back on them. We learn that being snubbed by the King killed Falstaff. Branagh brings about a telling expose of Henry V, and the man he was before becoming king of England. The flashbacks establish key points and players in Henry’s life to show his sovereignty, what that means to him and why. “It is hard to be real when one is a leader, a proper leader is a facilitator not a ruler” (Bennett).
Branagh added the scenes like the ones mentioned above, but he also cut a great many lines (including entire scenes such as the comedic "leek" scene in Act V). What Branagh does with the script is to rearrange some of the Chorus lines to introduce scene changes. These lines help to clarify the action for the audience. “Whether or not “replacement” is the right term here, the problem of doing justice to Shakespeare’s verse within a primarily visual medium has plagued most directors of screened Shakespeare, and the various means by which this has been attempted offers an interesting historical through-line” (Freedman 432).
In Act II the function of the Chorus is to fill in the lapse of time that has occurred since the time when King Henry made the decision to go to war against France. The audience is informed that the English have been preparing to go off to battle. All the young men of England are joining King Henry's forces. The French, on the other hand, have found out about the English plans, and "shake in fear." They are planning to "divert the English purposes." In order to do so, they employ three corrupt English men, Richard Earl of Cambridge, Henry Lord Scroop of Masham, and Sir Thomas Grey, knight of Northumberland, to help France to conspire against the king of England. Although most of this acts Chorus lines are spoken it is not necessary to transport the audience with words, for the scene of action moving to Southampton is depicted while introducing visually the three traitors. It is here where Henry confronts the three traitors that Shakespeare’s use of dramatic language serves to show more the controlled anger of Henry V than the film which shows little control by depicting Henry V attacking his once friend Scroop.
Again the Chorus is used in Act III to move location. In the play the audience is asked to use their imagination to “Suppose that you have seen : The well-appointed King at Dover pier” (3.0-3-4). The film is able to show the ships preparing for the trip to France and we can hear the sounds of a pier. It is easy to overlook in the film, the interior vision we see in the play with the Chorus’ use of descriptive language as they tell of the English fleet preparing to set sail for France. The faults of Branagh's Henry V lie mainly in the translation of pacing from theater to film. Branagh has not solved the problems of choppiness that usually occur in such a translation, and cuts between scenes often leave the audience floundering for a few minutes before again finding firm footing.
In the prologue to Act IV, the Chorus creates an image of the English and the French camps. It is nighttime, and the two camps are waiting for the onset of dawn, when the fighting is to commence. The French camp is described as "confident and over-lusty." They are gathered around at their camp playing dice, waiting anxiously for dawn to come and for the fighting to begin. At the English camp, the troops are not as confident as their enemy is. They wait for the danger that the morning holds for them, sad and frightened. They are aware that the French are larger in numbers and stronger than they are. The Chorus then gives a character development of King Henry. He is walking around from tent to tent talking to his soldiers. The King remains strong and confident before his men, giving them encouragement and confidence as he speaks with them, trying to prepare them for battle. The Chorus gives the audience a description, "Upon his royal face there is no note how dread an army hath enrounded him : nor doth he dedicate one jot of color: unto the weary and all-watched night : but freshly looks, and overbears attaint with :cheerful semblance and sweet majesty : that every wretch, pining and pale before : beholding him, plucks comfort from his looks (4.1-35-42). But, such the glories of Branagh's Henry V seem difficult at best to show such confidence, portraying subdued tension through lighting shows the fear one dares not image in the text. The warlike speeches are also intercut with reaction shots, which take the imagination away from the audience as to the strength of Henry V at these emotionally important moments.
Flashback is used quite effectively again in act III. The second flashback is brought about by Bardolph’s death during the invasion of France. As Bardolph, an old friend to Harry, is being prepared for his hanging Henry V is forcibly reminded of his promise to Bardolph that he shall hang himself. This flashback shows Bardolph, Falstaff, Prince Hal, and company enjoying a night of revelry. Much like in the first flashback a line from a friend brings out the serious, and dangerous side of Prince Hal. In the Branagh film Bardolph says to Prince Hal, "Do not thou, when thou art king, hang a thief.” Prince Hal’s prophetic reply is "No, thou shalt." Although the lines are spoken this time it is once again Prince Hal’s face that conveys the meaning. Slowly and slightly Hal’s face changes from a look of joviality to one of dire seriousness, showing not only his intentions, but also his inability to deny them. In the film this line, and its accompanying glare seem almost to be a warning to Bardolph not to steal under Henry V’s reign, but this warning is ignored as Bardolph is caught looting a French church. King Henry condemns Bardolph to death with a mere nod as the memories come flooding in. Bardolph gives a look not of betrayal, but of recognition as Henry gives the order for him to be hung. Bardolph realizes too late that he has hung the thief himself, and that he has sealed his own fate by ignoring Henry’s prophetic warning from years before.
The prologue to act IV sets the scene up for the battle. The Chorus once again gives the audience some insight into the character of Henry V as well. The prologue to the last act fills in the lapse in time that occurred since the battle was won up to the point where Henry returns to France. The Epilogue closes the play with the Chorus reminding the audience that the event depicted is hard to present on stage due to lofty subject matter dealing with such a great man as King Henry V.
“One of the wonders of Shakespeare’s prose is that, spoken by actors who understand the meaning of the words, it is almost as comprehensible today as when it was first written. Branagh and his actors go for emotion or styles of delivery at the cost of clarity” (Ebert). It is this lack of clarity that cuts off the interior vision provided by the theatrical enunciation that is the intended vision of this play of Shakespeare’s. Although brevity may be the soul of wit, no brief film can do justice to the dramatic text of a Shakespeare play.
Works Cited
Bennett, Dr. Address. Two Major Influences on Shakespeare. Ohio, 18 Apr. 2002
Ebert, Roger. “Henry V.” Chicago Sun Times 15 Dec. 1998, Copyright, 2002. Digital
Chicago Inc. 27 Apr. 2002 <http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/
1998/12/387524.html.
Freedman, Barbara. “A History of Shakespeare Onscreen: A Century of Film and
Television.” Shakespeare Quarterly 52:3 (2002) 431-433.
Kazar, Dennis. “Shakespeare’s Guilt Trip in Henry V.” Modern Language Quarterly
61:3 (2002) 431-461.
Shakespeare, William. “Henry V.” The Norton Shakespeare. Based on the Oxford ed.
Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: Norton, 1997. 1445-1521.
