Henry V (1944)

The critic describes Olivier’s 1944 production as the first successful Shakespeare film, calling it clever, engaging, and beautifully staged. Shot during World War II, it served as balm for war-weary Britons with its realistic approach and inspired Globe Theatre framing that transitions into full cinematic storytelling.

The critic hails the film as an almost perfect interpretation of Shakespearean drama on screen, praising Olivier's versatile work as actor, producer, and director. It features graceful pageantry, magnificent battle scenes at Agincourt rendered like a ballet, and strong supporting performances, especially Renée Asherson.

The critic calls the film a stunningly brilliant and intriguing screen spectacle rich in theatrical invention, heroic imagery, and regard for Elizabethan stage conventions. Olivier's majestic performance as Henry sets a standard for excellence, with thrilling battle scenes and eloquent verse delivery.

The film is a bit of a hotchpotch of stylistic devices but Olivier's terrific performance and William Walton's sweeping score still render it one of the best Shakespeare films ever made. There's a great supporting cast, too.

Olivier created a bold, clear reading of Shakespeare's play and an exhilarating piece of wartime propaganda. The Agincourt battle looks like a medieval tournament with colourful pennants and flags, all mud and no blood.

The digitally remastered reissue for Olivier's centenary shows vivid costumes and theatrical sets that occasionally conjure up the Land of Oz rather than Agincourt. The stirringly patriotic moments still work magic with Olivier utterly in command of the text and actors.

Olivier’s 1944 Shakespeare adaptation holds an indelible place in British cinema as a colourful wartime morale-booster with Hollywood-style glitz, though its martial propaganda reputation is misleading. The critic praises Olivier’s commanding performance and the film’s audacious sub-Brechtian adaptation that reveals the heart of the text, while noting the artificial design and uneven battle scenes.

Olivier's 1944 adaptation is a lavish, stylish Technicolor take on Shakespeare's history play that uses theatrical devices cleverly and delivers an epic battle on a modest budget. The critic praises Olivier's authoritative performance as Henry and the film's witty, inventive storytelling while noting its wartime context and cuts to the text.

The review positions Olivier's Henry V as calculated wartime propaganda that also succeeds as a lavish, faithful Shakespeare adaptation and the first major screen version. It singles out the elaborate Technicolor production design, historical recreation of Agincourt, and especially Olivier's commanding delivery of the Saint Crispin's Day speech for praise.