--- title: "Henry V" year: 1989 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/henry-v" fi1m_id: "henry-v" imdb_id: "tt0097499" tmdb_id: 10705 wikidata_id: "Q114115" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 5 published: "2026-10-04T21:11:57.167025+00:00" updated: "2026-10-04T21:11:57.651733+00:00" region: "IT" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Henry V (1989) Directed by Kenneth Branagh · 2h 17m · War, Drama, History ## Identity Henry V - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/henry-v - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** henry-v - **IMDb ID:** tt0097499 - **TMDB ID:** 10705 - **Wikidata ID:** Q114115 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097499/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10705, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114115 **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 79 (early) from 5 reviews *In a sentence:* A king talks beautifully, and we keep looking at the mud > Kenneth Branagh makes a forceful war drama out of royal rhetoric and ugly fighting. The performances make the language approachable, though the music sometimes presses too hard and the familiar faces can briefly distract from the characters. ## Synopsis Henry V (Kenneth Branagh) is a king trying to prove himself against the odds. His story draws together royal, military and religious figures: Exeter (Brian Blessed), Bedford (James Larkin), the Archbishop of Canterbury (Charles Kay) and the Bishop of Ely (Alec McCowen). The French King (Paul Scofield) supplies another royal perspective on kingship and war. Chorus (Derek Jacobi), Katherine (Emma Thompson) and Mistress Quickly (Judi Dench) also feature in a historical drama that brings the king’s ambitions up against the brutality of fighting. ## Review Kenneth Branagh’s [*Henry V*](https://film.one/film/henry-v-1944) is a forceful, approachable war film, and we recommend it with a reservation about how insistently it sometimes asks us to be stirred. He directs, writes and plays the king, taking responsibility for both Henry’s appeal and the reasons to question him. The language has force enough to make military glory sound attractive. The fighting makes that attraction uncomfortable, and the film is at its most persuasive when it allows the discomfort to remain. The central performance gives the words a purpose beyond being spoken well. We can hear a ruler trying to make other people believe in him, with the effort of persuasion still audible beneath the authority. That makes the verse accessible without requiring it to sound like everyday conversation. We were stirred by his eloquence, and the muddy battle imagery made us uneasy about our enthusiasm. The film earns that reaction by showing enough savagery to make us question what the speeches encourage. The battle imagery is muddy and unpleasant, and Kenneth MacMillan’s cinematography makes that dirt difficult to ignore. Tim Harvey’s production design helps make warfare feel physically punishing, with little comfort to be taken from the historical setting. The images have considerable force, but the fighting itself seldom looks handsome. That restraint matters in a war film whose leading man can make the prospect of battle sound so attractive. The mud keeps drawing our attention back to the people who have to fight. Michael Bradsell’s editing lets Shakespeare’s language register and keeps the dramatic pressure from draining away between speeches. At 137 minutes, the film has room for its actors without feeling like an exercise in preserving a text. Patrick Doyle’s music is more insistent, giving the heroism a strength that can become too reassuring. We wanted it to ease off when the battle imagery had already made admiration complicated. The performances have earned enough attention to manage without quite so much musical encouragement. Paul Scofield as the French King, Brian Blessed as Exeter and Judi Dench as Mistress Quickly give the supporting cast considerable weight. There is pleasure in hearing actors make the language sound necessary to the people speaking it. Derek Jacobi’s Chorus contributes to that sense of being addressed directly, making the invitation to listen feel immediate. The disadvantage is familiar-face recognition: occasionally we notice the distinguished actor before the person being played, and the film briefly feels like a gathering of illustrious colleagues. Among historical war dramas, this earns its force by allowing courage to remain attractive while showing the unpleasant work that courage entails. It trusts the acting and the language to hold our attention through difficulties that a simpler account of heroism would avoid. The music occasionally makes our response too easy, but the images keep giving us something to question. See it for the speaking and the fighting, and allow yourself to remain unconvinced when the score seems certain. *Fi1m score 84, published 4 October 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is Henry V worth watching?** *Henry V* is worth watching for its forceful performances and physically punishing view of war; we score it 84 out of 100. We recommend it to anyone drawn to historical drama or curious about Shakespeare, though the music sometimes pushes for an uncomplicated heroic response that the muddy fighting makes difficult to share. **How long is Henry V, and what is it rated?** *Henry V* runs 2h 17m. It is a war and drama film. **Where can I watch Henry V in Italy?** *Henry V* is not on any streaming or rental service in Italy at the moment. It is available in 3 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is Henry V, and is it suitable for children?** *Henry V* carries a UK 12A certificate and contains muddy, unpleasant fighting whose savagery challenges the appeal of its rousing speeches. We would steer younger children and viewers sensitive to battlefield violence away from it; it is better suited to teenagers comfortable with war drama, with the brutality worth discussing alongside the king’s persuasive language. **How does Henry V compare to Chimes at Midnight?** *Henry V* is the better choice for approachable royal rhetoric and a forceful war drama, while we recommend [*Chimes at Midnight*](https://film.one/film/chimes-at-midnight) for its greater attention to friendship and betrayal. Both make battle muddy and punishing, but Branagh centres the king’s powers of persuasion; Welles draws five plays into a prince’s relationship with two father figures, with rough sound a reservation. **What should I watch after Henry V?** After *Henry V*, try [*Chimes at Midnight*](https://film.one/film/chimes-at-midnight) (1965, Fi1m 88): Shakespeare’s soldiers and kings, with more room for friendship and betrayal. Then [*Ran*](https://film.one/film/ran) (1985, Fi1m 92): Royal authority brings terrible suffering, rendered with severe attention to battle; and [*The Ascent*](https://film.one/film/the-ascent) (1977, Fi1m 88): A war film that tests courage without making suffering look glorious. ### Reviews we read (5) - **Los Angeles Times**, MICHAEL WILMINGTON (90/100, inferred): Wilmington praises Branagh’s adaptation as a thrilling, daring counterpart to Olivier’s version. He singles out its muddy, unsentimental battle imagery and the poetry and eloquence that make its heroism compelling. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-12-15-ca-257-story.html) - **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (4/5): Parkinson views Branagh’s adaptation as a successful film of its time. He singles out its focus on the savagery and futility of war, rather than Olivier’s booming patriotism. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-hs4sq9/henry-v/) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (80/100, inferred): The review finds Branagh’s adaptation stirring, gritty, and enjoyable. It particularly praises the fine performances from its British cast. [Read](https://variety.com/1988/film/reviews/henry-v-2-1200427962/) - **Empire**, Anthony Quinn (78/100, inferred): Quinn judges Branagh’s film a success and an accessible, cinematic interpretation of Shakespeare. He praises the Agincourt sequence, though the abundance of famous character actors can be distracting. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/henry-v-review/) - **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (65/100, inferred): The headline frames Branagh’s film as deliberately grounded rather than grandly spectacular. The accessible page provides no further critical verdict or singled-out element. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/08/movies/review-film-a-down-to-earth-henry-v-discards-spectacle-and-pomp.html) ## Details - **Director:** Kenneth Branagh - **Director:** Kenneth Branagh - **Writer:** Kenneth Branagh - **Cinematography:** Kenneth MacMillan - **Editor:** Michael Bradsell - **Music:** Patrick Doyle - **Production design:** Tim Harvey - **Costume design:** Phyllis Dalton - **Producer:** Bruce Sharman - **Cast:** Kenneth Branagh as Henry V; Derek Jacobi as Chorus; Brian Blessed as Exeter; James Larkin as Bedford; Paul Scofield as French King; Emma Thompson as Katherine; Judi Dench as Mistress Quickly; Simon Shepherd as Duke Humphrey of Gloucester - **Runtime:** 2h 17m - **First release (the UK):** 5 October 1989 - **Genres:** War, Drama, History - **Budget:** $9 million - **Box office:** $10 million ## Where to watch in Italy Not streaming, renting or buying in Italy at the last check. Also available in: CA, FR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1990: Best Actor (nominated); Best Costume Design (won) - BAFTA Film Awards 1990: Best Actor in a Leading Role (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Direction (won) - European Film Award for Best Actor 1990: European Film Award for Best Actor (won) - Young European Film of the Year 1990: Young European Film of the Year (won) - National Board of Review Award for Best Director 1989: National Board of Review Award for Best Director (won) ## If you liked this - *Chimes at Midnight* (1965), Fi1m 88: Shakespeare’s soldiers and kings, with more room for friendship and betrayal. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/chimes-at-midnight.md) - *Ran* (1985), Fi1m 92: Royal authority brings terrible suffering, rendered with severe attention to battle. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ran.md) - *The Ascent* (1977), Fi1m 88: A war film that tests courage without making suffering look glorious. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-ascent.md) - *The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp* (1943), Fi1m 91: Military honour examined with warmth, patience and an eye for self-deception. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp.md) - *The Battle of Algiers* (1966), Fi1m 93: For another account of warfare that makes identification with violence uncomfortable. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/henry-v