MOVIE · 1989

Henry V

DramaFamilyWar137 min

In 1415, England’s young king presses his claim to France, carrying the Hundred Years’ War from the royal court to the battlefield. Kenneth Branagh is Henry V, a ruler pushed toward conquest as questions of duty, power, and legitimacy gather around him. Branagh also directs, drawing from Shakespeare while surrounding Henry with figures played by Derek Jacobi and Emma Thompson. The film keeps the ceremony, speeches, and political maneuvering of the play, then shifts into close, physical combat as the campaign moves through France.