A Comparison of Olivier and Branagh's Adaptations of Henry V Essays

Laurence Olivier directed and starred in it himself as a patriotic call to the barricades. Olivier greatly aspired to become one of the greatest actors of the twentieth century. His attempt in the role of the main character ‘Henry’ was nothing short of this by delivering an epic performance in the midst of a gay, colourful depiction of battle. Kenneth Branagh’s production (1989) attempted greater realism in the battle scenes and focused more on Henry’s inner conflicts. There was not as much emphasis on the patriotic elements of the play as in Olivier’s. Branagh’s film was constructed many years after Olivier’s predominant original – when it was considered a classic. Olivier created a total advance in Shakespearean film and gave dawn to colour filming. A young Branagh would have to direct and act admirably to stand alongside the preceding version. He would have to successfully comply as a Shakespearean actor to “take the familiar and make it new”. Branagh heavily scrutinised Olivier’s epic work, employing and enhancing many of the methods Olivier inspired and developed, causing Branagh’s film to be labelled sometimes as an emulation. Still there is an obvious (yet often subtle) extent to which Branagh tries