This film is currently unavailable
Henry V
Laurence Olivier rouses an all-star cast and an imperiled nation with his magnificent adaptation of Shakespeare's warrior monarch.
Director: Laurence Olivier
Overview
After D-Day had raised a nation's spirits, the encore came soon after. A box office flop soon rescued by word-of-mouth, Olivier's adaptation escaped the starched and stagy nature of previous Shakespearean projects. Instead, we get vigorous and poetic propaganda as the young King attempts to overcome hopeless odds and conquer a cocksure enemy. Olivier is rumoured to have courted William Wyler, and Carol Reed to direct, but both assured him there was only one man for the job.
Winston Churchill is said to have played censor, requesting removal of anything related to treason, and his government helped fund the film. Shot in Ireland and at Denham Studios, it took a year to make, assembling a cast that bats deep and includes real-life war veterans such as Ernest Thesiger, John Laurie and Esmond Knight, who was still recovering after the ship on which he served had engaged the Bismarck. William Walton's score adds a vital heartbeat and seems to match the line readings, sealing the success of a film that long ago breached its nitrate tins to become a vital cultural artefact.
Related
The Iron Claw The Iron Claw
Biopic 2023 132 mins Director: Sean Durkin
Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson and Jeremy Allen White lead this brilliant, bruising true story of wrestling glory and family tragedy.
Your Fat Friend Your Fat Friend
Biopic 2024 96 mins Director: Jeanie Finlay
A powerful and moving documentary exploring body image, diet culture and anti-fat bias through the life and work of Aubrey Gordon.
Angelheaded Hipster Angelheaded Hipster
Biopic 2023 99 mins Director: Ethan Silverman
Stomping documentary celebrating the revolutionary music of Glam Rock pioneer Marc Bolan and T. Rex, combining archive footage with new musical interpretations by renowned contemporary artists.
Fragments of Paradise Fragments of Paradise
Documentary 2023 98 mins Director: KD Davison
Intimate portrait of the life and career of the pioneering filmmaker, poet and critic, Jonas Mekas, assembled from thousands of hours of his personal film footage and letters.
Tina Tina
Documentary 2021 118 mins Director: Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin
Classic live footage and engaging interviews create a powerful film that celebrates icon Tina Turner's tumultuous career.
Stanley Kubrick A Life in Pictures Stanley Kubrick A Life in Pictures
Biopic 2001 136 mins Director: Jan Harlan
With comprehensive access to home movies and behind the scenes footage, this is the definitive insight into the life of Stanley Kubrick.
Fitzcarraldo Fitzcarraldo
Drama 1981 157 mins Director: Werner Herzog
One of Werner Herzog's most acclaimed and audacious films, Fitzcarraldo tells the incredible story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an opera-loving fortune hunter who dreams of bringing opera to the heart of the Peruvian jungle.
Bicycle Thieves Bicycle Thieves
Drama 1948 89 mins Director: Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio De Sica’s story of a father and son searching for a stolen bicycle on the streets of Rome is a classic of post-war Italian cinema.
Black Narcissus Black Narcissus
Drama 1947 101 mins Director: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Tensions grow when a group of nuns open a convent in the Himalayas in Powell and Pressburger’s remarkable melodrama, starring Deborah Kerr.
Blancanieves Blancanieves
Drama 2011 105 mins Director: Pablo Berger
Pablo Berger’s imaginative black-and-white ‘silent’ movie relocates the story of Snow White to 1920s Spain – complete with bullfighting dwarfs
Hotel Salvation Hotel Salvation
Drama 2016 99 mins Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani
This gentle, tender and award-winning Indian comedy follows the ordeal of an over-worked modern son forced to accompany his 77-year-old father to the holy city of Varanasi, where he plans to end his days.
Mademoiselle Chambon Mademoiselle Chambon
Drama 2009 100 mins Director: Stéphane Brizé
When a happily married man decides to volunteer at his son’s school, he begins to form a romantic bond with a teacher in this intimate French drama.
Q Planes Q Planes
Action and Adventure 1939 79 mins Director: Tim Whelan
Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier star in a spy drama about the disappearence of prototype military aircraft.
Kensuke's Kingdom Kensuke's Kingdom
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 84 mins Director: Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry
Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel is brought to life in this delightful, animated tale of a young castaway who discovers he’s not alone.
Unicorns Unicorns
Romance 2023 120 mins Director: Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd
Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd have created a moving romance between an Essex mechanic and a South Asian drag queen.
Call Jane Call Jane
Drama 2022 90 mins Director: Phyllis Nagy
Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver star in this confident directorial debut from Carol screenwriter Phyllis Nagy about a network of women providing safe abortions in 1960s America.
Kill Kill
Action and Adventure 2023 105 mins Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
A pair of commandos square off against savage bandits in this breathless action thriller set on a moving train.
Together with Lorenza Mazzetti Together with Lorenza Mazzetti
Documentary 2023 55 mins Director: Brighid Lowe
Brighid Lowe’s intimate documentary about the Italian-born artist and filmmaker who became a vital part of the Free Cinema movement in '50s Britain.
Phantom Parrot Phantom Parrot
Documentary 2023 85 mins Director: Kate Stonehill
A top-secret surveillance programme is revealed in this razor-sharp analysis of technology, human rights and structural racism.