Critical response
Henry V received near-universal critical acclaim for Branagh's Oscar-nominated performance and direction, for the accessibility of its Shakespearean language, and for its score by Patrick Doyle. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 98% based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Pehaps [sic] Kenneth Branagh's most fully realised Shakespeare adaptation, Henry V is an energetic, passionate, and wonderfully acted film."[12] On Metacritic it has a score of 83 out of 100, based on 17 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".[13] Henry V also ranks #1 on the Rotten Tomatoes list of Greatest Shakespeare Movies, beating Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985) and Branagh's own version of Hamlet (1996), respectively ranking in second and third place.[14]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, praising Branagh's performance and writing, "There is no more stirring summons to arms in all of literature than Henry's speech to his troops on St. Crispan's [sic] Day, ending with the lyrical 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' To deliver this speech successfully is to pass the acid test for anyone daring to perform the role of Henry V in public, and as Kenneth Branagh, as Henry, stood up on the dawn of the Battle of Agincourt and delivered the famous words, I was emotionally stirred even though I had heard them many times before. That is one test of a great Shakespearian actor: to take the familiar and make it new."[15] Variety magazine also gave the film a positive review, calling Henry V "A stirring, gritty and enjoyable pic which offers a plethora of fine performances from some of the U.K.'s brightest talents."[16]
Box office
The film grossed over $10 million in the U.S. and at the time of its widest release played on 134 U.S. screens.[2]
It made £652,555 in the UK.[17]
Accolades
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards | March 26, 1990 | Best Director | Kenneth Branagh | Nominated |
Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Best Costume Design | Phyllis Dalton | Won | ||
Brit Awards | 18 February 1990 | Best Soundtrack or Cast Recording | Henry V | Nominated |
British Academy Film Awards | 11 March 1990 | Best Direction | Kenneth Branagh | Won |
Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | |||
Best Cinematography | Kenneth MacMillan | Nominated | ||
Best Costume Design | Phyllis Dalton | Nominated | ||
Best Production Design | Tim Harvey | Nominated | ||
Best Sound | Campbell Askew, David Crozier, Robin O'Donoghue | Nominated | ||
Chicago Film Critics Association | March 8, 1990 | Best Film | Henry V | Nominated |
Best Foreign Film | Won | |||
Best Director | Kenneth Branagh | Nominated | ||
Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Most Promising Actor | Nominated | |||
European Film Awards | 2 December 1990 | Young European Film of the Year | Won | |
European Actor of the Year | Won | |||
Evening Standard British Film Awards | 1990 | Best Film | Won | |
Nastro d'Argento Awards | 1991 | Best Male Dubbing | Tonino Accolla (for the dubbing of Kenneth Branagh) | Won |
European Nastro d'Argento | Kenneth Branagh | Nominated | ||
National Board of Review | February 26, 1990 | Top Ten Films | Henry V | Won |
Best Director | Kenneth Branagh | Won | ||
New York Film Critics Circle | January 14, 1990 | Best New Director | Won | |
Sant Jordi Awards | 27 May 1991 | Best Foreign Actor | Won |