5 Best William Shakespeare Film & TV Adaptations

3. Henry V (1989) I really like the Henriad, as you may be able to tell. They€™re not the most popular set of plays to adapt, not when Romeo and Juliet is apparently the easiest thing in the universe, but when they are they tend to be pretty darn fantastic. A great example of this is the 1989 version of Henry V, starring the godlike Kenneth Branagh at his most glorious. Henry V is the last play in the Henriad tetralogy and follows the son of Henry Bolingbroke/Henry IV, Henry V. It is a direct continuation of Henry IV Parts I & II and shows Henry developing from the young scamp he once was to a serious king with serious kingly problems. Like dealing with the spectre of his old friends, and keeping the loyalty of his troops, and invading France because it€™s there and it€™s FRANCE. There have been a few versions of Henry V, it certainly has more adaptations than any other play in the Henriad, but this is by far the best one. It€™s a version set, albeit vaguely, in the time period that Shakespeare probably intended. It€™s fairly traditional, and shows the versatility of Shakespeare. It€™s also quite innovative, though, the appearances of the great Derek Jacobi as the Chorus and a modern element that really makes you think. Derek Jacobi has only a small role, but his performance is as wonderful as ever €“ the man may have slightly silly views on Shakespeare, but that doesn€™t stop him from being an absolutely brilliant actor. Brian Blessed has a small role, but he€™s most definitely there and most definitely glorious. Emma Thompson is lovely as Katharine, and her sweet and innocent portrayal has always made me regard the character with some respect. But the main laurels, of course, have to go to Kenneth Branagh. Branagh is my favourite actor of Shakespeare, and I doubt that€™ll ever change. He€™s wonderful as Henry, most definitely a king but still carrying a mischievous aspect. He€™s a brilliant actor who gets Shakespeare completely, and Henry V is quite possibly the best role that he€™s done. Branagh is also a wonderful director, all of his decisions really do seem to work. The whole thing seems to have the €œBranagh touch€ upon it, and this is the film that it probably works the best in. You get the big muddy battles, you get the touches of charming humour, you get an impression of sheer enjoyment that makes Henry V a joyous film even when it goes terribly dark. Branagh obviously loves Shakespeare, and he€™s definitely one of the best at carrying that love to the screen. Henry V is probably my favourite history play, and this film shows why. It has stunning acting and stunning directing, and also manages to convey a perfect impression of adoration. It can get dark at times, but it€™s still a film that truly shows what happens when everybody in a Shakespeare adaptation adores Shakespeare €“ and that€™s something that really should be appreciated.