Henry V for GoT fanatics
The King (R13, 140 mins) Directed by David Michod Reviewed by James Croot ★★★★
Ayoung king stands in front of his troops. Tired and hungry, they’re not exactly in battle shape to face their opposition. It doesn’t help that they’re outnumbered and outpositioned, even if their leader has a cunning plan to use the sodden conditions in Agincourt to their advantage.
Sensing his men’s doubts, the youthful monarch raises his voice. ‘‘You expect from me a speech…’’
That’s one of many moments that prove Australian director David Michod’s (Animal Kingdom, The Rover, War Machine) take on historic 15th-century British events won’t stick to the traditional Shakespearean script.
Despite being partly inspired by the bard’s Henry IV Part I and Part II and Henry V, there is no ‘‘happy few’’ or ‘‘band of brothers’’ in The King. This is very much a tale focused on the sins of fathers and a feckless but idealistic ‘‘young, vain and foolish man’’, who is ‘‘so easily riled, so easily beguiled’’.
When we meet Timothee Chalamet’s (Call Me by Your Name) Prince Hal in this thrilling, compelling tale, he’s the wayward son of the brutal Henry IV (a truly menacing Ben Mendelsohn).
Under his father’s rule, the lands have become more riven with war than ever before. The Scots have been repelled for the moment, but the Welsh are making ructions and Henry’s refusal to rescue a hostage has created friction with some of his own lords.
Henry Percy (Tom GlynnCarney) decides to take on the dying king, who charges his younger son Thomas (DeanCharles Chapman) with defending his honour.
But while he has no interest in the crown, Hal decides the only way to stop his brother from being recruited into his father’s madness is to take the fight to Henry Percy himself.
Much to everyone’s surprise, ‘‘the whoring fool’’ wins and, when Thomas is killed in a subsequent skirmish in Wales, he somewhat reluctantly finds himself ascending to the throne.
He immediately makes plans for peace, but some within his court believe the only way to ensure that is a continued show of strength.
Co-writer Joel Edgerton (Red Sparrow) might clearly channel Orson Welles (or a latter-day Russell Crowe) in a memorable performance as Hal’s drinking buddy and combat adviser Sir John Falstaff but this is no Chimes of Midnight.
Likewise, forget expecting anything akin to Kenneth Branagh’s airless, but much lauded 1989 re-enactment of Henry V.
Instead, The King is the misadventures of The House of Lancaster for the Game of Thrones generation.
Agincourt’s grim and grimy battle reminds one of GOT’s Battle of the Bastards in evoking mudsoaked claustrophobia, and the sharp dialogue (particularly the final act) brings back memories of the best political drama Westeros managed to conjure up during its eight-season run.
More ensemble than starstudded, the impressive cast also includes Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout), Lily-Rose Depp (Tusk) and a blink-and-you’llmiss-it cameo from our own Thomasin McKenzie as Hal’s sister Phillippa.
Likewise, Michod makes terrific use of Nicholas Britell’s (Vice) understated, yet atmospheric score. In fact, the only potential bum note in The King is Robert Pattinson’s taunting dauphin.
Looking like a terribly aged version of his Twilight character, Pattinson’s accent and threats sound straight out of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
That aside though, this is Michod’s finest film since his outstanding Animal Kingdom debut and a movie that, if it’s available at a cinema near you, deserves to be seen on a big screen.
The King is screening in select cinemas, before debuting on Netflix on November 1.