Great disappointment for Shakespeare fans

Rating: 5/10 (2 November 2019)

The picture is good. But it is very disappointing that half a millennium after Shakespeare, the authors of the film made familiar images much more flat. The point is not even the grimacing Pattinson, diligently depicting a parody of a French accent. Not in Catherine Valois, who speaks to the crowned groom as a modern feminist (in the play, and in medieval life, she could only refuse to kiss before the wedding). It can be forgiven - after all, Shakespeare's "Henry the Fifth" is just a kind of propaganda, well below his true masterpieces. But the authors raised their hand to the most sacred - Sir John Falstaff. In my opinion, this is the best character created by the genius from Stratford. Funny and disrespected coward, drunkard and chatterbox was, nevertheless, a figure of tremendous charm, easily overshadowing other heroes. And yet, despite his weaknesses, he was wholeheartedly attached to the prince. When the young king breaks with the past, rudely treating the old knight, this decision can be considered fair, but you still sympathize with Falstaff. A comic jester suddenly turns out to be a deep tragic hero, and the death of the abandoned and forgotten Sir John becomes the most touching moment of the "sequel" to the brilliant "Henry the Fourth". As one of critics rightly noted, Shakespeare killed this character primarily because "the public's sympathies for Falstaff's humor could not be reconciled with the idea of statehood, which logically was supposed to complete the play." However, "Henry the Fifth" as a work of art is not comparable with its predecessor, so Sir John Falstaff with all his vices finally won, as life always ultimately defeats the cold state machine.
What do we see in this movie? The director turned an old cowardly drunkard into a wise, laconic warrior and a brilliant strategist, whom Henry the Fifth draws closer to himself and puts him at the head of his army. The French are defeated. And with them, the author buried Shakespeare in the mud too. As a result, we have a nice plot, from which hardly anyone's heart will get pinched, and which will be forgotten in a couple of days.