Moody and foreboding The King’s opening scene is that of a battleground somewhere in medieval England. It’s dusk and the area is strewn with the dead or the dying while the victors stumble around like emotionally exhausted zombies. The sound of men dying is nearly drowned out by the screams of wounded horses. This scene pretty much sets the tone for much of The King which was released on Netflix in November.
Based on several plays by William Shakespeare, the historical drama is directed by David Michôd who likewise wrote the screenplay with fellow Australian Joel Edgerton who also has an important supporting role.
Young American actor Timothée Chalamet plays King Henry V — a complex and often sullen character trying to do his utmost as king while gradually, at times, slipping into frustrated or calculated cruelty. Chalamet’s brooding performance has been widely praised.
The film’s climatic Battle of Agincourt is pitiless, making you glad you weren’t a knight in shining armor. See some of the reviews for The King below.
JUDGEMENT
“Taking on Shakespeare is a difficult task. Few have managed it. The King is an attempt at modernizing the Henriad plays to have it resonate with contemporary issues. The film was written by David Michôd and Joel Edgerton, who also plays Falstaff. They removed the iambic pentameter and also changed significant parts of the story. The problem is that the morality of this story is too in your face, with the protagonist, Hal, being the morality compass. By stepping away from Shakespeare’s tale, the screenwriters have really taken away all the powerful and crucial moments of the play.” Sheena Scott, Forbes
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“War isn’t glamorized here: Through two key characters’ eyes, the film shows the terror and chaos of soldiers in hand-to-hand combat in a sloppy, savage melee while wearing chain mail and armor. The movie hammers home a strong message of war’s high human cost that even surviving soldiers must pay; there are also themes of courage, integrity, and self-control.” Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media
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“In terms of performances, Oscar-nominee Chalamet carries The King on his shoulders with an impressive turn as a reluctant leader. Hal might be lacking in onscreen charisma, but that fits into the character, and Chalamet’s acting here is understated and effective. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for all members of the supporting cast, as most of the actors do solid work that more or less just gets the job done.” Chris Agar, Screen Rant
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“The King slashes through the heart of this hesitation, giving us a clear picture of a young person split between his newfound responsibilities and pacifist-leaning beliefs. Making this quiet, different version of Henry V his own interpretation (instead of, you know, a poor imitation of Sir Laurence Olivier’s definitive performance), Chalamet excels at emoting sharply through his eyes. When he has words to spare, it helps that the co-scribes had significantly (though respectfully) smoothened Shakespearean language for this side of the 21st Century.” Tomris Laffly, rogerebert.com.
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“In this telling, Henry is a pacifist who values his subjects over bloody land-grabs. That is, until he feels taunted by the French — especially the Dauphin (Robert Pattinson), the flamboyant heir to France’s throne. In the best way, Pattinson acts like he’s auditioning for Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The film’s climax is the famous Battle of Agincourt. Chalamet is powerful in his first authoritative role. Until now, he’s mostly played rebellious students and druggies. But when other actors bow to him and say ‘your majesty,’ it doesn’t feel like they’re doing it just because the script says so.” Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
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“William Shakespeare may have died 400 years ago, but he is, technically, cinema’s most filmed author, with over 420 film and TV credits according to Guinness World Records. How do you make a new adaptation fresh? Director David Michôd and co-writer/co-star Joel Edgerton’s approach is to transform the language into something slightly more modern (there’s some contemporary swearing here), ditch the iambic pentameter, and compress his most famous history plays, collectively known as the Henriad, into one lean two-hour film.” John Nugent, empireonline.com
Watch the trailer for The King below: