Bardolph does not react, but fixes his eyes on the king as if in a silent plea to recall their bond and friendship. As Fluellen describes Bardolph, the camera cuts to a close up of the criminal. As Henry learns of Bardolph’s transgressions, we see a brief flicker of emotion, reminding the audience of his personal connection with the man whom he is about to condemn to death. It is from Henry’s point of view that the audience sees Bardolph enter the scene escorted by soldiers. However, the mood changes and in this section we see an abundance of close ups and reaction shots, which make the scene more personal and assessable for the audience. This acts as a reprieve from the tension that is yet to happen in the scene. His initial exchange with Fluellen is one of camaraderie and he smiles and claps his captain on the back at the news that they had “maintained the pridge”, something Olivier’s Henry would never have done. The King sniffs before speaking, displaying that he too is vulnerable to the conditions of the war despite his high status. Branagh uses a mid shot frequently in this scene to coax the audience into Henry’s inner thoughts. The ease at which he dismounts indicates that Fluellen’s assistance would have been a grave insult to the king, rather than a show of obedience and loyalty. Henry swings easily from his horse and it is clear that Fluellen’s help was not required. Fluellen immediately advances towards him and puts his hand out as if to aid the King, but he is too far off to be of any assistance. The camera then cuts to Branagh, who is appraoching as King Henry. It is the person of higher class and influence who has the final input in the exchange, staying true to class conventions.
This shows the tension between the two very clearly and allows for Fluellen to, in effect, have the final word and return the curse. We then see Fluellen spit on the ground as Pistol leaves his side. Because of the king’s imminent approach, Pistol is forced to accept Fluellen’s choice but curses him before moving off. The camera then cuts back to Pistol and Fluellen where Fluellen refuses to act in defence of Bardolph, who has been caught committing a crime. This heightens the tension as the audience prepares for the rider to be revealed. The emergence from the haze is a typical technique used to introduce significant characters to the scene, particularly in a battle situation and is symbolic of the uncertainty and ambivalence of war.
Branagh uses several film techniques to subtly communicate with the audience and to heighten emotion.Īs the scene opens, the galloping of hooves alerts the audience to an approaching rider as the camera cuts to the haze. The five minute scene selected for examination has an abundant use of varying shots which are used effectively to portray the emotions in the scene.
SIDE RULER IN WORD 2002 PROFESSIONAL
With that in mind, Act Three Scene Six is key as it shows the difference between the dual persona of Hal and King Henry and the transformation from one to the other, demonstrating Henry’s ability to act as a ruler while keeping his professional and personal life separate. Murphy on Follow me on Twitter My Tweets Tagsīardolph’s death scene in Kenneth Branagh’s version of Henry V is a very interesting element of the adaption as it ties the past with the present, a combination of “useless `Hal` and ruthless `Henry`” (Lehmann 201).