Graphic by Penelope Taylor ’20
BY GABY BARBER ’23
“The King,” released Nov. 1 on Netflix, is a stunning film. Starring Timothée Chalamet as King Henry V, the Netflix movie adapts Shakespeare’s plays “Henry V,” “Henry IV Part I” and “Henry IV Part 2.” I watched the movie without any historical context — besides knowing it was about one of the King Henrys and a battle — and I still felt the movie was digestible. The first half of the movie does a good job contextualizing the plot and truly builds up to the climax when King Henry is forced to choose whether or not to declare war on France. The second half of the movie centers around the Battle of Agincourt and its aftermath.
Chalamet was compelling and delivered a strong performance as King Henry. He excelled in bringing his character from a defiant son to a regal monarch while maintaining a naïveté not revealed until the end. This was a smart choice on the part of the writers; if the movie had ended with victory at the battle, it would have felt incomplete. They succeeded in bringing the movie to a close while maintaining the action.
Joel Edgerton played King Henry’s trusted advisor and friend, John Falstaff. In the film, Falstaff serves as a rock in a turbulent political scene and provides Henry with calm counsel in the midst of a storm. Edgerton nails this role, although his character is not very dynamic, even when facing death.
It is quite possible that you’ve seen clips of Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of the Dauphin of France by now. To me, there was something comical about the character. It struck me as strange the Dauphin spoke little to no French throughout the movie, despite King Henry’s demonstrated proficiency in the language. Sure, I did not expect them to solely converse in French, as there were no subtitles and the movie is directed towards an English-speaking audience, but King Henry had short exchanges with other characters in French. Beyond this, Pattinson’s accent was not quite as nuanced as those of other actors. To me, it was apparent he was an English actor, trying to speak English with a French accent. He didn’t fail, but it wasn’t great.
After watching the movie, I did some research to see how historically accurate it was and which battle it was based on. I found that the movie is controversial in this regard.
In a Telegraph article, Henry Samuel points out that the film has been received with anger by some, “amid claims it is riddled with historical inaccuracies, dangerously jingoistic and ‘antiFrench.’” His review cites Christophe Gilliot, director of the Agincourt museum, and his views that Pattinson’s performance is “hammed-up” and that the film harbors “francophobe tendencies.”
Gilliot claims that “The British far-right are going to lap this up, it will flatter nationalist egos over there.” The film most definitely positions the English as the protagonists, and I do not think Gilliot’s concerns are unfounded.
Overall, I would recommend this movie, if watched with a grain of salt and an understanding of the politics underlying the film. The performances by the actors — except maybe Pattinson — are wonderful. I just ask one thing: don’t go around telling the plot of “The King” like it’s the definite account of history. Do, however, see the movie if you’re looking for something good to watch on Netflix instead of doing your homework.