I’m no war-monger, nor do I make light of real battles and their terrible cost. But there’s no doubt that mass-combats make for great cinematic drama, especially in their build-up and occasionally in their denouement. Here on the day after Veterans Day, I’m marking the occasion by taking a look back at a film that every battle-aficionado should watch at least once: Henry V.

Many fantasy fans lament the lack of good movies in the genre, myself included. But I will say that you’re missing out if you haven’t given Henry V a chance (I speak here of the Kenneth Branagh 1989 film. I haven’t yet seen the 1944 version with Laurence Olivier). While it’s obviously not fantasy, Henry V has a lot of the trappings of the genre (armored knights, archers, kings, castles, etc.). It’s also got some surprisingly good combat sequences, as well as a few of the most rousing battle-related speeches/sequences ever put to film.

Despite its excellent reputation, I held off watching Henry V for a long time. My reasoning: How good could a Shakespeare film be? Impenetrable? Likely. Boring? Most certainly. Or so I thought.

I admit it; I was wrong.

Rather than try to put into words the greatness that is Henry V, I’ll let the film itself do the talking. Courtesy of Youtube, here’s a couple of my favorite scenes.

The Band of Brothers/St. Crispin’s Day speech. I don’t know what else to say, other than listening this speech makes me want to fight somebody, anybody (Frenchmen? Drunks? The neighbors? Bring ‘em all on). There’s so much to love as Henry exhorts his pitiable force to fight for the everlasting glory of England, and for each other (“The fewer men, the greater share of honor” … “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”)

In particular, I love the reaction of the French herald. Watch him as he rides in very jaunty and cocky, expecting the paltry, beleaguered, English army to surrender. Then comes Branagh’s angry defiance, after which he rides off, pale and stunned, fearful of the king’s ferocity. There’s a quaking in his voice, and he seems to see the French defeat in Henry’s burning gaze.

Look for a young Christian Bale, as well as Brian Blessed and Ian Holm, among the crowd.

Non Nobis and Te Deum is a prayer of thanksgiving and humility, the song of the victor who has survived the slaughter and carnage of the battlefield through the hand of providence.

This scene cements the ambivalent feelings of war in Henry V. Yes, there is a great victory here, and the French have suffered “a royal fellowship of death” (126 French princes, and 7,000-8,000 knights), vs. a scant handful of casualties for the English. But Henry’s reaction and that of his soldiers is not one of unbridled, joyous celebration. As he reads the roll of the dead Henry seems rather appalled at the number of French slain, so many good men ignominiously slain in the muck of Agincourt. Branagh’s words are those of a victor, but his inflection—weariness and disgust—tells a different story. He carries the weight of the dead, literally and figuratively, on his back.

This scene encapsulates the sum of war—the muck and grime, blood and filth, mixed with relief and grandeur and triumph—and delivers it in a single, sweeping, unforgettable sequence, told with a beautiful, haunting song. Branagh earned nominations for Best Actor and Director for Henry V, and for this scene alone he should have won both. 

While Henry V might contain the best-battle speeches of all time, here are some other favorites I thought worth mentioning.

• Speaking of a band of brothers, the recent World War II series of the same name features a great speech delivered by a defeated German commander. It’s a reminder that there need be no shame in defeat for soldiers who have acquitted themselves bravely.
• From Excalibur, arguably the finest fantasy film ever, here’s another great scene of victory, tempered by a warning from Merlin never to forget (“For it is the doom of men”).
• And what collection of rousing war-speeches would be complete without a mention of The Lord of the Rings? There are at least two in the trilogy worth mentioning, and both involve Theoden: His “Shields shall be splintered” speech to the Rohirrim before Minas Tirith and this modified version of the “Lament for Eorl the Young.”

What are your favorite battle-speeches, either from film or books? Shoot me an e-mail at bmurphy4@verizon.net and let me know.

DEUCE ADDS: “I admit it; I was wrong.” Brian, my brother, the first step towards righteousness is to admit error. Right on. I saw Branagh’s Henry V on video soon after its release (where’s the “Collector’s Edition,” Sony?). My expectations were fairly neutral. Need I say that I was dumbstruck by the power of the film?

Some of Shakespeare’s dialogue is archaic. At the same time, the number of quotes from his plays that have made their way into the common vernacular is astounding. Only the Bible compares. Robert E. Howard sprinkled “archaic” words throughout his works. Why (I address this to the world at large) is it “progressive” to regard the modern pidgin English that emanates from the today’s trailer parks/ghettoes as something that must be learned/assimilated, whilst Shakespeare’s English is looked upon as not worth the time? In fifty years, Kid Rock’s lyrics won’t be any more intelligible than fiction from the ’30s laden with words like “yegg” and “rumpus.” Just sayin’.  

Agincourt has been a fairly frequent touchstone here at The Cimmerian. Robert E. Howard’s admiration for Shakespeare (though somewhat ambivalent) is no secret. In my humble opinion, echoes of Henry V reverberate throughout Howard’s works. That, however, is a post for next October 25th.

As for the Battle of Pelennor Fields, Tolkien himself gave a fine reading in Caedmon’s The J.R.R.Tolkien Audio Collection. I highly recommend it.

Today may be the day after Veterans’ Day in America, but it is also the day after the Feast of St. Martin, patron of all soldiers. Coincidental, no?