The King (2019)
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A young prince must navigate the treacherous waters of palace politics and the burdens of war after his father's death.
The story
Following the death of his father, King Henry IV, the Prince of Wales, known as 'Hal', is thrust into the role of King Henry V. To secure his throne, he must navigate the complexities of palace politics, the lingering conflicts of his father's reign, and the personal weight of his past life. While his peers and advisors offer conflicting counsel on how to handle the crown's responsibilities, Hal must decide how to lead his people and confront the enemies of the realm.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a battle with the Scots, King Henry IV faces a rebellion led by Hotspur. His son, the Prince of Wales (Hal), is known for his debauchery until his father names his younger brother, Prince Thomas, as the heir. Hal intervenes, defeating Hotspur in single combat. When Henry IV dies and Thomas is killed in battle, Hal is crowned King Henry V. He faces a series of challenges, including a staged insult from the Dauphin of France and internal betrayals by his advisors, including the Chief Justice Gascoigne. After declaring war on France and winning a pivotal battle at Agincourt, Hal faces the Dauphin and eventually secures a marriage to Catherine of Valois. However, he discovers that many of the 'threats' were orchestrated by his own advisors to manipulate him into war. In a final act of resolve, he executes the treacherous Chief Justice and demands honesty from his new queen.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 140
- Production countries
- Australia; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Michôd
- Writers
- David Michôd · writer; Joel Edgerton · writer
- Cast and characters
- Timothée Chalamet · Prince of Wales and later King Henry V of England; Joel Edgerton; Sean Harris; Tom Glynn-Carney; Lily-Rose Depp; Thomasin McKenzie; Robert Pattinson; Ben Mendelsohn
- Genres
- historical drama
- Themes
- Power; Duty; Betrayal
- Tone and mood
- Epic; Sombre
- Premise and plot tags
- Historical Drama; Shakespeare Adaptation; War
- Source material / true-story basis
- William Shakespeare's Henriad
- Reception
- The film received favorable reviews from critics, though it was criticized by historians for historical inaccuracies and deviations from the original plays.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 62 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
- Production trivia
- The film's score was composed to sound like the 21st century rather than the medieval 15th century.; Lincoln Cathedral was used as a stand-in for Westminster Abbey.; The film features a cameo by Thibault de Montalembert as King Charles VI.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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