Directed by:
David MichôdCinematography:
Adam ArkapawComposer:
Nicholas BritellCast:
Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson, Ben Mendelsohn, Sean Harris, Edward Ashley, Thomasin McKenzie, Lily-Rose Depp, Tom Glynn-Carney (more)VOD (1)
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In 15th-century England, Prince Hal transforms from wayward wastrel to powerful king after he reluctantly inherits the throne and its many conflicts. (Netflix)
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Reviews (11)
Or how King Henry gained both victory and an honest French lady. A clever and authentic historical movie that gets under your skin. The detailed depiction of the characters and the authenticity of their behavior are crucial for Michôda. There is one major action scene in the form of a muddy scuffle at Agincourt, while the rest of the film is made up of discussions about war with a chubby Edgerton, a bit of sieging and royal intrigues, where Chalamet very adeptly prepares himself for the role of Muad'Dib in Villeneuve’s Dune. Pattinson is a loathsome bastard (the great scene with the little boys in the forest) and absolutely revels in this role. The King looks like a movie from a different time, old-school but with modern techniques and gadgets. It’s nice to hear a mention of the Czech Lands too. Powerful music.
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It takes a while for the viewer to get over the fact that here the otherwise fragile, etheric Timothée playing a proficient drinker and invincible warrior... I also had trouble believing him being a womanizer.... So if you manage to get over that, you will enjoy a black and grey medieval period full of dirt, mud and cruel massacres. It's not bad, just depressing.
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A likeable and sober hybrid of Shakespeare drama and medieval epic that must have been great to watch in the big screen. Everyone took things admirably seriously, the actors fully fused into their roles (besides the excellent Chalamet, the cheerful drunkard Edgerton, the unpredictable Harris and the breathtakingly sly Mendelsohn also deserve praise), the costume designers perfectly recreated the era, the cameramen always found the right angle and lightning and the director tried not to fall into stylistic mannerisms to take the viewer right to the table, or to a battlefield, next to the characters. And everything works so well, and that’s why it’s such a shame how at times it deviates from the captivating old-world notes only because they feared the film would bore a modern audience – if the script had dived deeper into the psychology of the main character and avoided changing his view during one conversation, it could have been an amazing contribution to the half-century old tradition of big narrative movies. This way, it’s “only” a wonderfully executed and valuably authentic historical drama.
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Netflix has stepped up to the plate and made a grim, dirty and very believable period piece that can stand up to the best in the genre. Although we don't see any lavish battles with Zimmer's thunderous music, nor any camera games with a digital Collosseum, there is still a little bit of action and the filmmakers have not done themselves any shame in this aspect. But The King goes in a different direction and it's obvious from the beginning. It's a quiet, creeping drama about politics, scheming and the dirty Middle Ages, where there are only subjects or enemies. The King stands and falls primarily on the realistic presentation of the material it deals with and on Chalamet, who matures like wine. And when he walks out in front of the soldiers with his speech, it’s brilliant.
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The solitude, burden and uncompromising nature of being a ruler. On top of that, the father-son relationships on both sides of the channel torn apart. Undoubtedly, you will recognize Shakespeare's themes, dialogue, characters and speeches in many places. However, this is not a direct adaptation of his Henriad, though the movie was inspired by it. You won’t fail to notice it and that is intentional. In any case, The King is a fine historical film impressively shot in the mud and with excellent acting (especially the Edgerton-Harris-Chalamet trio). The more intimate, the better. And it is more than intimate.
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