Once more unto the breach, dear friends": Olivier and Branagh's "Henry V" or two context-dependent renderingsof the Shakespearean original

Abstract

This paper intends to explore the intertextual relationships established between both films in an attempt to expose the context-specific manipulation done by Olivier and Branagh. Pointing out some of the various formal and structural alterations that Olivier imposed on his Henry V to make it a proper film for a post-war moment, and comparing them to Branagh’s openly cinematic interpretation, we will try to reflect upon the plausible reasons for such divergences, bearing in mind that cinema is, and must be, a vehicle of social critique.