Henry V

Henry V (1989) is a British historical war drama you can watch online on iFILM. Kenneth Branagh wrote the screenplay adapting Shakespeare's play, then stepped in front of the camera as the young king himself — a debut that earned him two Academy Award nominations, for directing and lead actor, at the age of twenty-eight.

It is 1415. Henry crosses the Channel with an army that looks strong on parchment and grows ragged by the week. By the time the English reach Agincourt, they are outnumbered, exhausted and riddled with illness. The French force waiting for them is several times larger. The night before the battle, Henry moves through his own camp in disguise, listening to what his soldiers actually think.

Branagh cast the film with heavyweights: Derek Jacobi narrates, Ian Holm plays Fluellen, Paul Scofield brings gravity as the French king, and Emma Thompson and Judi Dench each appear in smaller but memorable roles. Cinematographer Kenneth MacMillan kept the palette dark and muddy — this is war without pageantry. Watch Henry V (1989) online on iFILM.