The King is, in essence, a Game of Thrones-inspired adaptation of Henry IV and V. It joyously explores the power behind the throne and the power of those who sit on it, and while it may not be perfect, it does open the door to Shakespeare for new generations. The King is showing at the BFI London Film Festival and arrives on Netflix later this year.
First things first, David Michôd and Joel Edgerton’s The King is not a faithful Shakespearean adaptation of Henry IV, Part 1 and 2, or Henry V; it’s a mash-up of their best bits. Therefore, anyone expecting a word-for-word adaptation should watch the divine ‘The Hollow Crown’ instead. However, this is in no way a criticism of The King, which acts as an entry point to Shakespeare for those who may have feared his work in the past, one that, like Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet, might just introduce a new generation to Shakespeare’s wonder through the enigmatic performance of Timothée Chalamet.
David Michôd and Joel Edgerton’s story plays fast and loose with Shakespearean characters, yet maintains their core soul. Here, the confidence of a newly crowned king is cloaked in insecurity, and the buffoonery and sadness of Falstaff are replaced by an all the more serious story of bravery, mentorship, and sacrifice. This creates a journey that those who love Henry IV may find difficult to swallow, as it places Shakespeare’s work under a far more modern microscope.
Henry or Hal (Timothée Chalamet) is a boy who shuns all the responsibility attached to his name and position as he drinks, parties and sleeps his way around London. He is a 15th-century teenage rebel who hates his father, who just happens to be the King. But when his father, Henry IV (Ben Mendelsohn), dies, Henry V can no longer run from his destiny as he reluctantly assumes the responsibilities of a young monarch. However, as war with France looms, time is short for Henry V to prove his place, confidence, and power, as politics, conflict, and loyalties collide on the road to Agincourt.
There is much to be admired in attempting to condense three highly detailed plays into one film, and, on the whole, it works, despite Michôd and Edgerton rushing through Henry IV to reach the conflict and internal change of Henry V.
However, this rush creates a gap in demonstrating Henry V’s transformation from a wayward teen to a celebrated leader. Here, we are never fully allowed to explore Hal’s wild early years or the significance of the relationships and friendships formed during his party days.
Equally, many characters, including Henry Percy “Hotspur” (Tom Glynn-Carney), Thomas (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Catherine (Lily-Rose Depp), feel rushed, with their importance to the overarching story never fully appreciated. But the change that will no doubt upset loyal followers of Shakespeare’s work is Edgerton’s Falstaff, who jettisons the roguish brilliance of Shakespeare’s creation for a salt-of-the-earth drinking pal repartee.
However, despite these weaknesses, the film is held together by its young lead, Timothée Chalamet, whose naive, youthful, and fearful king combines the essence of Shakespeare’s Henry V with a far more modern exploration of masculinity, pressure, and purpose. Here, Hal’s new responsibilities weigh uncomfortably on his narrow shoulders as he is suddenly thrust into the toxic political limelight. Chalamet’s insecure but stoic young King is still finding his place in the world as the boy held within slowly gives way to the man he will become.
Add Robert Pattinson’s gloriously sinister and egotistical Dauphin of France, and The King occasionally and beautifully finds its cinematic feet as a 15th-century ‘whose dick is bigger’ high school clash. Equally impressive is the clunky armour, the filth of battle, and the decay of innocence, as Adam Arkapaw’s assured cinematography bathes us in the stench, violence, and dirt of war.
The King is, in essence, a Game of Thrones-inspired adaptation of Henry IV and V. It joyously explores the power behind the throne and the power of those who sit on it, and while it may not be perfect, it does open the door to Shakespeare for new generations.
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