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beccaelizabethI watched Branagh's Henry V.
I keep wondering what England looks like from the French point of view. I mean, in our stories the French are all overconfident backstabbing peacocks. When they tell it, what are we? Can't be flattering.
Tisn't very flattering in this. Sure, there's the flagwaving morale boosting speeches, but there's also long contemplation on the responsibility of a King and wondering if the cause is just and then right at the end they don't leave it at 'He won!' they go on to 'and the next guy lost'. So it's right messy.
And then the actual battle scenes... talking of messy! I wouldn't want to ask an actor to do all that. Mud mud mud. Drowning in it! And rain, and more mud, and red in the mud.
It's effective though.
And the sound when they shot arrows... I want to know where they got the sound from, did they shoot a bunch of arrows and it really sound like that? Cause that's impressive.
So there's this big impressive fight scene... but it's bloody and brutal and everyone's dragged down into the mud quite literally and not exactly up there with light and reason on the metaphor side.
Henry after saying God was on their side? Shyeah. God not having much to do with all that.
So between Shakespeare's words and Branagh's budget that one actually got more impressive.
Well done.
Also?
Christian Bale.
Weirdly kid size Christian Bale.
I mean, I know, logically, everyone starts off kid sized, but I was like, bzuh, Batman be Robin sized!!!
... yeah, I kept getting distracted.
Is also the problem with recognising the actors that are in KB's films. Not only do you have that moment of seeing the actor not the character, you're left sitting there waiting for the rest of the usual suspects to turn up.
Those bits in the program that tell you who is what is useful then.
I keep wondering what England looks like from the French point of view. I mean, in our stories the French are all overconfident backstabbing peacocks. When they tell it, what are we? Can't be flattering.
Tisn't very flattering in this. Sure, there's the flagwaving morale boosting speeches, but there's also long contemplation on the responsibility of a King and wondering if the cause is just and then right at the end they don't leave it at 'He won!' they go on to 'and the next guy lost'. So it's right messy.
And then the actual battle scenes... talking of messy! I wouldn't want to ask an actor to do all that. Mud mud mud. Drowning in it! And rain, and more mud, and red in the mud.
It's effective though.
And the sound when they shot arrows... I want to know where they got the sound from, did they shoot a bunch of arrows and it really sound like that? Cause that's impressive.
So there's this big impressive fight scene... but it's bloody and brutal and everyone's dragged down into the mud quite literally and not exactly up there with light and reason on the metaphor side.
Henry after saying God was on their side? Shyeah. God not having much to do with all that.
So between Shakespeare's words and Branagh's budget that one actually got more impressive.
Well done.
Also?
Christian Bale.
Weirdly kid size Christian Bale.
I mean, I know, logically, everyone starts off kid sized, but I was like, bzuh, Batman be Robin sized!!!
... yeah, I kept getting distracted.
Is also the problem with recognising the actors that are in KB's films. Not only do you have that moment of seeing the actor not the character, you're left sitting there waiting for the rest of the usual suspects to turn up.
Those bits in the program that tell you who is what is useful then.
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Date: 2009-05-30 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 03:11 pm (UTC)I think I'll go watch Batman sized Bale some more instead. He's fun.