Movie Synopsis: The Hollow Crown

I love Shakespeare. Everything he wrote, comedies, tragedies, histories, sonnets...

Last year one of his greatest works was turned into a miniseries. Commonly refered to as "The Henriad", the stories of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V were masterfully performed by an all-star cast under the name of "The Hollow Crown".

The three kings of the Henriad: Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V.

Richard II

The story begins 1398 with King Richard II. Richard's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke is in a heated dispute with Thomas Mobray. They challenge each other to a duel and ask Richard to stand as judge. Despite objections from both Richard and his uncle John Gaunt, Henry's father, the duel goes ahead as planned. At the beginning of the duel however, Richard intercedes and banishes both men. Mowbray is banished for life whereas Henry is banished initially for ten years, which Richard then reduces is to six. This is Richard's first fatal mistake. 

John Gaunt, played by the ever amazing Sir Patrick Stewart, becomes severely ill after the banishment of his son. He calls the king to his estate and Richard obliges. Once there, Gaunt proceeds to tear Richard apart and accuses him of putting England in danger because of his untempered pride. Richard storms out, but is stopped in the hall a few minutes later and is told Gaunt is dead. Richard immediately seizes all of his uncle's land, money, and assets to finance a war with Ireland. This is Richard's second fatal mistake.

The nobility, angered by Richard's actions, secretly bring Henry Bolingbroke back to England. Intitially, Henry only wanted the land and money that were his rightful inheritance. However, it soon becomes clear he has his sights set higher - the crown itself. 

While Richard is in Ireland Henry takes over the country and Richard is imprisioned upon his return to England. Richard is forced to relinquish the crown in the throne room in front of the entire court. He is later murdered in prison by the Duke of York's son in an attempt to prove fealty. Henry is devastated, as Richard was still his cousin and his blood. He swears to travel to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage to atone for his sins and his part in Richard's death. 

Ben Whishaw as Richard II

This story is probably the most heart-wrenching of the three in the Henriad. It takes place in only two years. Richard is one of those tragic rulers that truly believes that he is doing what is best for his country and his people, yet is blind to the fact that his actions are driving them farther and farther from him. Ben Whishaw gives the most convincing performance of the tortured Richard II. At first he seems like any young king - inexperienced, caught between family members and friends, and in a war he probably can't win. His downfall, though, is his pride and his implicit trust of his family. He never believed that after giving leniency to his cousin Henry that he would come back and take the throne from him. His true character is revealed after being dressed down and verbally massacred by his uncle John Gaunt, in an amazing show of Sir Patrick Stewart's talent. The seizure of Gaunt's land and the theft of Henry's inheritance shows Richard is willing to do whatever it takes to win the war in Ireland, no matter who he has to destroy in the process.

Sir Patrick Stewart as John Gaunt

Possibly the most emotional scene in the movie is where Richard relinquishes he crown to Henry. The court has brought him in wearing nothing but a tunic and barefooted. This would have been a humiliation for a king. Richard breaks down and actually cries (highly un-kingly) but ultimately turns the crown over to his cousin. All through the scene Henry looks uncomfortable and ill at ease, especially since technically Richard is still the king and no matter what, they are still family. Richard is further humiliated by being thrown in prison where the people throw rotten food at him and he is forbidden to see his beloved wife. He accepts his fate only when he knows his wife has been safely returned to her home in France. The scene of Richard's murder by the Duke of York's son brings the tragic story or King Richard II to a close. 

Richard is murdered in prison.

Henry IV 

Henry the IV was originally written in two parts as two entirely separate plays. Here it is combined into one story, hence making it the longest of the three movies. Parts I and II are on separate DVDs however, for those of us needing a bit of a break.

Henry Bolingbroke, played by Jeremy Irons, is now King Henry the IV. Despite his new role as the monarch of England, Henry's life is anything but peaceful. Two main storylines run parallel during the first part of the story. The first is that of the Percy and Mortimer rebellion. Henry Percy is Earl of Northumberland and previously helped King Henry to the throne. Edmund Mortimer was Richard II's chosen heir, Richard having no children of his own. Percy's son, also named Henry but called Hotspur, is in a dispute with the king as the play opens. Hotspur refuses to turn over several prisoners taken during a campaign against the Scots. Hotspur wants the king to ransom his brother-in-law, Edmund Mortimer from the Welsh nobleman who is holding him. Henry refuses and berates Mortimer's allegiance to the crown while insulting the Percy family. Infuriated by the King's behavior, the Percys begin plotting rebellion. 

Jeremy Irons as King Henry IV

At the same time, Henry has his hands full closer to home with his eldest son, Henry, played by Tom Hiddleston. (Are we seeing a trend in male names in the early 1400s?) Young Henry is the epitome of problem child. He prefers to spend his time drinking and carousing with the elder Sir John Falstaff, a debauched knight who befriends Henry, and affectionately calls him Hal. This is the name used throughout the story for the young prince, which thankfully sets him apart from all of the other Henries in the story. 

Tom Hiddleston as Prince Henry (Hal)

Henry is frustrated with his son's lack of princely behavior and apparent lack of interest in anything that has to do with the kingdom or the throne. Hal appears to be as disinterested as his father thinks he is, yet a monologue as he wanders the streets of Cheapside gives us a glimpse into the prince's thought process. He knows that soon he will be called on to take up the mantle of leadership in the country and is prepared to leave his wild ways behind, feeling that such a stark change of behavior will garner him more favor with his father's stodgy and aged court. Be that as it may, Hal continues to run with a group of lowlifes and drunkards. 

King Henry has it out with his wayward son Prince Hal.

As rebellion continues to brew with the Percys and Mortimer Hal is soon handed a chance to prove himself to his father, the court, and the country. Hal makes up with his father and is given a command in the army. He vows to kill Hotspur himself and end the rebellion. As the battle of Shrewsbury ensues Hotspur realizes he is outnumbered, but wildly plunges into the fray. As the day wears on Harry Hotspur and Prince Hal finally meet in an all-out, one-on-one battle. Hal makes good on his promise and kills Hotspur, thus ending the rebellion. Wounded, Hal is helped back to his father by his younger brother. There, they announce the death of Hotspur and the victory. As a cheer rises from the field, the king begins to cough and doubles over, drawing concerned looks from his two sons. He quickly regains his composure and rides onto the field, ending part I. 

Prince Hal rides to the battle of Shrewsbury.

Part II of Henry IV largely deals with the decline of Henry and the rise of Hal as king. Falstaff, who was at the Battle of Shrewsbury, has returned to his lowlife ways in the seedier districts of London. He has little contact with Hal at this point, but expects that Hal will be king soon, and having your best friend on the throne must count for something. 

Simon Russel Beale as Falstaff

At the same time, King Henry's health is rapidly deteriorating. He is still unconvinced Hal is able to rule adequately as king and it is intimated that he may have thought of giving the crown to one of his other sons. Prince John defeats another plot against his father through some skillful political machinations. Again, it is implied that John may not accept rule by his brother, having shown displeasure with Hal's lifestyle.

In the slums of London, Falstaff is continually in trouble with one person or another. From being in serious debt to reneging on a marriage proposal, Falstaff is hardly a credit to the title he carries. 

As the story progresses, King Henry becomes very ill and appears to die. Hal comes in and is genuinely devastated. He takes the crown and goes to the throne room, where he breaks down. In the meantime, Henry wakes up and finding the crown gone, is enraged, thinking that Hal cares only for the power that comes with the crown. He confronts his eldest son in the throne room, where Hal convinces his father that he genuinely thought the king was dead. Henry believes him and hands the crown back to Hal. Moments later he dies in his son's arms. 

Just prior to his coronation, Hal speaks to his brothers and the court. He promises to be the king the country needs and that no one needs to worry about losing their positions in the court. He reassures his brothers that they will be cared for and it becomes clear that none of his brothers had any intention of taking the throne from him.

Hal's change is further solidified in the minds of everyone when Falstaff shows up during the coronation expecting to be welcomed with open arms. However, Hal rejects him, stating that he is now king and cannot associate with the friends of his youth. The story ends with a purge on the slums of Cheapside, ordered by Hal, now King Henry V.

Henry hands the crown to Hal moments before he dies

As a two parter, Henry IV is the longest of the three stories and has the most new characters introduced, yet for the most part the story is easy to follow. Jeremy Irons gives the performance of a lifetime as the King faced with rebellion within the country and within the family. His calm method of delivering lines creates a stark contrast for those times when he does occasionally lose it with his eldest son. 

Now, about that eldest son...Tom Hiddleston absolutely shines as Prince Hal. And no, not just because he's played by Tom Hiddleston. But that is definitely a plus. A self-confessed lover of Shakespeare, Hiddleston's performance as the reprobate prince is incredible. His ability to go from debauced tavern cronie to committed warrior prince comes off in a completely believeable performance. His highly emotional scene in the throne room with the crown shows the true nature of the young prince and his love for his father. The chemistry with Simon Russel Beale as Falstaff keeps the story from getting too heavy and provides the much needed comic relief in some of the most memorable scenes in the tale. 

Henry V

Henry V picks up a few years into Henry's reign. The young king is hardly recognizable as the reprobate youth from Henry IV. War is now brewing with France and like his two predecessors, there is a plot against his life. However, unlike his father and Richard, Henry handles the issue on his own, quite decisively, showing that he truly is the king everyone previously questioned his ability to become. 

As is true in much of England's history, there is dispute with France over lands and monarchs. Henry was a Plantagenet, one of the longest ruling dynasties in English history. Other Plantagenets included Richard the Lionheart and Prince John. The direct line ended with Richard II, but as Henry Bolingbroke was Richard's cousin, Henry IV and Henry V were still part of the Plantagenet line, albeit a branch line. The Plantagenet line gave Henry a claim to the French throne. Henry discovers he actually has a closer claim to the throne than the current king of France and decides to make his claim, hoping to end the war with France once and for all. He makes his claim known to the king and essentially gives him a chance to relinquish the throne peacefully. Of course, the king does not and Henry heads to France.

Unlike his predecessors, Henry has an overwhelming amount of support for this was from his people and this shows he has earned their respect and trust. The first battle for the seaport at Harfleur took longer than Henry expected and dysentery broke out, slowing the army down even more. Even here, Henry shows his wisdom as a ruler. Rather than raiding the town, the people are left to go about their lives unhampered. Henry knows that if he is going to be the king he doesn't need to be making any enemies on his way there. 

As the army nears Agincourt, Henry is unsure of whether or not they can win. Dirty and tired, he walks among his men, shaking their hands, encouraging them, and speaking easily with them. These men know and recognize Henry since they have been with him for a long time. Curious as to what some of the newer soldiers think of him, Henry disguises himself and wanders the camp as a commander to talk with them. He speaks with them as an equal and talks about the king being "only a man". Before the battle Henry prays not for himself, or for victory, but for his men and for their courage and protection. 

The battle of Agincourt was nothing short of miraculous. It was an overwhelming victory for the English, especially considering that the army was tired and still recovering from illness. The French lost tens of thousands whereas the English lost only a few hundred. Upon hearing this news, Henry falls to his knees and thanks God for His mercy and provision. Henry believes that it was God's will he win the battle and the King of France agrees. He sees the defeat at the sign that his rule is over. 

Henry at the end of the Battle of Agincourt 

The King of France adopts Henry as his heir, enabling him to retain his throne as long as he lives and to not be removed from the line of kings. This solution was actually proposed by Henry himself. The union of the two countries is further solidified when Henry marries Princess Katherine. The scene where Henry attempts to woo Kate is one of the most humorous scenes in the story. Henry's French isn't very good, and Kate speaks only broken English. Kate's lady-in-waiting translates at certain points, but obviously enjoys the show the two stumbling royals are putting on. Eventually Henry gets his point across and kneels down and promises Kate the love and devotion of Henry Plantagenet (the only time his real name is used in the play). Kate agrees and the two share a loving kiss. The King of France walks in on them and at first seems hesitant but readily gives his blessing when he sees Kate truly wants to marry Henry.

The dream of so many girls.... 

While the story seems to be ending on a much happier note than Richard or Henry Sr's stories, history had plans that even Shakespeare couldn't write his way out of. The last scene is a replay of the first scene in the movie - of Kate entering a cathedral and the body of her young husband being uncovered. Henry died of dysentery on a campaign to France around the age of 36. He never saw his infant son, who was now King Henry VI of England and Crowned Prince of France. 

King Henry V lying in state at Wesminster Abbey

Henry V brings a definite close to the stories of the Henriad while still indicating that the tale is not over. In it we see that Henry has made good on his promise to be a good and honorable king. He manages to rule fairly and with the concern needed for his people, a trait his father and Richard often lacked. Maybe because of his association with the commoners in his youth, he is able to understand their needs, fears, and perception of him. This story is almost entirely about Henry and again, Tom Hiddleston is in his element. He portrays a gentle and concerned king who is able to balance the demands of ruling with clear thinking and wise choices. Henry's faith is also much more prominent in this story and he rarely does anything without first praying.

All in all, The Hollow Crown is an incredible story. Those who have a hard time understanding Elizabethan language may have a little bit of difficulty at first, but the actors are able to poetry the story in many different ways so that it becomes easy to follow the story. My 14 year old sister was a little lost at the beginning of Richard II, but was soon tracking the story with no problem. 

Just one recommendation: don't do what I did and watch the whole thing all at once. Get up and move between stories!