Why Henry V ?
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Renaissance Man
CLIVEM24 — 19 years ago(December 14, 2006 12:12 AM)
Ok, so I watched this again last night for the first time in years, and still this confuses me. Why did they go and see Henry V and not Hamlet ? Great film though Danny De Vito is a star !
-
shimshamtothemax — 19 years ago(December 14, 2006 07:19 AM)
because as far as i understand it ANY shakespeare play is hard to come by in america. Plays arent always peformed everywhere, this point is made by the very fact that they have to go all the way to canada to see a shakespeare play. its either Henry V or nothing
-
eadoe — 17 years ago(September 01, 2008 04:30 AM)
"this point is made by the very fact that they have to go all the way to canada to see a shakespeare play"
When you're in Detroit, where this movie was set, "all the way to Canada" is a 10-minute drive across the tunnel or bridge although Stratford, Ontario, where the Shakespeare Festival is held, is a couple hours drive. Still close enough to do a round trip in a day.
By the way, Detroit is the only place in the nation where Canada is SOUTH of the U.S. That's why Detroiters talk about going "downtown" while Canadians in Windsor talk about going "uptown".
"The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power."- Julius Caesar, act 2 sc 1
-
TheThumb14410 — 19 years ago(March 05, 2007 01:05 AM)
So is it implied that somewhere down the line Rago taught the soldiers Henry V as well? AFAIK, they only show scenes of him teaching Hamlet, and the Final Exam is all Hamlet as well, but the weird bit is that they go see Henry V, and also Benitez recites the St. Crispin's Day Speech from Henry V at the endthat mixing and matching totally confuses meand it doesnt seem like the Double-D's are the sort to do any outside reading
-
nickyf-1 — 19 years ago(March 26, 2007 03:40 PM)
It was explained in the film - Benitez bought the text and was reading it in the van on the way back - hence why he knew it. As others have said it was the nearest theatre to the camp again mentioned in the film
-
c-huddleston — 19 years ago(March 31, 2007 10:37 PM)
It was also intended to show that the Double D's, who (let's face it) were not exactly bright, had learnt to expand their own horizons: also quoting from Hamlet would have had no effect on the Drill Sergeant, but a quote about soldiering would. It's the one time up to this point that there is any understanding from the Sergeant about what his soldiers have achieved.
-
cherokeecfg — 18 years ago(June 16, 2007 09:09 PM)
My wild guess is that it was the nearest Shakespeare play of any kind in the area. But if this took place at Ft. Jackson, SC, there is no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that they would have been allowed to go all the way to Canada, especially in the middle of basic training! I always thought that part was a little weird.
-
lsmith1976 — 18 years ago(August 22, 2007 05:14 PM)
It was filmed at Fort Jackson, but the film takes place at a fictional training base in Michigan. Despite all the "Victory Start's Here" logos and Victory Tower (oh yeah)the name of the base shown at the entrance is something else. The bases appears to also only be about an hour or 2 from the base to the play.
Both ideas about why Henry V are valid. It IS hard to find Shakespear in the states AND any Shakespear is better than no Shakespear. About it being about soldiers is also an important theme, as the soldiers themselves are learning about their developing band of brotherhood. Benitez was especially moved by the performance, apparantly more so than the others, as shown by his enthrallment, and by his buying the play and reading it. Benitez recited that piece from Henry V not just because the DS might be able to identify with it, but because it was the piece that move him so much. So much so, that he was able to recite with emotion more than he would have been able to do with Hamlet.
However, whether across half the country or just 2 hours away, it sure is true that never would they be allowed to leave post, even, let alone Canada.
On a side note, I was at Jackson during basic when this movie was released on post. We got loaded into the cattle trucks one night, no idea where we were going, and unloaded at the post theater and got to watch the movie. If I remember we were in the final phase of training. -
jeromec-2 — 18 years ago(September 12, 2007 07:30 PM)
I taught Shakespeare in the public schools. I found that if students studied one play explaining every detail, the next play could be understood as a play. Not every phrase is clear but the general idea is well understood and appreciated.
Young people (about 15) really like Romeo and Juliet.
Senior students understand King Lear because it's about Children and Parents. They get the point and argue endlessly about Cordilia's ill treatment by her father.
Hamlet appeals to anyone who procrastinates. The ghost is bad news for most teachers, but once one explains what it meant to those watching it in the 17th century, all is well again. Ophelia gets much discussion and more sympathy, as does Gertrude.
So Henry V would appeal to soldiers. It does not surprise me that Benitez would like the play as would any soldier. They would undoubtedly like to feel that way when they go into battle.
Teachers like Renaissance Man not because they think their classroom would be like that or because de Vito's character was worth studying for what he contributes to educational practice, but because it shows that education is worthwhile and never wasted on anyone. And that appeals. -
eadoe — 17 years ago(September 01, 2008 04:24 AM)
"But if this took place at Ft. Jackson, SC, there is no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that they would have been allowed to go all the way to Canada."
It didn't take place in SC, it took place in Detroit, where going to Canada is like going across the street. The tunnel takes 10 minutes. People go to Windsor for lunch all the time in the middle of a work day no big deal. However, they went to Stratford, Ontario, where the Shakespeare festival is held, which is a couple hours drive. Still no big deal.
"The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power."- Julius Caesar, act 2 sc 1
-
rsjoseph — 18 years ago(January 19, 2008 06:46 PM)
This movie was set in Michigan, less than a days drive from where it was set, lies the town of Stratford, Ontario. Each summer there, in Stratford, is held a Shakespeare Festival, It was there that they traveled to see the play. The play shown was not Henry V but Richard III as I recall. The scene shown as I remember it was from Act V, scene IV wherein Richard says " A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse" and Catesby replies "Withdraw my Lord. I'll help you to a horse". The festival has five theaters and there are multiple productions each day so that they may have seen more that one play in there visit. As to my Henry V, The speech which Shakespeare has Henry V speak before the battle of Agincourt (Know as the St. Crispin's Day Speech) is justly famous for it's inspiration to the army.
-
tcw214 — 17 years ago(November 23, 2008 05:24 AM)
you need to go back and study.. the english slaughtered the french killing as many as 10,000. and the french. killed their own crossbow men(mercs) who where making a retreat from the english long bow.
as for the play.. its Shakespeare, .. just about every main character dies in every other play.
HENRY V.. died from a really bad case of the runs..dysentery. -
flwagner3-1 — 17 years ago(May 26, 2008 09:03 AM)
"rsjoseph" has it just about right. The choice of this particular piece of Shakespeare had nothing however, to do with location, theater, "what's playing tonight," "Hamlet," or anything else. This particular piece of Shakespeare is one of the most beautiful speeches ever done in the English language and it is awe-inspiring, designed to bring the men together, to show that as a "band of brothers" they can overcome the most dire of circumstances. That's what the movie is about, bringing a group of misfits together, to be an effective part of a team, i.e., the army. Why do you think Stephen Ambrose chose the "band of brothers" line for his book, or the TV producers chose the it for their WWII/101st Airborne saga?
Here's a link: try it and listen to the power in this speech by King Henry (this is from the Kenneth Branagh movie made in 1989). Sit back, put your feet up, close your eyes, and just listen. It's the whole speech: http://misserinmarie.blogspot.com/2007/10/st-crispins-day.html
Best wishes,
Fred. -
rick-harris83 — 17 years ago(February 05, 2009 11:56 PM)
Apparently Henry V was the only Shakespeare play showing close enough for them to get to. What confuses me is if they are in Basic Combat Training, how in the blue blazes did they ever get permission to go off base while they were in training. WHen I was in basic we weren't even allowed to read a newspaper let alone go off base