The King focuses on the rise of young King Henry V, played by Timothee Chalamet, starting from his time as a prince. He’s originally uninterested in succeeding his father King Henry IV, played by Ben Mendelsohn, though circumstances soon change his entire plan, and Prince Henry becomes the new king upon his father’s death. Unwilling to take part in his father’s warmongering policies, Henry V originally opts for peace. Though as he’s constantly provoked by those around him, he soon finds himself becoming the very thing he wished to avoid.
Period dramas often tend to be tricky, as they can often outstay their welcome. There are plenty of scenes that get bogged down in characters sitting around, talking things out, and getting caught up in arguments or conversations that ultimately go nowhere or add little to the plot. And this causes the movie to go on for a runtime way longer than it needed to. And The King suffers from some of those same issues. The film is an epic, taking place over the course of a few years, running at nearly two and a half hours.
And sometimes that runtime can be felt, especially towards the middle of the movie as Henry is discussing next moves with his council of advisors, or if he’s having philosophical conversations with loved ones, such as his friend John Falstaff, played by Joel Edgerton, or his sister Phillippa, played by Thomasin McKenzie. Moments like these really do throw off the pacing, especially as some characters, such as Phillippa for example, never really getting explored as in detail as they could have been to feel like fleshed out characters, instead being put into place to drop something intellectual and moving on.
Though despite some stumbling in the middle, The King actually does manage to overcome many of the issues that plague most period dramas. The first half the film, as well as its last act, are extremely riveting. Henry’s rise to power is full of energy, and even at times fun, as the uninterested Henry walks around time, cracking jokes and isolating himself from his father’s world.
But what makes this film so engaging to watch is, despite giving some characters the short end of the stick, it does provide some great character drama with the ones they do intently focus on. One of the driving factors in this film is Henry’s relationship with some of his closer advisors, in particular Falstaff. The two play off each other incredibly well, thanks to Chalamet and Edgerton’s chemistry with one another, and the sense that they feel like best friends seeps in through every little joke they crack with one another or every emotional exchange they have as Henry finds himself slipping down a dangerous road.
And what’s great is the fact that Henry is such a well-written character, which makes it so easy to invest in what he does. There are plenty of great moments where he struggles to make his next move, as he doesn’t want to be like his father. He slowly loses his way, as he resorts to violence and maximum punishment to deal with those who cross his path, such as when he deals with two people under his command who are discovered to be traitors. But throughout the film, he’s seen as trying to do the right thing and attempting to get back on track, and plenty of scenes showcase that struggle, and in turn, make him interesting to watch.
There are some fine supporting performances, most notably Robert Pattinson as the Dauphin, one of Henry’s main adversaries. Pattinson’s performance borders on campy at various points, though his delivery is full of bravado that gives the film a much needed energy boost during its sagging middle section. The only fault with this role is the desire to see more of the character. The same goes for Mendelsohn as Henry’s father, who’s seen all too briefly but plays off Chalamet well in the few scenes they do have together.
Many of the battle scenes are also gripping to watch, thanks to director David Michod being at the helm. Michod mainly worked on smaller scale crime dramas before this, including Animal Kingdom and The Rover, though his last project before this was the war film War Machine, so he does already have a sense for both grandiose and up-close fight scenes in film. And he captures the intensity of the larger battles well here, though it is the smaller scale scenes that work the best. There’s one particular fight scene in the first act in which Henry engages in one-on-one combat with an adversary featuring a minimal soundtrack with tight shots that really gives the film a raw feel, making it feel more intense than just about any other scene in the film.
The King suffers from some of the same flaws that plague other period dramas, but it’s still a solid watch and arguably better than many other films of a similar nature. The film is anchored by two great performances from Timothee Chalamet and Joel Edgerton, who portray two friends with a strong bond that gets tested as the film goes on. While it does have a sagging middle section, it’s filled with some strong writing and great battle scenes that make this worth checking out.
Recommendation: Watch It
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