I thought he was already knighted...

He was pretty good in Schindler's List, too.

hmmm, England seems to hand out knighthoods like candy on Halloween.

He deserved it for the high-larry-ous stuff he was doing in his adaptation of Hamlet alone.

"If, like a crab, you could go... BACKWARD!!!"

He was too likeable to play Lockheart. Hugh Grant would have been great - the perfect hateable smarmy tool.

Who's he shacking up with nowadays? Because from his track record, I want to be their rebound guy.

He wouldn't remember his title anyway.

Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: He deserved it for the high-larry-ous stuff he was doing in his adaptation of Hamlet alone.

"If, like a crab, you could go... BACKWARD!!!"

I farking love his Hamlet, you heathen

RexTalionis: He could've been Sir Kenneth Brannagh in 1994, when he was offered the appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire, but he declined.

CBE doesn't automatically make you a Sir.

The All-Powerful Atheismo: I farking love his Hamlet, you heathen

I loved it, too, don't get me wrong.

But homeboy was chewing the scenery as if it were an all-you-can-eat $3.99 special at Waffle House.

"Words. Words. WOOOOORRRRDDDDDDZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZuh!"

Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: The All-Powerful Atheismo: I farking love his Hamlet, you heathen

I loved it, too, don't get me wrong.

But homeboy was chewing the scenery as if it were an all-you-can-eat $3.99 special at Waffle House.

"Words. Words. WOOOOORRRRDDDDDDZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZuh!"

True. ACTIIIIINNNNG. He should have let Jack Lemmon borrow some of it.

The All-Powerful Atheismo: Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: He deserved it for the high-larry-ous stuff he was doing in his adaptation of Hamlet alone.

"If, like a crab, you could go... BACKWARD!!!"

I farking love his Hamlet, you heathen

Love almost all his Shakespeare movies. Really made me appreciate the stories in a way I could not get into through the raw readings or traditional plays. Love Hamlet and Much Ado as the top picks though. The madness of Hamlet was superb and made sense to me.

Love's Labours Lost, despite the name was not a Shakespeare play by the time Branagh finished his profane molestation of it. I... I really don't know what was going on with him there unless it was just his way of saying "I'm done doing Shakespeare forever, if you even so much as ask, I swear to God I will create a song and dance number involving me having my way with a chicken and call it 'The Tempest'!"

The All-Powerful Atheismo: True. ACTIIIIINNNNG. He should have let Jack Lemmon borrow some of it.

It was an interesting choice of Jack Lemmon to vehemently underact every single thing in that movie.

"Shall I strike at it with my partiOH, who give a crap..."


Leo Bloom's Freakout: Love almost all his Shakespeare movies. Really made me appreciate the stories in a way I could not get into through the raw readings or traditional plays. Love Hamlet and Much Ado as the top picks though. The madness of Hamlet was superb and made sense to me.

Man alive, his Henry V adaptation is BOSS.

Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: The All-Powerful Atheismo: True. ACTIIIIINNNNG. He should have let Jack Lemmon borrow some of it.

It was an interesting choice of Jack Lemmon to vehemently underact every single thing in that movie.

"Shall I strike at it with my partiOH, who give a crap..."


Leo Bloom's Freakout: Love almost all his Shakespeare movies. Really made me appreciate the stories in a way I could not get into through the raw readings or traditional plays. Love Hamlet and Much Ado as the top picks though. The madness of Hamlet was superb and made sense to me.

Man alive, his Henry V adaptation is BOSS.

The fact that Christian Bale was a kid while this guy practically said those lines blows my mind.

"We band of brothers."

/Off to Youtube

Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: The All-Powerful Atheismo: True. ACTIIIIINNNNG. He should have let Jack Lemmon borrow some of it.

It was an interesting choice of Jack Lemmon to vehemently underact every single thing in that movie.

"Shall I strike at it with my partiOH, who give a crap..."


Leo Bloom's Freakout: Love almost all his Shakespeare movies. Really made me appreciate the stories in a way I could not get into through the raw readings or traditional plays. Love Hamlet and Much Ado as the top picks though. The madness of Hamlet was superb and made sense to me.

Man alive, his Henry V adaptation is BOSS.

Yeah, see this is why I try to catch myself when citing my "favorites" because I go think about one thing or the next and they're just all great.

/Also love that Christian Bale had the gravelly Batman voice since he was a child.

Hated his Hamlet, but loved Henry V and Much Ado.

LegacyDL: The fact that Christian Bale was a kid while this guy practically said those lines blows my mind.

"We band of brothers."

/Off to Youtube

Mmhmm. That was a cast and a HALF.


Leo Bloom's Freakout: Yeah, see this is why I try to catch myself when citing my "favorites" because I go think about one thing or the next and they're just all great.

/Also love that Christian Bale had the gravelly Batman voice since he was a child.

He *didn't* have that voice in Fraser Heston's adaptation of Treasure Island.

I blame it on piracy.


thisispete: Branagh delivers the St Crispin's Day speech.

I feel like kicking some French ass myself now.

He and Olivier knew how to work that jazz.


Ebenator: Hated his Hamlet, but loved Henry V and Much Ado.

I *enjoyed* his Hamlet, but acknowledge that some of his touches were a bit over-the-top (I know, I know).

Ebenator: Hated his Hamlet, but loved Henry V and Much Ado.

The latter two he played straight while in Hamlet, he took some artistic liberties. I could see not liking it if you expected a more traditional approach. However, his and Kate Winslet's descents into madness I found enrapturing. It made his speeches and delivery make sense to me in that Hamlet was a pseudo-intellectual who was losing his grasp on reality. Lots of pretty words but no stability grounding it.

Also:

You can hate the man's politics, but hot damn if this can't move you and hold your attention, you're dead inside.


/hot

Leo Bloom's Freakout: You can hate the man's politics, but hot damn if this can't move you and hold your attention, you're dead inside.

www.lefrelonvert.com

Indeed. He rocked with Priam's speech.

And Judi Dench doesn't say one word, but she still manages to crush your heart with a simple expression.

Spanky_McFarksalot: hmmm, England seems to hand out knighthoods like candy on Halloween.

Not if you Doctor Who gets cancelled on your watch at the BBC.

/never piss off a Whovian

But no one in Gilder could have gotten here so quickly...

It's LockHART.

/yeah, I'll be the asshole who points out a spelling error.

thisispete: Branagh delivers the St Crispin's Day speech.

I feel like kicking some French ass myself now.

This one never fails to bring tears to my eyes. The utter and complete joy in his face and voice gets me every damn time.

I adore that play. I adore the movie adaptation. I love Montjoy the herald, and the "oh fark" look he has as he rides under Bardolph's hanging body is awesome.

The All-Powerful Atheismo: Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: He deserved it for the high-larry-ous stuff he was doing in his adaptation of Hamlet alone.

"If, like a crab, you could go... BACKWARD!!!"

I farking love his Hamlet, you heathen

The "How all occasions do inform against me" soliloquy was a little overdone.

"As God is my witness, I shall never go hungry again!"

Lady Beryl Ersatz-Wendigo: The All-Powerful Atheismo: Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: He deserved it for the high-larry-ous stuff he was doing in his adaptation of Hamlet alone.

"If, like a crab, you could go... BACKWARD!!!"

I farking love his Hamlet, you heathen

The "How all occasions do inform against me" soliloquy was a little overdone.

"As God is my witness, I shall never go hungry again!"

Yeah, that soliloquy always bothered me, too. "St. Crispin's Day II: The Re-Crispining!"

On the other hand, the "how ill all's here about my heart" moment with Horatio is beautifully poignant. I don't think I've ever seen it done better.

Honestly expected that Emma Thompson would have gotten knighted first.

Brannagh should be angling for a GCMG:

Woolley: In the service, CMG stands for "Call Me God". And KCMG for "Kindly Call Me God".
Hacker: What does GCMG stand for?
Woolley: "God Calls Me God".

They've probably aged out of the roles at this point, but Branagh and Thompson reuniting onscreen for Macbeth would be fantastic.

overheard in mayfair: They've probably aged out of the roles at this point, but Branagh and Thompson reuniting onscreen for Macbeth would be fantastic.

Shiat, that would be great. Also, I'd love to see him do a Merry Wives of Windsor, and he could bring back Robbie Coltrane as Falstaff.

overheard in mayfair: They've probably aged out of the roles at this point, but Branagh and Thompson reuniting onscreen for Macbeth would be fantastic.

I could see it happening. Mcabeth isn't written for young people; they could play it.

Dwight_Yeast: overheard in mayfair: They've probably aged out of the roles at this point, but Branagh and Thompson reuniting onscreen for Macbeth would be fantastic.

I could see it happening. Mcabeth isn't written for young people; they could play it.

Agreed. For all we know, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are fifty and have been married for thirty years (and had at least one kid, if Lady Macbeth's remarks about how she's given suck an infant before and would have been willing to dash its brains out are given credence). I'd be at that movie on opening night.

/Branagh was the best Iago, bar none. He was so likeable that Othello didn't look like a complete idiot for believing the guy had his best interests at heart.

I hear he has a lovely Hamlet

Not a coincidence that he was finally knighted after his tour-de-force Thor.

But seriously, his portrayal of Henry V will never be topped, and the whole movie is probably the greatest film adaptation of Shakespeare ever.

His absolute best role was as that bad-guy teacher in Batman begins. I never thought he could pull off that type of crazy.

Because of this thread, I'm watching Henry V tonight. Thanks, Thread!

fickenchucker: His absolute best role was as that bad-guy teacher in Batman begins. I never thought he could pull off that type of crazy.

WTF???

kth: Because of this thread, I'm watching Henry V tonight. Thanks, Thread!

Cheers!

Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: Ebenator: Hated his Hamlet, but loved Henry V and Much Ado.

I *enjoyed* his Hamlet, but acknowledge that some of his touches were a bit over-the-top (I know, I know).

Most interesting stylistic choice in his Hamlet? Casting the loudest man in England and then make him deliver all of his lines in a whisper.

Also, everybody loves his Henry V, and a big reason is there isn't any freakin stunt casting involved - like Keanu Reeves/Denzel Washington/Michael Keaton in Much Ado, or Jack Lemmon/Billy Crystal in Hamlet. It's just straight up roast-beef Shakespeare vets who grew up in codpieces and doublets doing a damn fine job of putting the whole shebang on film. Besides Branagh, you have Ian Holm, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, Robbie Coltrane, Judy Dench, Geoffry Hutchings, and Robert Stephens - all Billy S. vets. Definitely a great film, even if it is five hours long (although not as long as Hamlet)

phyrkrakr: Most interesting stylistic choice in his Hamlet? Casting the loudest man in England and then make him deliver all of his lines in a whisper.

Hah!

Truly, he used BRIAN BLESSED very well!

(You always have to shout his name like that.)


phyrkrakr: Also, everybody loves his Henry V, and a big reason is there isn't any freakin stunt casting involved - like Keanu Reeves/Denzel Washington/Michael Keaton in Much Ado, or Jack Lemmon/Billy Crystal in Hamlet. It's just straight up roast-beef Shakespeare vets who grew up in codpieces and doublets doing a damn fine job of putting the whole shebang on film. Besides Branagh, you have Ian Holm, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, Robbie Coltrane, Judy Dench, Geoffry Hutchings, and Robert Stephens - all Billy S. vets. Definitely a great film, even if it is five hours long (although not as long as Hamlet)

Quite right. Let's not forget Robin Williams mugging it up like hell at the end, too.

But as for Henry V, you know who my absolute favorite is out of that lot?

Derek Jacobi.

Brilliant move on Branagh's part to make him the Chorus. He brought something truly special to those proceedings.