Comparison of Henry V as Directed by Kenneth Branagh and as Directed by Laurence Olivier essays

Comparison of Henry V as Directed by Kenneth Branagh and as Directed by Laurence Olivier essays Kenneth Branagh and Laurence Olivier are often considered to be quite similar. This is based on obvious similarities such as the fact that they are both actors and directors and that they have both acted in and produced adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. One effective way to compare the two is to consider how both have approached the same film. This will now be completed by analyzing and comparing the film "Henry V." This will show that Branagh and Olivier are very different, with many of their differences related to the time in which they directed. The first difference that is seen in the two films is that Olivier's version seems more like a movie of a play, than a movie. This has several impacts on the way the film is viewed. The first is that is makes you more aware that you are watching a Shakespeare play. As a viewer, this changes expectations of what will be seen. In movies, you generally expect to see a realistic chain of events, where you follow those events. While you are being shown various scenes, there is a tendency to be drawn into the scenes and to experience them almost as if you were part of them. In this way, a good movie actually allows the viewer to forget that they are viewing a movie. This does not occur in Olivier's version because the play format makes the viewer aware that they are being told a story. In this way, the viewer actually becomes like part of the audience, almost as if they were sitting in the Globe Theater in London. It is difficult to decide whether this is a positive thing or a negative thing. In one way, Branagh's version is more effective because it is easier to get drawn into the scenes and journey with the characters. In another way, Olivier's version is effective because it allows you to watch the scenes as an outsider and question them. Overall, it is like the two versions result in two different ways to view ...