The First Part of King Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry Surnamed Hotspur

When the BBC started doing the Shakespeare plays in which we on the other side of the pond were privileged enough to see, they did a wise thing in having the same actors play the same characters giving continuity to the plays. All of the people from Richard II whose roles were repeated in Henry IV got to do their parts again. Most important was Jon Finch who as Bolingbroke usurped the crown from Richard II in the previous work and now is Henry IV in both Henry IV Part One and Two.

In this production Finch is finding out what it's like to be king as some of us supporters are now disillusioned with him. Most prominently the Earl of Northumberland and his son Henry Percy known as Hotspur for his skill as a fighting man and a rather quick temper. They're gathering some similarly malcontented people to their cause in overthrowing the king they feel was not up to the job.

Henry IV had several sons and what happens with them is the subject of several succeeding historical plays Henry V and the three parts of Henry VI as well as Henry IV Part Two. The oldest is Prince Henry known as Prince Hal. Instead of helping dad out with running the kingdom, he'd rather hang around the taverns with such low born folks as John Falstaff and have a rollicking good time.

And playing Hal one of Shakespeare's most popular characters is David Gwillim. He gives a splendid interpretation of the part, playing nicely against both Finch as his father and his older companion in merriment Falstaff who is also fully realized in character by Anthony Quayle. This character proved so popular back in the day when he was created in both Henry IV plays, Master Will Shakespeare was forced by public opinion which meant then the lords and ladies and titled folk who saw his work to create a separate work around Falstaff with The Merry Wives Of Windsor. It's a great part for one to give full range to the emotions. Falstaff is a braggart and a liar, but he does it with such aplomb that you can't help liking him. In fact the character in a modern guise appears in My Own Private Idaho where parts of Henry IV Part One and Two are used in Keanu Reeves's dialog who was Prince Hal in that Gus Van Sant classic.

The fun loving Hal is contrasted with Henry Percy who is played with fire and passion by Tim Pigott-Smith. Hotspur is a character you see recur in many of Shakespeare's work, a single minded hot head like Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and Laertes in Hamlet. He's contemptuous of Hal, but when the time comes Prince Hal shows dad and the audience he has the right stuff.

Henry IV Part One follows in the same excellent tradition of Richard II. At some point I would love to see all the BBC Shakespeare plays from this series and hope they all maintain the same quality.

Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 (1979) was directed for the BBC by David Giles. Like most of the BBC productions, the acting is solid and the text is respected.

Although the play's title would make you assume that King Henry was the central role, that's not correct. The real story of the play--and the movie--is the coming of age of Henry's son, Hal, the Prince of Wales. A major theme is the contrast of the Prince with his warlike contemporary, another Hal, called Hotspur. (In reality, Hotspur was much older than the prince, but Shakespeare's version is much more dramatic.) Also, of course, this is the play in which Shakespeare introduces the roguish fat knight, Sir John Falstaff.

David Gwillim as Hal, Tim Pigott-Smith as Hotspur, and Anthony Quayle as Falstaff are all excellent. Almost all of the BBC productions are shot indoors, but I think director Giles shot the battle scenes outdoors. As usual with the BBC, the supporting actors are good, as are the actors playing minor roles. Costumes are great, settings are minimal. (It worked for the Globe, and it works for the BBC.)

If you know the play well, you'll be happy with this version. If you don't know the play, Henry IV, Part 1 is a good history play with which to start. (It's not the first play in chronological time, but it's a great introduction to Shakespeare's history plays.)

The BBC films were made for TV, so they work well on the small screen. I saw one scene on a large scene in a classroom setting, and that also worked well.

Though I admire the BBC for doing the complete works of Shakespeare unabridged, I would only recommend this Henry IV if your motivation for seeing it is completely utilitarian. The only advantage to seeing this over reading it is that it might be easier to understand and quicker.

A literal interpretation of this history play. It is interesting to watch the words become action, especially in the case of H. Percy, played with impatience and gusto by Bruce Purchase (he looks like a young and wild Ben Cross). If you've read the play, his performance is worth the view. Price Hal is done well, as is blustery, mumbling Falstaff; but the king, I thought, was played with very little artistry. It's a shame that his opening speech sets the tone for the play, because it sounds like it's being read rather than acted. It makes the whole production seem a little stiff.

DVD: The sound is terrible in some places, and it's difficult to get all of the dialogue. Subtitles were not available, which I think would have added to the production.

I am a huge fan of all Shakespeare, but the Henry IV and Henry VI plays are some I've put off reading and watching until now. I have read a lot about them and heard many references to them, but I only just watched this BBC production. And I liked it. But I was particularly struck by something about Falstaff, who is one of the absolutely most popular characters in all of Shakespeare: he's not that likable a guy! The banter between him and Hal are not that good-natured but rather sharp and even occasionally condescending! In this production, at least, one gets a clear sense that Hal's entire habit of socializing with the likes of Falstaff is almost purely a part of his plan to prove an unexpectedly capable leader after he is crowned. He doesn't like Falstaff very much at all! He does not truly condone his indulgences in wine-drinking and thievery. He only keeps Falstaff's company in order to learn what life is like in that social class, and to disguise his true and noble nature to the courtiers. This is actually a much more pointed and poignant portrayal of Hal than what we saw in those flashback scenes in Branagh's (otherwise excellent) Henry V. David Gwillim is masterful as Hal, and clearly the best of the cast of the BBC production. I am greatly looking forward to Part 2, which I will watch at my earliest convenience.