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

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.

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.

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.

Anthony Quayle was one of last century's most effective Falstaffs on stage. His performance here is brilliant but encumbered by the overall interpretation.

David Giles called the second tetralogy a "Henriad", the story of how Hal grows up to be Henry V, and the plays are cut accordingly. For instance, Falstaff's words to Hal, "thy love is worth a million, thou owest me thy love," are gone, as is much of the warmth between the old knight and the young prince. As a result, Falstaff becomes a secondary character who hums and haws with nervousness.

David Gwillim is engagingly ingenuous as Hal, and he very nearly succeeds in carrying the additional weight that Giles has loaded on him.

The rest of the cast is also strong, with Jon Finch a guilt-ridden usurper, Tim Pigott-Smith a fiercely mock-heroic Hotspur, and Richard Owens a pompously magical Glendower.

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.