The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part 2

"Heavy lies the head that wears the crown."

After defeating the rebellion, King Henry IV (Irons) is ill and weak.  He is plagued by rumors of another rebellion and the behavior of his oldest son and heir.  He is attended by his other sons, Prince John of Lancaster (Faber), the Duke of Gloucester (Attenborough) and the Duke of Clarence (Tennyson).

Meanwhile, Prince Hal (Hiddelston) is tending his battle wounds and spending time with his tavern friends.  His friend Falstaff (Beale) is still drinking and conning his peers.  When the Archbishop of York (Jones) and the Earl of Northumberland (Alun Armstrong) raise their armies to rebel against the king, Falstaff again joins the army.


In 2012, BBC Two brought several of William Shakespeare's history plays together for the miniseries The Hollow Crown.  The first series consists of Shakespeare's tetralogy, the Henriad: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V.  The second series will feature the plays in Shakespeare's other tetralogy: Henry VI Part 1, Henry VI Part 2, Henry VI Part 3, and Richard III.  These kings and their lives would be common knowledge for Shakespeare's audience, who would understand the political maneuvering.  The producers of The Hollow Crown miniseries chose to have different directors for each play (parts 1 and 2 have the same director).

This play feels like a sequel... the setup is still the same and many of the characters are the same, and taking characters that were delightful in the original and expand their role.  I read the play on Sparknotes while watching the film. Director Richard Eyre cut scenes and characters from the play to keep a cohesive story and a 2 hour running time.  This film spends more time with Falstaff, but gives King Henry and Hal great soliloquies.

The casting is superb.  The majority of cast and crew from Part 1 return for this film.  Jeremy Irons delivers his soliloquies with power and conviction.  Tom Hiddleston brings charisma to Hal and commands the screen.  Simon Russell Beale, who won a BAFTA for his performance here, brings the laughs while still making you feel sorry for him.  The rest of the cast are good in their roles, but the main focus is on these three.

Of the 2 Henry IV plays, I prefer Part 1... but this one is fine.

The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part II (2012) 121 minutes
Director: Richard Eyre
Starring: Jeremy Irons as Henry IV
Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal
Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff
Julie Walters as Mistress Quickly
Henry Faber as Prince John of Lancaster
Nicholas Jones as Archbishop of York
Geoffrey Palmer as Lord Chief Justice
Pip Torrens as Mowbray
Paul Ritter as Ancient Pistol
Maxine Peake as Doll Tearsheet
Will Attenborough as Duke of Gloucester
Matthew Tennyson as Duke of Clarence
Billy Matthews as Falstaff's Page