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    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

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