The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part I

"Thou hast the most unsavoury similes."

King Henry IV (Irons) is surrounded by problems.  He is facing an uprising by the Welsh and the Scots and his heir, Prince Hal (Hiddleston) chooses to live away from court and consort with low people.

The rising star of the skirmishes is Henry "Hotspur" (Armstrong) Percy.  Hotspur is a skilled fighter who has claimed many victories and prisoners in the kings name.  However, he refuses to give the prisoners to the King, until the King ransoms his brother-in-law Edmund Mortimer (Harry Lloyd) from the Welsh.  The King refuses, which causes the Percy family to begin plotting with the Welsh to overthrow the King.

Hal spends most of his time with his surrogate father Falstaff (Beale), an old and fat knight who is a petty thief and mooch.  Hal enjoys mocking Falstaff, but knows that soon he will be forced to return to court and assume his position as the future king.

As the Percy family join with the Welsh, Hal and Falstaff are called to join the battle.


As I mentioned in my review of The Hollow Crown: Richard II, I love William Shakespeare plays but I have yet to read any of the history plays.  Henry IV, Part 1 is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy, the Henriad, and sets in motion the events of the subsequent history plays.  BBC's The Hollow Crown will cover all of these plays (the first series is Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V).  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).  Under the direction of Richard Eyre, this film sticks closer to the play than it's predecessor.

Once again the casting decisions are perfect.  Jeremy Irons is impressive as usual and makes the role of King Henry stand out (he is not the main focus of the play).  He is matched by Joe Armstrong, as the headstrong Hotspur.  Armstrong's Hotspur is passionate and compelling to watch.  Michelle Dockery, best known as Lady Mary on Downton Abbey, plays his wife.  They are either arguing or kissing every time they are on screen together.  But the real focus is on Tom Hiddleston's Hal and Simon Russell Beale's Falstaff.  Hiddleston is a charismatic and commands the screen.  Beale won a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) TV Award for Best Support Actor for his performance.  Beale and Hiddleston have great chemistry when they are on screen together.  Their characters are the comedy elements in the play.  Their best scene is at the tavern when they act out what will happen when Hal goes before his father.  It is a brilliant scene where both actors shine.

I look forward to watch Part II.

The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, Part I (2012) 120 minutes
Director: Richard Eyre
Starring: Jeremy Irons as Henry IV
Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal
Simon Russell Beale as Falstaff
Joe Armstrong as Hotspur
Julie Walters as Mistress Quickly
Alun Armstrong as Earl of Northumberland
Michelle Dockery as Lady Percy
David Hayman as Earl of Worchester