Kenneth Branagh, who starred in the "Masterpiece Theatre" miniseries The Fortunes of War, and in the English film A Month in the Country, directs and stars in Henry V. This audacious and stirring screen version of Shakespeare's drama moves in a different orbit than the 1944 one with Laurence Olivier.

Shortly before leading his men into battle against France, King Henry (Kenneth Branagh) discovers a plot against his life and ruthlessly has the traitors executed. When Henry's troops are victorious at Harfleur, the French king (Paul Scofield) knows that this young monarch is a serious threat.

At Agincourt the two armies camp close together. The French are confident on the basis of their superior numbers and the freshness of their troops. King Henry walks among his worn-out warriors in disguise, trying to gauge their feelings. Through this experience, he realizes the loneliness of leadership.

The next morning, however, King Henry stirs his men with a rousing speech. He reminds them how they will show their wounds in pride that they fought at Agincourt. The English are triumphant, and cocky in victory, King Henry V successfully woos Katherine (Emma Thompson), the vivacious daughter of the French king.

Kenneth Branagh's dynamic screen interpretation of Henry V evokes Shakespeare's "muse of fire." His performance is a tour de force given able support by other theatrical veterans including Derek Jacobi as the chorus, Brian Blessed as Exeter, and Ian Holm as Fluellen. Branagh's forceful reading of the play accentuates its dramatic riches as a provocative meditation upon war, leadership, maturity, and the gap between the private and the public man.