Tonight we kick off our first episode of the weekly Guest Post series: Medium Cool with BGinCHI.
In case you missed the introduction to the series last week: Culture as a Hedge Against this Soul-Sucking Political Miasma We’re Living In
BG sent me this last night:
“Fresh off re-watching The King, and am doubly, triply amazed by it. I have tons to say, and will do so in comments as the thread unfolds.”
Without further ado, I bring you Bradley Greenburg on The King:
This week’s Medium Cool takes a look at “The King” (2019, dir. David Michôd). The film showed up on many people’s radar because it stars Timothée Chalamet and features Robert Pattinson. As I said in the comments of last week’s introductory thread, this past fall I taught a grad Shakespeare seminar devoted to the Henriad (Richard II, 1 & 2 Henry IV, Henry V). So, when “The King” came out I was dreading seeing it, and held off til the end of the semester.
Watching it, I was floored by its smart, insightful interpretation of its source materials. Especially interesting is its portrayal of filial & fraternal relations, its keen attention to the brutalities of power, a reinvigoration of Falstaff’s character and relationship with Hal, and a savagely confrontational Catherine.
Let’s use this thread to discuss how the film tells the story of Henry V, the so-called “mirror of all Christian kings,” who united England after many years of civil unrest and beat the French against all odds at Agincourt.
What works? What doesn’t?
Medium Cool with BGinCHI – The King (2019)Post + Comments (196)