This little-known masterpiece by Orson Welles tells the parallel stories of Falstaff and Prince Hal by adapting and cobbling together bits of Shakespeare's "Richard II," "Henry IV (pts 1 and 2)," "Henry V," and "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The seeds of King Henry IV's rise to power bear the fruit of young Hotspur's rebellion. Meanwhile, Prince Hal has been growing up and hanging out with Falstaff, a thief, rogue, womanizer, drunk, and wastrel. No one expects him to be a good king after having spent so much time under such a bad influence, but when battle comes, and later, when the king dies, he proves him self to be a strong, just, and powerful ruler, and appropriately distances himself from his former friend. Great performances abound, led by Welles, who perfectly communicates the humor and pathos of the corpulent knight.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
The review of this Movie prepared by Zorikh Lequidre
