The Hollow Crown - Reaction post - Henry IV Part 2

[newredshoes]

Well, okay, that's it. I am totally and completely undone.



How did you cope with Henry IV Part 2? Reactions of all sorts (links, .gifs, flailing, feelings, keysmashing, essays, &c) all very much welcome.

Comments

[newredshoes]

For myself, I think I may have read Henry IV Part 2 once in college, but it never really stuck with me, it seems, because I went into this viewing completely unprepared. I definitely feel like I'll have to watch it again, not least because the King Henry-Hal scenes, and Hal on the throne (prematurely or otherwise) were heart-stoppers.

I also enjoyed the sauna scene, of course. Thank you forever, fanservice.

[allochthonous]

IT WAS SO GOOD. Well, the ending was; there were longueurs in the middle as there always are in 2H4, but the final scenes between Hal his father and Falstaff were superb. Dammit SRB, why must you destroy me so?

[newredshoes]

HE IS KILLER. There are so many award-worthy performances here, I have no idea who one would put forth. This is the first I've seen of SRB, but I think he's fortifying me to give The Deep Blue Sea a try, even though I understand it's completely emotionally devastating.

(I'm doing a rewatch even now! It's messing with my diction. Falstaff has just arrived at Shallow's and they're inspecting the recruits. The second hour, though, ohmygod, I'm glad I have an office with a door I can shut.)

[allochthonous]

I do think that the recruiting scene is one of those that works better on the stage. Like a lot of the comedy, it works best with an audience to feed off.

IMO Irons probably has to take the honours just because Henry is so rarely at the centre of his own plays but he just dominated here. Plus it helps that no one does haggard and hollow-eyed the way JI does. Hal's breakdown when he sits on the throne for the first time was brilliant though. Hiddleston is such an intelligent actor, and I really can't wait to see what he does with Henry V *wails, gnashes teeth that I won't get to see it until August*

[newredshoes]

Irons was truly phenomenal. It's such an embarrassment of riches. He actually does a very impressive job portraying Henry's decline in health; it struck me as nuanced and realistic, which of course makes it very hard to watch. I can't say honors wouldn't be deserved.

Henry V is going to be wonder, though. I admit, I was skeptical, simply from my experience of characters Hiddleston had previously played. I wasn't really sure he was the type to pull off Hal, or that I would be convinced of it, but he's proved me gloriously wrong.

[newredshoes]

Also, does anyone want to talk about the lighting, and the use of color in this episode? I found it fascinating, the way Henry IV's court is so black and white and austere, and as soon as Hal starts taking steps toward the kingship, the light becomes more and more golden. I'll be interested to see what Henry V looks like, palette-wise.

[newredshoes]

A fun recap that mentions the lighting!