BBC’s “The Hollow Crown” Is Anything But Hollow

Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons as Prince Hal and Henry IV

As you can probably tell, I am an avid lover of Shakespeare, and all things related to Shakespeare. Going to the theatre to watch a Shakespeare play being performed live is getting more and more expensive for me these days, so it’s only natural that I’m eager to watch any film or television adaptation I can get my grubby little hands on. I’m not a huge fan of the whole “turning Shakespeare into modern stereotypical teen high school romance movies” concept, such as in 10 Things I Hate About You (based off The Taming of the Shrew) or She’s The Man (based off Twelfth Night). I like Shakespeare in its rawest, purest, most historically accurate context. And in the case of adapting Shakespeare’s first tetralogy of history plays, historical accuracy is paramount – although I have no problem with some of the slight modern flourishes added in “The Hollow Crown”.

Ben Whishaw on set as Richard II

This is a terribly belated review, but “The Hollow Crown” left such an impression on me that I felt it was necessary nonetheless.

I was beyond pleased with BBC’s “The Hollow Crown”, a mini-series of 4 adaptations that chronicles the (mostly fictional and highly dramatised) lives of three of England’s most famous kings: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V.  Obviously a large budget had gone into production, as the mini-series featured beautiful costumes, carefully crafted sets, breathtaking outdoor locations, and a mind-boggling amount of extras filling in the roles of drunken pub-goers, disgruntled townspeople, miscellaneous castle-dwellers, and soldiers marching off to battle.

I was thrilled with the manner in which the episodes all stayed mostly true to the plays. Although there was some skipping around here and there, some scenes were not in the same order as in the plays, and some scenes were left out entirely, these wrinkles did not detract from the overall story. Richard II tells the story of a king sitting on a precariously perched throne, with a plot full of the juicy drama that Shakespeare is a master of. The theme of rebellion continues on through Henry IV Part 1, where King Henry IV must rein in his unruly son, Prince Hal, to fend off a rebel army. In Henry IV Part 2, father and son reconcile their troubled relationship as unrest is finally smashed, and in Henry V, Prince Hal has finally taken up the throne to become Henry V and leads his men into a gloriously successful campaign in France.

Tom Hiddleston as Henry V

Featuring a star-studded cast of both seasoned veterans and burgeoning new talent, including some of the biggest names in modern Shakespearean acting, there was not one moment in any of the four episodes that I felt the acting had fallen short. Not only does Ben Whishaw as Richard II capture emotion in a positively electrifying manner, but he also has a superb command over voice and tone. He delivers his lines in a near purr that quickly becomes intoxicating to the ears. Now this is how I like to hear Elizabethan English! His performance successfully sets the stage for the rest of the series. Jeremy Iron’s experience in acting makes him a potent force of emotion and unrest as Henry IV in the way that, well, simply put, only Jeremy Irons can. Tom Hiddleston portrays Prince Hal with an attractive, feisty, roguish charm, and later has a clear, passionate, and energetic command over the role of a fiery and charismatic young king. I would expect no less from this promising young classically trained actor. I was also impressed with Joe Armstrong, who played Hotspur, leader of the rebel faction in Henry IV Part 1. His interpretation of the character, deliciously arrogant and brash, provided a grittier and welcome contrast to Hiddleston’s Prince Hal. And where would Prince Hal be without good old Falstaff? Simon Russell Beale, no stranger to the role, was delightful as Prince Hal’s drunken, overweight, bumbling companion. But only an actor of his calibre can make such a crassly comedic character so loveable, and even manage to make Falstaff break the audience’s heart. Another welcome addition to the cast was Michelle Dockery, who made a strong-willed Lady Percy who complimented Armstrong’s Hotspur wonderfully.

There was only one scene that bothered me with its utter ridiculousness. In Henry V, when Henry disguises himself in a cloak and goes around the camp, trying to find out what his men really think of him, his disguise was…Well, painfully OBVIOUS. Who do you think you’re fooling, Henry? Certainly, your soldiers must not be the sharpest tools in the shed if they couldn’t recognise you? I mean, the soldiers he was conversing with were looking straight at him. And that hood did little to cover his face. I suppose it was for the sake of letting the audience know this mysterious hooded figure is indeed the king, but we all saw him put the hood over his head, we all knew perfectly well it was him. BBC, you underestimate us!

Henry V’s brilliant disguise. I couldn’t tell it was him at all.

For those that were curious, the title of the mini-series is derived from a quote from Richard II:

“For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings;
How some have been deposed; some slain in war,
Some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed;
Some poison’d by their wives: some sleeping kill’d;
All murder’d: for within the hollow crown
That rounds the mortal temples of a king
Keeps Death his court and there the antic sits,
Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp,
Allowing him a breath, a little scene,
To monarchize, be fear’d and kill with looks,
Infusing him with self and vain conceit,
As if this flesh which walls about our life,
Were brass impregnable, and humour’d thus
Comes at the last and with a little pin
Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king!”
– Richard II, Act III scene ii

“The Hollow Crown” has already aired in the U.K., and it is still available for streaming online via BBC’s iPlayer. It is expected to air in the United States this coming winter.

Out of all the adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays, BBC’s critically praised “The Hollow Crown” is definitely one of the best I’ve seen, and has quickly soared to the top of my list. However, I should warn you that it’s ill-suited for light entertainment. The plots are thick and far from simple, and the script follows the Elizabethan English used in Shakespeare’s plays, so it might be difficult to understand for those unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s language. Might not want to watch it with your kids, either. Although not excessively so, there are some violent and sexually-charged scenes. However, it’s all-in-all a satisfying, beautifully-crafted mental and cultural stimulation, a scrumptious treat for my inner Shakespeare fanatic, and a glorious testament to the fact that Shakespeare never ages.

♬ Song of the Day: King and Lionheart by Of Monsters And Men