Comparing Laurence Olivier's 1944 film with Kenneth Branagh's 1989 version is a popular assignment because the two adaptations present strikingly different Henrys. Olivier's film was made during the Second World War and leans toward pageantry and national morale. Branagh's film, made decades later, offers a muddier and more physical vision of battle. Students can write compelling essays about how each film shapes the audience's response, but grading them takes clear criteria about what counts as film analysis.

A common problem is that students describe the films the way they would describe a plot. They report that one film has bright colors and another has mud and rain without explaining what those choices communicate. Feedback should prompt them to link each visual or sound choice to an interpretation of the play. A muddy battlefield is not just a setting; it suggests a view of war as grim and costly, which is different from a view of war as noble spectacle.

Another frequent weakness is ignoring the source text. The strongest essays compare each adaptation not only with the other film but with what Shakespeare's text actually says. If Olivier cuts the scene in which Henry threatens Harfleur or the conspiracy scene with Cambridge, Scroop, and Grey, the student should ask what that omission does. Grading should reward essays that treat the adaptation as an interpretation of the play instead of a separate story.

Define Film Vocabulary Before the Assignment

Students need a small toolkit of film terms to write with precision. Concepts such as framing, lighting, score, editing, and costume give them language to describe how a scene is constructed. Introduce these terms with a short in-class analysis of a single clip so that students have a model before they write. You can then hold essays to a fair standard, because the vocabulary has been taught rather than assumed.

• Identifies specific directorial choices such as lighting, music, editing, or casting
• Explains how each choice shapes the audience's view of Henry or of war
• Compares what each film keeps, cuts, or changes from Shakespeare's text
• Considers the historical moment in which each film was made
• Uses precise film vocabulary rather than general descriptions like "looks better"

Grade the Use of Historical Context Carefully

Historical context can strengthen these essays, but it should not replace analysis. A student who explains that Olivier's film was designed to boost morale during wartime is offering a useful interpretive frame. The essay must then show how that purpose is visible in specific choices, such as the treatment of the Agincourt battle and the omission of darker scenes. Context without evidence remains a claim and should be graded as one.

You can support students by providing brief background readings on both productions. That ensures that the essay's focus is analysis and not research, and it levels the playing field for students with different levels of prior knowledge. Clarify how much outside research you expect and whether citations are required, so that grading remains consistent and students know what to prepare.

Encourage Specific Scene Comparisons

Comparing full films in a short essay tends to produce generalities. Narrowing the assignment to a single scene, such as the St. Crispin's Day speech or the night before the battle, yields more focused analysis. Students can then discuss how the actor's delivery, the camera position, and the soundtrack change the meaning of the same words. This approach also makes your grading easier because you can evaluate specific claims against a shared piece of evidence.

If your class watches clips together, give students time to take notes and rewatch the scene. Detailed observations require repeated viewing, and asking students to rely on memory produces vague essays. A short note-taking sheet with columns for visual, sound, and performance details can help them organize evidence and gives you a way to check their observations against what appears on screen.

Provide Feedback That Connects Observation to Argument

The most useful feedback on these essays asks students to move from what they saw to what it means. A note might read: "You observe that Branagh's camera stays close on Henry's face during the speech; what does that closeness suggest about how we are meant to feel toward him?" That question pushes the student to interpret the choice instead of merely reporting it.

Over several essays, you can build a shared vocabulary of feedback that students recognize. Phrases like "so what?" and "what is the effect?" become shorthand for the analytical move you want. When these prompts appear consistently, students begin to ask them of themselves during drafting, which is exactly the outcome good feedback should produce.