Henry V

Made at the height of the German blitz, this dazzling British adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tale of victory in the face of overwhelming odds brought new hope and resolve to embattled Britons who saw it in 1944. Filippo del Giudice, an Italian lawyer who had fled Mussolini's rule, persuaded Laurence Olivier to undertake the project, and when William Wyler, Carol Reed, and Terence Young were unable to helm the film, Olivier not only took on the title role but the director's mantle, performing both roles magnificently.

Innovatively structured, the film begins with a 17th-century staging of Shakespeare's play at the Globe Theatre; then, gradually, the prosceni...