I've been using this screenplay as a quick reference to Mr Branagh's film for the last couple of years. I can remember stocking it in the bookshop where I worked when the film came out, and I've recently hunted down a second-hand copy which now lives perched on the back of my sofa. It saves an awful lot of viewing time of my favourite film (and consequent distraction) and reveals just how short the script actually is. KB's take on events in the film (especially Henry's thoughts) is included in the script.

There are numerous black-and-white stills from the film, most of them not available anywhere else, and some of which reveal just how few people KB had available to re-create the battles of Harfleur and Agincourt. There's only one good picture of the my favourite character, the French Herald, unfortunately, but it's a nice portrait, and there are plenty of pictures of Henry... And numerous good-looking blokes in mail-shirts. (Yes, I'm shallow.)

There's also a short introduction in which KB reveals his take on what the film is actually about (short answer: lots of things - it's no wonder critics can see in it pretty much what they want to see.) He describes the process involved in the writing of the screenplay and the nuts-and-bolts of getting it off the ground. At one point he says he was 'relentlessly enthusiastic'. One can only feel sorry for anyone who had to cope with all this enthusiasm...

My copy has KB's signature on the fly-leaf, though I don't know if it's genuine or printed. Actually I rather suspect the former; and in any case, I can dream! ( )