Fire of War
While speaking to Henry V in the presence of his royal court, Archbishop of Canterbury is presented as speaking to all of the men. Branagh has the camera panning with him as he passes the men of the court and in the background a fire is seen in between their bodies. The imagery evokes the feeling of a rage, and the dangers of war and what is being spoken of by these men and how it is a grave matter not to be take lightly.
In and Out
Mistress Nell Quickly gives a speech about where she believes Falstaff has gone, to heaven or hell. Branagh zooms the camera from a wide shot her with Nym, Pistol and Robin into an extreme close up as she speaks about the fate of her deceased friend. The tone is solemn and serious the closer the camera gets to her. Branagh then slowly zooms the camera out and the group begins to laugh again. The in and out motion of the camera isolates deep truth in what Nell is saying about death, and the zoom out creates space in order for their to also be laughter in the midst of sorrow, which is also common.
English Flag
On the battlefield, the English flag is dragged through the mud as the English forces trudge on to fight. The imagery shows that the cleanliness of the flag, what it stands for is being dirtied. The visual shows us that even the greatest of symbols for a people become filthy in the midst of war. As all it brings is death at the hands of the people who serve the flag.
Ghost in the Night
Before battle, Henry sits by a campfire at night. He's surrounded by his men, who sleep. They are in darkness with fog rolling over them while he is lit by the light of the fire. The image looks as though the men are dead on the field of battle and the King is left alone to his thoughts. The composition shows the heaviness of Henry's decision to take his men to war in order to serve his desire to sit on two thrones. That though he pays a price, he knows his men pay an equal if not greater one.
