‘The King’ (2019) and ‘Chimes At Midnight’ (1967): Falstaff the Kingmaker?

There live not three good men unhanged in England. And one of them is fat and grows old.

The King, directed by David Michod, is a recently released historical drama on Netflix which adapts the ‘‘Henriad’’ (Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 and Henry V) by William Shakespeare. Similarly, Chimes At Midnight directed by Orson Welles adapts the ‘‘Henriad’’ but also includes material from Richard II and The Merry Wives Of Windsor.

However, although both films are fundamentally based upon the same source material the films have significant differences. The most substantial difference is the role of one of Shakespeare’s greatest creations the tragicomic Sir John Falstaff within both films. In Chimes it is central to the film and in The King his role is altered almost completely, both in character and in the timeline created for him by Shakespeare.

In both films Falstaff is close to Hal (Prince Henry)and acts like a surrogate father for him. He is for the moment estranged from his real father Henry IV and is acting like a rebellious teenager. A figure that has crossed remarkably easily from 15th century Merrie England into our own modern world. The genius of Shakespeare.

Yet there are far deeper issues at play here. Henry IV has usurped the Crown from…