Many actors are blessed with the ability to entertain.  Gifted directors are blessed with the ability to create works of art that can introduce a new idea or a new perspective on an old one.  Through his work as actor, director and writer, the Belfast-born Kenneth Branagh has changed lives.

By Deborah Ground Buckner 

At a time when it is appropriate to consider Irish blessings, Kenneth Branagh is high on the list.  Many actors are blessed with the ability to entertain.  Gifted directors are blessed with the ability to create works of art that can introduce a new idea or a new perspective on an old one.  Through his work as actor, director and writer, the Belfast-born Branagh has changed lives.

Think of the works of William Shakespeare as presented in this generation, and Branagh's name will fast come to mind.  Either as actor or director (frequently both), he has been a part of the tide of Shakespeare-inspired films that began with his first turn at directing:  Henry V.  My husband will never let me live down an incident in early 1991 when we were caring for our new baby and entertainment meant a film from the video rental store to be watched when (and if) the baby went to sleep.  One Friday night, he came home with Henry V and another film.  The previous night with the baby had been a rough one.  I sighed and said, "I just don't have the energy for Shakespeare."  We watched the other, which I can't even remember, and Henry went back to the store unwatched.  Little did we know four years later I would be bitten by the Branagh bug leading to me catching up on all his past work, anticipating his new projects and even traveling to Sheffield, England, in 2002 to see him on stage as Richard III. 

Here is a brief, certainly not all-inclusive, list of my favorite Branagh films.

Henry V (1989).  Shakespeare's history play of young Prince Hal's ascension to the throne was first brought to the screen by Sir Laurence Olivier in 1944.   Some hailed the film as war propaganda, offering needed inspiration to a nation in the midst of the Second World War.  All hailed the film as brilliant.  It would seem unthinkable for a young actor with no experience in directing films to take on such a project, but Branagh did.  His film adaptation of Henry V  shows the bloody realities of war and the loneliness of a man who has to lead.  Branagh's delivery of Henry's "St. Crispin's Day speech" to rally his little army to fight a seemingly impossible battle is one of the greatest moments of inspiration on film.  The film also demonstrates Branagh's ability to combine a brilliant cast--including Derek Jacobi, Emma Thompson, Richard Briers, Ian Holm, Brian Blessed, Robbie Coltrane, Jimmy Yuill, Judi Dench, and Geraldine McEwan-and production team with production design by Tim Harvey and the original score by Patrick Doyle.  

Dead Again (1991).  Branagh directed this salute to the film noir, and he and Emma Thompson play dual roles in this tragic story with a second chance through reincarnation.  Through flashbacks in black-and-white, the story of composer Roman Strauss and his concert pianist wife, Margaret, is shown to have ended with Roman's conviction for Margaret's murder.  In the present, private investigator Mike Church tries to solve the mystery of a woman with amnesia who is strangely drawn to the site of Roman's former home.  Derek Jacobi appears as a stuttering antique dealer, an inside reference to Jacobi's title role in the BBC series, I, Claudius.  Patrick Doyle's haunting score adds to the suspense.

Peter's Friends (1992).  Branagh directed this Big Chill for the 90s, with a group of college friends coming together to welcome the new year in the country estate one recently inherited.  The cast includes Branagh and Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, and Rita Rudner. 

Much Ado About Nothing (1993).  Branagh adapted this Shakespeare comedy for the screen and directed as well as acted the role of Benedick opposite Emma Thompson's Beatrice.  Proving that Shakespeare is not the exclusive property of British actors, the cast includes Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Kate Beckinsale, and Michael Keaton.  Patrick Doyle's score will have you whistling "Sigh No More."  In May of 1995, my local cable company added the Disney Channel to its basic lineup.  One Friday night, my husband and I put the babies to bed and checked out the new channel, finding ourselves in the middle of the "gulling of Benedick".  We kept turning to each other saying, "Who is this man?  He's wonderful!"  The next day, I was in the local video store asking for "everything Kenneth Branagh has ever done."  Fortunately, I asked the right person, a manager who was as much as fan as I soon would be.  He picked up a pen and began writing film titles on his hand, then led me through the shelves to find them.  This time, Henry V  went home to be watched twice, and the rest is . . . well, why I'm writing this article! 

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994).  On first viewing, this was not a favorite for me, having more blood and violence than I want to see in a film.  But after reading Mary Shelley's novel and reading the screenplay with director's notes for the film, I watched again.  This adaptation, directed by and starring Branagh as Victor Frankenstein, is very much in the spirit of Shelley's story and still relevant in an age where issues such as cloning and stem cell research raise the questions of how far man will go in an effort to conquer death.  The excellent supporting cast includes Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Ian Holm, Richard Briers, John Cleese and Robert DeNiro.  Tim Harvey's production design and Patrick Doyle's original score add to the period and the frightening story.

In the Bleak Midwinter (A Midwinter's Tale) (1995).  Written and directed by Branagh, this is one of my very favorite films.  Filmed in black-and-white, it tells the story of an out-of-work actor's obsessive need to direct Hamlet and how his dream becomes a reality with a ragtag company of actors.  The cast includes Michael Maloney, Joan Collins, Richard Briers, Gerard Horan, Nicholas Farrell, Celia Imrie, Julia Sawalha, and John Sessions.  This is a Christmas season favorite in my house.

Othello (1995).  Branagh plays Iago in this adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy, directed by Oliver Parker and starring Laurence Fisburne as the Moor with Irene Jacob as beautiful Desdemona.  Branagh's villain is a devilish combination of charm and evilness.  This was required viewing in my son's sophomore communication arts class. 

Hamlet (1996).  Branagh adapted Shakespeare's greatest work for the screen, including all the text, directed and starred as Hamlet in the four-hour film shot in 70 mm.  The all-star cast includes Derek Jacobi, Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, Richard Briers, Michael Maloney, Nicholas Farrell, Charlton Heston, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal, Brian Blessed, Gerard Depardieu, Timothy Spall, and Rufus Sewell.  A group of Branagh devotees known as the Ken-Friends once made a list of 100 reasons to see Hamlet.  For me, it's just to hear Branagh's delivery of the words "on him" when Hamlet sees the ghost of his father in his mother's chamber.  Tim Harvey's production design captures the bleakness amid the grandeur of Hamlet's Elsinore, and Patrick Doyle's score will sweep you away.  

Love's Labour's Lost (2000).  Shakespeare's romantic comedy becomes a 1930s Hollywood musical in this version, adapted for the screen and directed by Branagh with him in the role of Berowne.  It did not have the theatrical distribution it should have had, but I was fortunate to see it on screen at a Shakespeare film festival where it was greeted with great enthusiasm.  I have since seen two stage productions which have set Shakespeare' story in the 1930s as well, even following Branagh's lead in using such classic songs as "Cheek to Cheek," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," and "The Way You Look Tonight." 

Conspiracy (2001).  Branagh plays Reinhard Heydrich in this HBO recreation of the Wannsee Conference where the final solution to the Jewish question was debated and decided.  Heydrich is icy and businesslike as he determines the fate of a people, yet weeps over a recording of opera.  This is a very chilling drama I have only been able to watch once, despite owning a copy of it, but a single viewing leaves a lasting impression. 

Shackleton (2002) Writer-director Charles Sturridge brought this miniseries to the BBC with Branagh in the role of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the ill-fated Antarctic explorer who is known for seeing his crew safe and rescued when his ship Endurance became trapped in ice in a 1914 expedition.  In our travel across England in 2002, we told many of the people we met we were headed to Sheffield to see Branagh on stage.  The response we always received was, "Oh, Branagh!  I loved him as Shackleton!"  

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002).  Branagh has about ten minutes on screen in this true story of three young Australian aboriginal girls escaping from a government-run camp where they were to be trained as domestic help.  Branagh portrays A. O. Neville, the "chief protector of the aborigines," who is unaware of the evil he works in the name of good.  The character reminded me very much of Kurtz in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).  In this second film installment of the Harry Potter series, Branagh appears as ill-fated Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart.  With his flamboyant costumes, perfect hair and dazzling smile, Lockhart certainly works his charms on his young female pupils, though his magical powers may be lacking.  This is a type of role actors dream of playing and Branagh (dare I say it?) really gets his teeth into this one!   

Listening (2003).  Branagh wrote and directed this haunting short film (23 minutes)  of a relationship that takes place at a spiritual retreat where all participants are required to be silent.  The story is told against the backdrop of the sounds of nature with beautiful imagery.  Frances Barber and Paul McGann play the two characters who come together in this setting.

Warm Springs (2005).  In this production for HBO written by Margaret Nagle and directed by Joseph Sargent, Branagh portrays American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the time immediately following the bout with polio that left him disabled.  Branagh fully captures FDR, taking him from a self-absorbed and arrogant politician to a broken man, then slowly, painstakingly, finding himself again and taking the steps that ultimately led him to the White House. 

As You Like It (2006).  Branagh reunites with Shakespeare, adapting one of the Bard's greatest comedies for the screen and directing as well.  The story of the banished Duke taking refuge in the forest is beautifully set in Japan.  The cast includes Bryce Dallas Howard, David Oyelowo, Romola Garai, Adrian Lester, Kevin Kline and Brian Blessed.  Tim Harvey's production design captures the beauty of British-occupied Japan, and Patrick Doyle is present once again with a beautiful score. 

The Magic Flute (2006).  Branagh directs this adaptation of the opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  The libretto by Stephen Fry sets the story in 20^th century war time.  Why this film hasn't had a North America distribution is a fascinating question.  

Sleuth (2007).  Branagh directed this new take on Anthony Shaffer's play of a cat-and-mouse game between a young man and the older husband of the woman with whom he is having an affair.  Harold Pinter wrote the screenplay.  In the 1972 adaptation, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Michael Caine played the young man, up against Laurence Olivier.  Now, it is Caine's turn to play the wronged husband, with Jude Law as his young rival.

In the near future, look for Branagh as Colonel Tim Collins in the BBC miniseries 10 Days to War; as Henning von Tresckow in Valkyrie, a story of a plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler; and returning to the stage in the Donmar West End 2008/2009 season portraying the title role in Anton Chekhov's Ivanov.

On this St. Patrick's Day, AnEVibe salutes Irish-born Kenneth Branagh!