A movie by Orson Welles. It is also known as Falstaff. For this movie Orson took bits of no less than five Shakespeare plays including Henry IV and Henry V, and even added bits of his own. The result is the story of Sir John Falstaff, a typical English mercenary. He was a friend of the soon to be king Henry. He had a nice life, getting drunk in the tavern, having fun with the prostitutes, playing various pranks. Yet when it was time for Henry to give up this dissolute life, so as to become a king, he started to ignore Falstaff, thus breaking a kind of father/son relationship, and breaking the captain's heart.

In this movie Orson Wells as Falstaff is at his greatest, as an actor, but also as a director. The battle scene must rank among the best of the kind. The acting from John Gielgud as Henry IV is also very good, and Jeanne Moreau makes an appearance. Although low budget did not help the appearence of the movie, you will sympathise with that cowardly fat coward known as Falstaff, and you'll wish that you too had heard "the chimes at midnight"!

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