WHEN MEN

THINK LEAST

"When Men Think Least" is a film based on William Shakespeare's Henry IV Part I, which follows the exploits of the young Prince Hal, who later becomes the famed King Henry V. Hal, often in trouble with his father, King Henry IV, associates with the lowly townspeople and often drinks himself into trouble, not the least of which is encouraged by Sir John Falstaff and Ned Poins.

 

Falstaff, among the most beloved of Shakespeare's characters, is a wild drinker and womanizer, and counts among Hal's confidants and close friends. In Henry IV Part I, we see his and Hal's friendship grow deeper, but we also see the cracks begin to form, as Hal delivers in his monologue: "I know you all, and will awhile uphold the unyoked humour of your idleness... My reformation, glitt'ring o'er my fault, shall show more goodly and attract more eyes than that which hath no foil to set it off. I'll so offend to make offence a skill, redeeming time when men think least I will." Hal knows, from this moment on, that his friendships need to end if his kingship is to be respected. Poins, he knows, will respect this desire, but Falstaff will not go quietly.

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In our short film, we do not have the time, budget, or desire to create a feature-length version of Henry IV Part I. Instead, we focused on the nature of Hal's relationship with Poins and Falstaff. We wanted to draw out the comedy that lies in Shakespeare's witty dialogue while maintaining the gravity of Hal's decision. We decided, therefore, to end the film with Hal's rejection of Falstaff's love, beginning his reformation. Poins understands Hal's needs, but Falstaff, filled with self-boasting and wine, never thinks twice about Hal's needs. Hal knows, to push Falstaff away, it will take a public moment of humility. The final scene seems humorous up until the end, when Hal lets his true nature show.

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This is a scary project for many reasons. Audiences in 2017 are not overly receptive to Shakespeare. The Bard's sense of humor does not necessarily meet our modern standards. Finding talented Shakespearean actors for the screen is always a bit of a challenge, and with our filming location in Columbus, Ohio, we needed good locations as well. We undertook this challenge because we believe there is an entertaining and powerful story to be told. We hope you'll agree.

-Cedric Gegel