Kenneth Branagh

by Mark J. White

From humble beginnings, Kenneth Branagh drove himself to dizzy heights of accomplishment. With a West End hit at twenty-one, a lead with the RSC by twenty-three and his own theatre company by twenty-six, no actor of his generation achieved so much so rapidly. And yet no actor has received such relentless criticism. Based on extensive research and numerous interviews, Mark White traces the vicissitudes of Branagh's career, examining his meteoric rise and the accompanying backlash.

Genres: Biography, Autobiography, Theatre

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Mark White is Professor of History at Queen Mary’s School of History.

Reviews

[Bookthesp1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was published in 2005 and having only read it now I am conscious that it is effectively half a life as Branaghs stellar career has moved on. Whether Mark White's somewhat lumpen, uninspired prose would be worth reviving for an updated version is another matter. This is essentially a narrative of Branaghs career with occasional asides and attempts at nuance and insight. He is hide bound by Branagh's own attempt at Biography written as a dazzling youth and the paucity of material beyond the press cuttings and interviews that can help him piece together a workable narrative that tries to go beyond listing the performances Branagh has given. White has a fair go at giving the context to Branaghs family background and his mercurial gifts as a young actor- the perfect command of lines on the first day of the rehearsal; the meticulous research, the canny relaxed atmosphere achieved on film sets and in green rooms- masking a nervous and occasionally heart on his sleeve kind of guy.
His narrative encompasses Branagh's creation of Renaissance Theatre company right through to 2005 when he was about to direct As You Like It ( a return to those fruitful Shakespearian films.)
White's thesis is clear- lauded and admired in America, Branagh was continually attacked and undercut in Britain because of his precocious success and the mirroring (conscious or not) of Oliviers career. There is some grist to White's familiar mill but he is often reduced to endlessly summing up and summarising where Branagh was vis a vis opinions in America and Britain and listing (and re-listing) his accumulation of achievements. White attempts explanations for Branagh's janus faced reactions to press and public opinions on both sides of the pond but much of the prose is flat and descriptive, grinding away at his thesis- a well ploughed furrow for anyone considering the peaks and troughs of Branagh's career. The dealings with personal life are understandably careful and polite but add little to what we know and show little real unlocking of Branagh's internal thought processes.

So- a perfectly serviceable and clear narrative of Branagh's career and probably a must read for fans (including me) but it needed more (dare i say) journalistic flair and more panache to sum up the enormity of the talent and the complexity of the man.....and his career- hence three stars from me rather than four or five...

[JCB · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read- much better than an earlier book (Beginnings) about the same actor. It's apparent that the author is a big fan of Branagh, but not to a degree where it becomes hagiographical in style. He does seem to rate some of his work much higher than warranted, e.g. 'The Rabbit Proof Fence', and his work in 'Dead Again' and Harry Potter, but all in all the book is a fair look at his career - of course only if you like Branagh's work to begin with. I don't think any doubters will be convinced otherwise.

[Jo Velvet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ottimo libro, ottima biografia (in inglese) su Kenneth Branagh. Grazie Mark White!

[Wonderkell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up to 4 stars- really 3.5. Finally finished it. It took me a long time to read this one as I kept putting it down when I got bored. I wouldn't really say this was a very unbiased biography - bit of a love fest at times - but it is very well researched & evidenced. There is an awful lot of information in there. I kind of feel that if you weren't really a huge Branagh fan or a theatre actor/lover/student, you may not really get much out of the book. I'm an actor, so I actually did find quite a bit of useful stuff in there regarding the very basics of Branagh's process & skill set.

As far as Kenneth Branagh himself goes, I'm a huge fan. What the man has achieved in his career is nothing short of inspiring, especially considering his age- performing at the Royal Shakespeare Company, establishing his own highly successful theatre company, adapting and directing and acting in his first film...all of these before he was 30!

[Will Gillham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tad too biased in some sections; White seems to fear highlighting the flaws within Branagh's career and feels the need to explain them for some reason. Otherwise, it's an excellent exploration into the actor/director's career. Hopefully a follow up (by any author) will include Branagh's directorial move into the action movie scene.