William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
starring: Kenneth Branagh, Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, GĂ©rard Depardieu, Kate Winslet
directed by: Kenneth Branagh
directed by: Kenneth Branagh
List Price: $26.99
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Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Warner Brothers
EAN: 0053939268324
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: August 14, 2007
Running Time: 242 minutes
Sales Rank: 695
Studio: Warner Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 1996
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Studio: Castle Rock Hm Video Release Date: 08/14/2007 Run time: 242 minutes
Amazon.com:
It's the greatest work of literature, but nobody had ever filmed Hamlet uncut--until Kenneth Branagh went about the task for his lavish 1996 production. The result is a sumptuous, star-studded version that scores a palpable hit on its avowed goal: to make the text as clear and urgent as possible. Branagh himself plays the melancholy son of the Danish court, caught in a famous muddle about whether to seek revenge against his royal father's presumed slayer… the man who now sits on the throne and shares the bed of Hamlet's mother. (Or, as the song 'That's Entertainment' summarizes the plot: 'A ghost and a prince meet / And everyone winds up mincemeat.') As a director, Branagh (who shot the movie in 70 mm.) uses the vast, cold interiors of a vaguely 19th-century manor to gorgeous effect; the story might scurry down this hallway, into that back chamber, or sprawl out into the enormous main room. With its endless collection of mirrors, the place is as big and empty as Citizen Kane's Xanadu.
That all works; what doesn't work is Branagh's tendency to over-direct the big dramatic moments. He indulges in quick cutting and flashbacks as though to fend off the audience's objections to the four-hour running time, and the style sometimes looks like wasted energy. The experienced Shakespearians in the cast come off nicely; Derek Jacobi's Claudius, Richard Briers' Polonius, and Michael Maloney's Laertes are just terrific. Julie Christie is a suitably attractive Gertrude, and Kate Winslet makes the most of Ophelia's mad scenes. Branagh's habit of folding in unexpected American performers is on the mark, too: Billy Crystal is surprisingly good as the Gravedigger, Robin Williams predictably camps up Osric, and Charlton Heston is an inspired choice as the grandiloquent Player King. The biggest irony here is that Branagh himself is not quite spot-on as Hamlet. Of course he speaks the lines beautifully, but Branagh's screen personality radiates certainty and clarity of vision; there's little of the doubt that might make him Hamlet-esque. Still, tremendous credit for fending off slings and arrows to get the movie made. --Robert Horton
Average Rating: 
Rating:
- The most brilliant version of Hamlet ever producedI was overwhelmed by this production of Hamlet. Kenneth Branagh is wonderful and plays the part of ... Read More
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- Good, but not great DaneBranagh's Hamlet
... Read More
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- Shakespeare the way it was meant to be exeperiencedBefore I go into the visual and interpretive masterpiece that is Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, let me begin ... Read More
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- Know when to step aside.Yes, this is one of Kenneth Branagh's productions of Shakespeare; and he typically saves the most interresting ... Read More
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- BranaghAmazing version. Branagh makes Hamlet enjoyable for the Shakespeare buff or the reluctant viewer. Easy to follow, ... Read More
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