William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Product Description
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. (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. 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 experienced Shakespearians in the cast come off nicely; Derek Jacobi's Claudius, Richard Briers' Polonius, and Michael Maloney's Laertes are just terrific. --Robert Horton 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. 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. 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. 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. Still, tremendous credit for fending off slings and arrows to get the movie made. The biggest irony here is that Branagh himself is not quite spot-on as Hamlet. 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.
Product Info
- Actor
- Kenneth Branagh, Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Gérard Depardieu, Kate Winslet
- Aspect Ratio
- 2.20:1
- Audience Rating
- Binding
- DVD
- Brand
- Warner Brothers
- EAN
- 0053939268324
- Feature
- Hamlet has the kind of power, energy and excitement that movies can truly exploit,' award-winning actor/director Kenneth Branagh says. In this first-ever full-text film of William Shakespeare's greatest work, the power surges through every scene. The timeless tale of murder, corruption and revenge is reset in an opulent 19th-century world, using sprawling Blenheim Palace as Elsinore and st
- Format
- AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
- Label
- Warner Home Video
- Manufacturer
- Warner Home Video
- MPN
- 053939268324
- Number Of Discs
- 2
- Number Of Items
- 2
- Original Release Date
- 1996-12-25
- Package Quantity
- 1
- Product Group
- DVD
- Product Type Name
- ABIS_DVD
- Publication Date
- 2007
- Publisher
- Warner Home Video
- Region Code
- 1
- Release Date
- 2007-08-14
- Running Time
- 242
- SKU
- 12312658
- Studio
- Warner Home Video
- Theatrical Release Date
- 1996-12-25
- Title
- William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- UPC
- 053939268324
- ASIN
- B00005JLCI
- Sales Rank
- 3191
- Provider
- Amazon
- As of
- May 26, 2012, 8:15 pm
