William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition) | 
| Director: Kenneth Branagh
Actors: Kenneth Branagh, Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Gerard Depardieu, Kate Winslet
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.99
Buy New: $14.39
You Save: $12.60 (47%)
New (43) Used (8) Collectible (1) from $14.38
Avg. Customer Rating:  329 reviews
Sales Rank: 631
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Original Recording Remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 242
Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: C2683
UPC: 053939268324
EAN: 0053939268324
ASIN: B00005JLCI
Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 1996
Release Date: August 14, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
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 staging much of the action in shimmering-mirrored gold-filled interiors. The excitement of the Bard's words and an adventurous filmmaking style lift the story from its often shadowy ambiance to a fully-lit pageantry and rage. Now presented in an amazing 2-Disc Special Edition.System Requirements:Running Time: 242 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 053939268324 Manufacturer No: C2683
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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 324 more reviews...
 Branagh August 25, 2008
Amazing version. Branagh makes Hamlet enjoyable for the Shakespeare buff or the reluctant viewer. Easy to follow, incredibly visual, epic performances from an all star cast. Highly, highly recommended.
 Beautiful, Lavish, Magnficent: a Must See-- five stars August 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is one of the greatest productions of Shakespeare I've ever seen, and I heartily recommend it to any student of Hamlet. I think seeing this breathtaking and magnificent film will greatly help high school students and college students who are approaching the play for the first time. Branagh is a genius and once again here he delivers Shakespeare's glorious lines in a way that makes them clear, and brings them to life with incalculable power. I know of no Shakespeare film that equals this film. I dream of what Branagh will do next. We need him to give us more of the Bard. ---- There is much else that could be said about this film. Every performance is wonderful, including that of Charlton Heston, and the sensitivity with which the play is interpreted is breathtaking. The spectacle alone is worth seeing. This is one of those feasts for the eyes and ears like Amadeus or Immortal Beloved. Or the Red Shoes. It is grand in the finest sense. It will be enjoyed and treasured as long as film is enjoyed and treasured.
 Visually sumptous, a spellbinding cast, lovely soundtrack, but Branagh as Hamlet is dreadful August 12, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a huge Shakespeare fan, and HAMLET is my favorite of the Bard's work. So, logically, as a Shakespeare buff and an English major, you would expect Branagh's HAMLET to be my favorite cinematic version of the tale. Well, you would be wrong: Franco Zefferelli's HAMLET starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close is my favorite, not Branagh's, and I'll tell you why: Branagh may be an immensely talented director with ground-breaking visions for Shakespeare's work, but he is an over-the-top and dreadfully melodramatic actor whose performances on screen are absolutely terrible. On stage, his moody, sulking, emo and whiny Hamlet would work because stage acting requires a larger-than life performance because as an actor, you have to perform to the back balcony, but on film that sort of acting doesn't work - the two mediums are too vastly different. For an actor who is so technically trained, you think Branagh would know this, but, he either doesn't or his ego is so big he does whatever he pleases. Whatever the case, his performance as Hamlet is what soured this wonderful film for me. Besides Kenneth, the rest of the cast is excellent, especially Julie Christie as a touchingly poignant Gertrude, Derek Jacobi's deliciously vile Claudius (my favorite screen portrayal of the character), Richard Briers manages to make Polonius both a secondary villain and comic relief in the way that only an excellent actor can, and Billy Crystal's cameo as the gravedigger is wonderfully funny. While I don't fault Kate Winslet one bit, her Ophelia is especially weak and can be very trying on one's nerves, but I blame this more on the director's choice than I do the actress. Kate is amazingly talented and can definitely make even weakly-written roles come off as strong. I just wish Branagh would have let her do so here. Helena Bonham Carter's Ophelia is decidedly better, making her Ophelia strong, even rebellious in her maddness. Anyway, the look of the film, in the grand tradition of Branagh movies, is stunning. The costumes, the sets, esp. the interiors of Elsinore, are vivid and pulsing with life. In my opinion, if Branagh would sacrifice his ego and stay behind the camera and do what he does well (directing), all of his films would be not just good, but brilliant. Hopefully he will figure this out soon.
Hamlet review August 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Hamlet is very true to the Shakespearean play. There are only a few rearragements of the placement of the words. Very well done.
comparison July 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
not as good as olivier but interesting because the complete text is used,a little too much sawing the air and loud talk.w/u/
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