William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
by Kenneth Branagh

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DVD details

Actor: Billy Crystal, G?rard Depardieu, Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, Kenneth Branagh
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Brand: Warner Brothers
Primary Contributor: Kenneth Branagh
Primary Contributor: Julie Christie
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.20:1
Running Time: 242 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-08-14
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Reviews of William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

DVD Review: Complete Hamlet
Summary: 5 Stars

First complete version of "Hamlet" on DVD. No edits of the text. Great!!!

DVD Review: an epic by kennith branagh.....W.S.'s HAMLET
Summary: 5 Stars

When this film was released 10 yrs ago on the BIG screen, all who saw Kennith Branagh's 4 hour long 'HAMLET'.... were breath taken. Now "thank God" we have this epic on DVD.
The cast alone makes this film a must see! Cameos by Jack Lemon, Robin Williams, Charlton Heston, Billy Chrystal,to name but a few, with major roles played by Julie Christie,Kate Winslet..(a young Kate),Richard Briers and of course Derek Jacobi and Kennith Branagh as HAMLET.
It is my belief that this will be the definitive film version of HAMLET and that every serious DVD/video collector should have it in his/her library.
As HAMLET is possibly one of Shakespear's finest plays, Branagh has given it the portrayal and panoramic grandeur that this great story deserves!
I would give this ***** out of five.

DVD Review: To be or not to be
Summary: 5 Stars

I needed this particular copy instead of all the other versions because this one goes word for word with the original work. Because of that, I was able to watch the video (and with the use of captions) read it as well. It was over in about 4 hours and I got much more out of it. I am not a big fan of Shakespeare so this was a perfect way for me to get through it without too much suffering.

DVD Review: Awful Hamlet
Summary: 1 Stars

Kenneth Branagh's reputation as the golden boy of Shakespearean actors crashed with this over-done Hamlet. There's a good reason why no sane producer actually uses all of the text un-cut. It's a six hour slog--and I say this as a literature professor, not as a surly student. In terms of acting, Branagh again misses the mark, looking very old to be Denmark's young prince. Added to the grinding length and mis-cast lead, the special effects here (green screen work, mostly) would embarrass your local weather man.

For an understated but elegant alternative, check out Kevin Kline's Hamlet.

DVD Review: Closest to Shakespeare
Summary: 5 Stars

This is the best version of Hamlet, hands down. If you are looking for a film version that is as close to the text as possible, this is the one to buy. No doubt it is long, but it is worth it. The cast is bedazzled with stars, and Branaugh does not disappoint with his interpretation. The set is gorgeous and full of surprises with an Elsinore custom made for "lawful espials" and it does rare justice to the Fortinbras subplot. You cannot go wrong with Branaugh.

Description of William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Studio: Castle Rock Hm Video Release Date: 08/14/2007 Run time: 242 minutes

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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