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List Price: $26.99Amazon.com's Price: $19.99 You Save: $7.00 (26%)Prices subject to change.
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Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1
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: 643
Studio: Warner Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 1996
Editorial Review:
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
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A Wretchedly Bad Hamlet
My husband and I were thrilled when we learned that this Hamlet had come out on DVD. We're big fans of Branagh's version of Henry the Fifth, and we thought that an uncut Hamlet with a Branagh who had, surely, been maturing as an actor since his great performance in the earlier film would be an occasion not to be missed.
It was a horrible disappointment. Branagh, the man who turned Henry the Fifth into a drama that ordinary people could watch as the gripping and complex historical drama ... Read More
Rating:  - finally, usable Hamlet!
The most powerful rendition of our beloved Hamlet and the most usable format for the classroom! Teaching three different classes and being able to cue up to the spot we left off sets the most organized tone! Anyone need copies of VHS versions?
Rating: - Branagh's Hamlet
Our family has been reading and really, studying Shakespeare over the last few years. We have read Hamlet several times and seen several versions of Hamlet. Kenneth Branagh's is absolutely marvelous. The filming is wonderful and sumptuous. The sets and places they filmed are like poetry for the eyes. During the filming, they even got a snow storm which fit in with what they were doing. The actors are all wonderful. Kenneth Branagh as Hamlet is excellent and Kate Winslet as Ophelia is marvelous. ... Read More
Rating: - Hamlet - Director Kenneth Branagh
I have been waiting for this version of Hamlet to be presented on DVD for many years. It is worth the wait. An extraordinary cast, wonderfully vivid photography and Shakespeare. Who could ask for more?
Rating: - Hamlet comes to life
hello, all your Shakespeare fans! This version of Hamlet is perfect for the 21st century. The acting is phenomenal, the sets are gorgeous, and faithful to the time period. The clothing may be a little modern, but at least Hamlet isn't running around with a hand gun.
Also, I think this is the most nuanced performance of Hamlet you will see on film. Unlike the 1945 version, Hamlet actually displays more range of emotion, rather than just degrees of melancholy. Also, the delivery of lines is ... Read More
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