Hamlet: (1996) Special Edition (Dbl DVD)

There are many film interpretations of Shakespeare's best-known plays, and you should never depend on seeing a single one to get a good interpretation of the play. Based on watching six different film versions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" I heartily agree with the reviewer who says versions made for film bring the special talents of the cinematographer and editor to bear, which are absent when the film is a record of a stage performance, or directed as if it were being done on the stage. And, since this is Shakespeare's best known play, and perhaps the finest play written in any language, the more versions you see the better. I already mentioned one reason, the added depth achieved by camera close ups and long range views, for recommending this version. A second reason is that this production makes a point of adding every word Shakespeare wrote, even to the point of reconciling different editions to get the best lines. Almost all versions of Shakespeare's plays, and especially Hamlet, are cut down, with one or more sup-plots shrunk or deleted. This does not, which is why it runs to over 4 hours. Added to Shakespeare's words are a number of flashbacks and "interpretation" scenes which imagine what meaning is lurking behind some of the words spoken on stage. The cast is stupendous. It is the kind of cast usually assembled for such epics as "The Longest Day" where most characters may be on the screen for about 5 minutes, so they need a familiar face in order for you to remember who that pilot was after he was shot down (Oh yes, that's Richard Burton. He was in the pub scene 90 minutes ago.) Most of the key roles are played by well known Shakespearian specialists, such as Branagh, Derek Jacobi, and Richard Briers. Several of the minor characters are Shakespearean regulars too, like Brian Blessed as the ghost. I especially liked to see Jacobi in a solid, major role, and not as window dressing in the first episodes of costume dramas, to lend weight to the cast. There are also lots of good non-Shakespearean actors in the main rank, especially Julie Christie and Kate Winslet. Among the incidental characters, talent is used with such abandon that one is almost inclined to refer to casting pearls before swine, bot so many of them work to perfection. My favorite is Charlton Heston as the leader of the traveling company of players who performs for the court of Denmark. He plays the role to perfection, and he seems perfectly cast. The other extreme is Jack Lemmon as Marcellus, one of the guards who first spots the ghost during the night watch at Elsinore Castle. It is not a comic role, and you have to look twice to recognize him. He only has two or three short scenes. Speaking of comedy roles (and Shakespeare always manages to include one or two, even in tragedies, there are Billy Crystal as the first gravedigger and Robin Williams as a courtier, who scores the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes in the last act. Williams seems wasted, but Crystal is pitch perfect. For the first time, I get the sense that Shakespeare's main interest in this play was not justice or revenge, but madness, as two of the main characters either feign madness or actually become mad. And, dare I say it that it seems the most sane character, Polonius, is belittled by all the other characters, then killed, from madness. But an analysis like that is above my Shakespearean pay grade... Which makes me think that almost all actors in this production worked for scale (that is, peanuts). I have seen at least two other productions which are done in bright light, for the camera, and neither can hold a candle to this one. And for all the lights and cinematic expanses, the key speeches come off perfectly. Highly recommended.

I first saw this at the movie theater, with mixed feelings. I was impressed by the fact that it was an uncut Hamlet and by the great performances. The sheer majesty and gorgeousness of it on the huge screen, as it was filmed in Panavision Super 70, stunned the eyes. The sets are ornate, doing more justice to a story of royalty than most productions. It just plain looks and feels like an epic. On the down side, I grew bored a couple of hours into the 4 hour film. I read Shakespeare in high school but had only seen a production or two of any of his plays. Like most people unfamiliar with Shakespeare, I found it hard to understand much of the dialog. It is true though that a well acted Shakespeare makes more sense to the unfamiliar than just reading it. Since it's 1996 theater debut, I have seen a lot more Shakespeare, having held a subscription yearly to the Great Lakes Theater Festival for several years. (Due to this, I am also accustomed to watching Shakespeare set in more modern time periods). I also own about 10 film versions of Shakespeare plays. Still I was wary, afraid that 4 hours of Hamlet would bore me to tears. The negative reviews here didn't help that any. It is hard sometimes to tell reasonable complaints from the ones that just reflect an extreme dislike for Kenneth Branagh (his acting or his person). I took a chance and bought it. How much did I have to lose? The cost of dinner out? Maybe I could pawn it off on a friend if I didn't like it. I planned to watch 2 hours at a time but instead found myself riveted for the full 4 hours! An advantage of DVD is also that you can put on the subtitles to help with portions that you are having a harder time following. I believe you will enjoy this version more if you have a little Shakespeare under your belt first. This lush performance is a great addition to a Hamlet library, in which you may like to include the following: 2000 Ethan Hawke version - notable for the more modern setting and the addition of year 2000 technology to the story (video cameras and the like) 2009 David Tennant version - the sets are sparse as it was originally for TV, but NO ONE plays crazy like Tennant! Superb! My other favorite. 1990 Mel Gibson version - I do not like Gibson, so I do not enjoy this version 1948 Lawrence Olivier version - considered the classic, although I admit I have never seen it

Best version of Hamlet I have ever seen.

Film d'une durée moindre d'une heure p ar rapport à l'original. Je n'ai toujours pas reçu mon remboursement alors que le colis a été renvoyé le 2 février.

Seit Jahren warte ich auf diesen Film. Keiner hat Hamlet je so überzeugend darstellen können wie Kenneth Branagh. Kenneth Branagh schafft es, die Dialoge von Shakespeares Stück sehr genau zu übernehmen und damit auch diejenigen zu überzeugen, die das Stück noch nicht gelesen haben. Die Geschichte beinhaltet zwar so viel, aber ich bemühe mich um eine kurze Zusammenfassung: Hamlet ist voller Trauer, weil sein Vater gestorben ist und kann seine Wut kaum beherrschen als kurze Zeit später seine Mutter Hamlets Onkel heiratet. Er fasst es nicht, wie sie die Trauer so schnell überwinden konnte. Kurze Zeit später erzählen ihm 2 Freunde, dass Ihnen der Geist von Hamlets Vater in der Nacht erschienen wäre und er sollte doch in der nächsten Nacht mitkommen. Vielleicht hat der Geist ihm ja etwas zu sagen. Und das hat er auch: Der Geist von Hamlets Vater erzählt Hamlet, wie er in Wahrheit gestorben ist: er wurde vom Onkel vergiftet! Kein Wunder also, dass Hamlet bittere Rache schwört... Das ist aber noch lange nicht alles, denn der Film beinhaltet natürlich auch die (nicht gern gesehene) Liebe von Hamlet zu seiner Ophelia und von jede Menger Lügen, Betrug und auch hier und da einen ironischen Spruch ("Schwachheit, Dein Name ist Weib", "Sein oder nicht sein..."). Die Geschichte hat meiner Meinung nach von ihrer Aktualität bis heute nichts verloren und man kann sich gut in Hamlets Lage hineinversetzen. Kenneth Branagh hat meiner Meinung nach die best mögliche Umsetzung des Stücks geschafft und meistert es, den Zuschauer zu fesseln und in seinen Bann zu ziehen. Für mich ist der Film ein absolutes Meisterwerk, und das nicht nur, weil Hamlet mein Lieblingsstück von Shakespeare ist. Hier haben Shakespeare-Anfänger auch eine gute Möglichkeit, sich dem z. T. nicht einfachen Stoff auf unterhaltsame Art zu nähern. Ich freue mich auf die hoffentlich umfangreiche Doppel-DVD und gebe eine volle Empfehlung!

レンタルでもテレビの放送でも“なんだかちょっと物足りないなー”と思ってたんです。劇場公開されてた時って、ブラナーがこだわった“７０ミリ撮影”でさぞ迫力のある美しい映像だったに違いないと・・・。で、このビデオを見て目からウロコ！広がりが断然違うんです。壮麗なエルシノア城、煌びやかな衣装に身を包んだ人々で溢れる豪華な大広間、そして雪の大平原を行く何千ものノルウェー軍。当たり前と言えばそれまでですが画面の窮屈さが消えて、自然でとっても観やすい。バッサリ切り落とされた左右の画面はやはりあるべきだ！と思わずにはいられません。あー、もったいない。 今度は是非、ＤＶＤでお目に掛かりたいものです。

Delle varie opere di Shakespeare, Amleto è la mia preferita, e la versione cinematografica di Branagh rispecchia appieno la mia visione della storia. Branagh è uno dei pochi a mantenere il subplot dell'invasione norvegese, il che aiuta a dare tutta un'altra interpretazione di Amleto, oltre alla classica tragedia famigliare dove il complesso edipico, sono sincera, mi è sempre parso un po' di troppo, senza nulla togliere alle versioni di signori del cinema come Zeffirelli od Olivier che invece lo hanno abbracciato in pieno. Adoro l'ambientazione tardo-ottocentesca di Branagh, che strizza l'occhio alle atmosfere di Guerra e Pace o di Anna Karenina. Di solito non impazzisco terribilmente per i mash up di attori inglesi con attori americani, ma qui non se ne risente assolutamente, anzi. L'accoppiata Jacobi-Christie nei panni di Claudio e Gertrude funziona benissimo (e mi fa sogghignare, ripensando al precedente ruolo di Jacobi come Amleto nel Prince of Denmark), e altrettanto evocativi sono Kate Winslet e lo stesso Kenneth Branagh, nella più bella e carismatica interpretazione di Ofelia e Amleto che abbia mai avuto il piacere di ammirare in un film. Quattro ore di pellicola possono risultare pesantine di primo acchito, ma il film scorre che è un piacere al punto da non soffrire assolutamente della lunghezza della visione.

This is my FAVOURITE MOVIE in the world!!! I love that it is the complete, unabridged version of Shakespeare's HAMLET; starring and directed by the expert Shakespearean actor himself, Kenneth Branagh! This is a dream come true to find this movie as I have looked all over for it. This is 4 hours of edge of your seat, no blinking, hush everyone, fast paced and intense dialogue. I love it!