Branagh’s version of the classic Shakespeare play, the one we all hated reading in high-school, is a masterwork of visual design and performance, a mind-blowing cast of Hollywood luminaries in even the smallest of roles, and is a riveting, nay hypnotic luxury experience unlike any other. There are remarkably few films that can be described as “prestige”, and even fewer than can actually claim it with any legitimacy. Beset by visions of his later father haunting him, Hamlet rejects the advances of the adoring Ophelia (pre- Titanic Kate Winslet) and the advice of his numerous aides, notably Horatio (Nicholas Farrell), whilst Claudius’ belligerent attitude towards Polonius (Richard Briers), father of Ophelia and Laertes (Michael Maloney) sets his monarchy on course for almost certain destruction.
Hamlet (Branagh) is the Prince of Denmark his father, the late King (Brian Blessed) has been murdered via poison, and his mother, Gertrude (Julie Christie) has married the King’s brother, Claudius (Derek Jacobi) far too quickly for Hamlet’s liking, taking the throne. The film was shown in an abridged 2-hour version in some markets, but the full four hour epic is what you really need to see to appreciate the full scope of Branagh’s vision. It’s a breathtaking achievement indeed, not only for the fact that it remains a towering cinematic treat but a great film regardless of its length. It’s a legendary thing: one of the last films shot entirely on 70mm film for almost two decades (until Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master in 2012), a bladder-bursting running time of a tick over four hours, and an all-star transcontinental cast of acting royalty, all led by Branagh himself in the title role, Hamlet was one of the first films I would own as a “special edition” VHS version back in the day, the full unabridged text brought to life in vivid widescreen technicolor. Meanwhile, war is brewing.įew films hold a special place in my heart as Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 masterpiece, Hamlet. Synopsis: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle. Principal Cast : Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Julie Christie, Richard Briers, Kate Winslet, Nicholas Farrell, Michael Maloney, Rufus Sewell, Robin Williams, Gerard Depardieu, Timothy Spall, Reece Dinsdale, Jack Lemmon, Ian McElhinney, Far Fearon, Brian Blessed, Billy Crystal, Simon Russell Beale, Don Warrington, Ravil Isyanov, Charlton Heston, Rosemary Harris, Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud, Judi Dench, John Mills, Ken Dodd.
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