Hamlet (1996)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Kenneth Branagh (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.

Plot Keywords:

Denmark | Madness | Funeral | Murder | Prince

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Riz Abbasi	...	Attendant to Claudius
Richard Attenborough	...	English Ambassador
David Blair	...	Attendant to Claudius
Brian Blessed	...	Ghost of Hamlet's Father
Kenneth Branagh	...	Hamlet
Richard Briers	...	Polonius
Michael Bryant	...	Priest
Peter Bygott	...	Attendant to Claudius
Julie Christie	...	Gertrude
Billy Crystal	...	First Gravedigger
Charles Daish	...	Stage Manager
Judi Dench	...	Hecuba
Gérard Depardieu	...	Reynaldo
Reece Dinsdale	...	Guildenstern
Ken Dodd	...	Yorick

Also Known As:

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violent images and sexuality.

Runtime:

242 min | 150 min (cut version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby Digital (35 mm prints) | SDDS (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:12 | Australia:PG | Netherlands:6 | Netherlands:AL (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12/9 | Germany:12 (bw) | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

The title of Hamlet's play-within-a-play is "The Murder of Gonzago", which may or may not have been extrapolated from an Italian prose work. However, when asked its title by Claudius, Hamlet responds by bestowing on it a new moniker, which reflects its purpose (to "catch the conscience of the King") - he calls it "The Mousetrap".

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the very long shot along the length of the throne room, the cameras are visible in the mirrors.

Quotes:

Gertrude: One woe doth tread upon another's heels so fast they follow.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Free Enterprise (1998)

Soundtrack:

In Pace

A great adaption to a great show!

I admit I've only seen about three of Shakespeare's plays (Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, & of course Hamlet) one I liked, the other I found so-so (Macbeth), and Hamlet I just found a masterpiece. I'm pleased to tell you that this adaptation is every bit as good as the intense and dramatic play. The acting is extremely strong (With a cast that features Kenneth Branagh, Robin Williams, and Billy Crystal how can you lose?) and the change in time period (Looks like somewhere between the 17 and 1800's) plays off beautifully as the characters move about and say their infamous lines straight from the script itself that any fan of the Shakespearean play will get chills from. If you're into this popular drama I highly urge you to watch this powerful 1996 adaptation from Shakespearean admirer Kenneth Branagh.