DVD Review: Hamlet

Hamlet has the kind of power, energy and excitement that movies can truly exploit.” – Actor/Director Kenneth Branagh

That statement nails it.

Most of you probably saw Hamlet when it was originally released in 1996, but the film is finding its way back to shelves – this time on Blu-ray DVD with a beautiful 36 page book including cast bios, trivia and film facts.

Hamlet has everything there to entice you. Murder, sex, ghosts, revenge… It’s an epic film that Branagh manages to pull off with a sort of magic to it. And the fact that it includes the full-text from Shakespeare’s masterpiece is something that high school students everywhere can rejoice in. Who needs cliff-notes when you can watch a visually stunning and accurate piece of cinema complete with a Hollywood dream cast including Kate Winslet, Robin Williams, Jack Lemmon, Charlton Heston, Gerard Depardieu, Billy Crystal, and more? Not that we’re encouraging you skip the read.. just think of this as a helpful study aid if you need it.

After having read Hamlet in high school, and watching this film again for the re-release, I have to say that 8 years out of high school, I enjoy it more. Without the stress of having to take an exam on the material, I think I was finally able to enjoy the story and this film for what it really is – a masterpiece.

Official Description: 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 and gold-filled interiors. The energy is electrifying, due to a luminous cast. The excitement of the Bard’s words and an adventurous filmmaking style lift the story from its often shadowy ambiance to fully-lit pageantry and rage.

Available now on Blu-ray DVD!

Grade: A
Official Site URL: www.warnerbros.com
Review By: Emma Loggins

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