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

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

• Henry V
• As You Like It
• Hamlet
• Twelfth Night
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Macbeth / McKellen, Dench (Thames Shakespeare Collection)
• Othello
• Richard III
• William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
• Hamlet

Branagh makes Hamlet enjoyable for the Shakespeare buff or the reluctant viewer. Highly, highly recommended. Amazing version. Easy to follow, incredibly visual, epic performances from an all star cast.

It is grand in the finest sense. We need him to give us more of the Bard. Every performance is wonderful, including that of Charlton Heston, and the sensitivity with which the play is interpreted is breathtaking. This is one of those feasts for the eyes and ears like Amadeus or Immortal Beloved. I dream of what Branagh will do next.

There is much else that could be said about this film.

I know of no Shakespeare film that equals this film.

It will be enjoyed and treasured as long as film is enjoyed and treasured.

Branagh is a genius and once again here he delivers Shakespeare's glorious lines in a way that makes them clear, and brings them to life with incalculable power.

Or the Red Shoes.

I think seeing this breathtaking and magnificent film will greatly help high school students and college students who are approaching the play for the first time.

This is one of the greatest productions of Shakespeare I've ever seen, and I heartily recommend it to any student of Hamlet.

The spectacle alone is worth seeing.

In my opinion, if Branagh would sacrifice his ego and stay behind the camera and do what he does well (directing), all of his films would be not just good, but brilliant. The costumes, the sets, esp. While I don't fault Kate Winslet one bit, her Ophelia is especially weak and can be very trying on one's nerves, but I blame this more on the director's choice than I do the actress. Kate is amazingly talented and can definitely make even weakly-written roles come off as strong. Hopefully he will figure this out soon. On stage, his moody, sulking, emo and whiny Hamlet would work because stage acting requires a larger-than life performance because as an actor, you have to perform to the back balcony, but on film that sort of acting doesn't work - the two mediums are too vastly different. Besides Kenneth, the rest of the cast is excellent, especially Julie Christie as a touchingly poignant Gertrude, Derek Jacobi's deliciously vile Claudius (my favorite screen portrayal of the character), Richard Briers manages to make Polonius both a secondary villain and comic relief in the way that only an excellent actor can, and Billy Crystal's cameo as the gravedigger is wonderfully funny.

Whatever the case, his performance as Hamlet is what soured this wonderful film for me. For an actor who is so technically trained, you think Branagh would know this, but, he either doesn't or his ego is so big he does whatever he pleases. the interiors of Elsinore, are vivid and pulsing with life.

Well, you would be wrong: Franco Zefferelli's HAMLET starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close is my favorite, not Branagh's, and I'll tell you why: Branagh may be an immensely talented director with ground-breaking visions for Shakespeare's work, but he is an over-the-top and dreadfully melodramatic actor whose performances on screen are absolutely terrible. Helena Bonham Carter's Ophelia is decidedly better, making her Ophelia strong, even rebellious in her maddness. Anyway, the look of the film, in the grand tradition of Branagh movies, is stunning.

So, logically, as a Shakespeare buff and an English major, you would expect Branagh's HAMLET to be my favorite cinematic version of the tale. I am a huge Shakespeare fan, and HAMLET is my favorite of the Bard's work. I just wish Branagh would have let her do so here.

Very well done. Hamlet is very true to the Shakespearean play. There are only a few rearragements of the placement of the words.

not as good as olivier but interesting because the complete text is used,a little too much sawing the air and loud talk.w/u/