---
product_id: 4203992
title: "Hamlet: (1996) Special Edition (Dbl DVD)"
price: "€ 32.88"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/4203992-hamlet-1996-special-edition-dbl-dvd
store_origin: PT
region: Portugal
---

# Hamlet: (1996) Special Edition (Dbl DVD)

**Price:** € 32.88
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- **What is this?** Hamlet: (1996) Special Edition (Dbl DVD)
- **How much does it cost?** € 32.88 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
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## Description

Product Description Kenneth Branagh leads an all-star cast in this full-length production of William Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, the story of Danish prince Hamlet. Hamlet (Branagh--Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Rabbit-Proof Fence) returns home to learn that his father, the King, has recently died and his mother, Gertrude (Academy Award winner Julie Christie--Dr. Zhivago, Finding Neverland), has already married his uncle, Claudius (Derek Jacobi--Gosford Park, "Breaking the Code"). Suffering from shock and grief, the young prince is visited by the ghost of his father (Brian Blessed--Macbeth, Henry V), who claims that he was murdered by Claudius and who demands vengeance. Now, Hamlet must decide whether this tale told by an apparition is true--and whether he should exact the vengeance his father demands . desertcart.com It's the greatest work of literature, but nobody had ever filmed Hamlet uncut--until Kenneth Branagh went about the task for his lavish 1996 production. The result is a sumptuous, star-studded version that scores a palpable hit on its avowed goal: to make the text as clear and urgent as possible. Branagh himself plays the melancholy son of the Danish court, caught in a famous muddle about whether to seek revenge against his royal father's presumed slayer the man who now sits on the throne and shares the bed of Hamlet's mother. (Or, as the song "That's Entertainment" summarizes the plot: "A ghost and a prince meet / And everyone winds up mincemeat.") As a director, Branagh (who shot the movie in 70 mm.) uses the vast, cold interiors of a vaguely 19th-century manor to gorgeous effect; the story might scurry down this hallway, into that back chamber, or sprawl out into the enormous main room. With its endless collection of mirrors, the place is as big and empty as Citizen Kane's Xanadu. 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

Review: This is a "must watch" Hamlet. - 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.
Review: Not For The Shakespeare Novice - 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

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | B00005JLCI |
| Actors  | Billy Crystal, Gérard Depardieu, Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, Kenneth Branagh |
| Aspect Ratio  | 2.20:1 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #5,596 in Movies & TV ( See Top 100 in Movies & TV ) #723 in Drama DVDs |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (3,344) |
| Director  | Kenneth Branagh |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer  | No |
| Item model number  | 1981198229 |
| Language  | English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Unqualified |
| MPAA rating  | PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) |
| Media Format  | AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen |
| Number of discs  | 2 |
| Product Dimensions  | 7.75 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 4 ounces |
| Release date  | August 14, 2007 |
| Run time  | 4 hours and 2 minutes |
| Studio  | Warner Home Video |
| Subtitles:  | English, French, Spanish |

## Product Details

- **Genre:** Drama
- **Initial release date:** 2007-08-14
- **Language:** English

## Images

![Hamlet: (1996) Special Edition (Dbl DVD) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Vs8g+fW-L.jpg)
![Hamlet: (1996) Special Edition (Dbl DVD) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91FmGqCwAZL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a "must watch" Hamlet.
*by B***D on July 5, 2013*

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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Not For The Shakespeare Novice
*by R***E on July 1, 2011*

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

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Hamlet!
*by J***O on February 6, 2026*

Best version of Hamlet I have ever seen.

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*Product available on Desertcart Portugal*
*Store origin: PT*
*Last updated: 2026-03-13*