Synopsis: Hamlet has the kind of power, energy and excitement that movies can truly exploit, actor/director Kenneth Branagh says. In this first full-text film of William Shakespeare's play, shot on 65mm film and exhibited in Panavision Super 70, power surges through every scene. The timeless tale of murder, corruption and revenge is reset in a lavish 19th-century world, using sprawling Blenheim Palace as Elsinore and staging mich of the action in mirrored, gold-filled interiors. A landmark cast (Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Charlton Heston and more), the excitement of the Bard's words and an energetic filmmaking style lift the story from its often shadowy ambience to fully-lit pageantry and rage.

Review: Hamlet is a classic work by William Shakespeare.  It has been interpreted many times, cincluding a tragic version with Mel Gibson (ewww), but never so well on film as by Kenneth Branagh in this version with Kate Winslet, Robin Williams and more.

What sets this version of Hamlet apart is the high-quality actors chosen and the filmmaking techniques that draw us into this world and really make it real.  We forget that we're watching a Shakespearean play and we feel the drama and the impact of everything happening.

Hamlet looks amazing in high-definition.  It only adds to the majesty and finesse in which Branagh handles this classic tale.  The blu-ray set also comes with a commemorative book about the filming. This is a must-own!

Interest Range: Shakespeare, Hamlet, Drama