Branagh has always been one of the most interesting actor/writer/directors, if not always the best, since he made his big splash with 'Henry V.' One quibble I had with him was what I saw as a tendency to ham it up at times. But everything Branagh tries to do seems to work. Since so much of 'Hamlet' is based on interior monologue and there are relatively few duels, battles, etc., this can be a daunting task. The direction accomplishes the heavy task of making this a movie rather than a deluxe version of a play. Branagh's casting once again is inspired and the acting is likewise. The production design and cinematography and both outstanding, which helps immensely when you're watching a four-hour movie. The setting is a generic 19th century European one and this does more than work well, it keeps a modern or ancient look from possibly distracting from the work itself. In return he asks viewers to put in a little work themselves, a fair enough proposition and one that's a bargain. The film received four Oscar nominations for the 69th Academy Awards for Best Art Direction ( Tim Harvey), Best Costume Design ( Alexandra Byrne), Best Original Score ( Patrick Doyle), and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Kenneth Branagh).What an ambitious project Kenneth Branagh undertook here and how well it was realized! This is the first filmed version of 'Hamlet' to use the full text of Shakespeare's play, but Branagh didn't do it just because "it was there." His intention, I believe, was to make the play accessible and understandable to the general viewer without dumbing it down, so to speak. However, it was not a box office success, mostly due to its limited release, grossing just under $5 million on a budget of $18 million. Hamlet has been regarded as one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations ever made. Hamlet was also the last major dramatic motion picture to be filmed entirely on 70 mm film until 2011, with the release of the documentary Samsara. Blenheim Palace is the setting used for the exterior grounds of Elsinore Castle and interiors were all photographed at Shepperton Studios. The setting is updated to the 19th century, but its Elizabethan English text remains the same. The film is the first unabridged theatrical film version of Hamlet, running just over four hours.
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