Hamlet (1996) is an American film adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh (as Hamlet). Other actors of note include: Kate Winslet, Robin Williams, Gérard Depardieu, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal, Charlton Heston, and Judi Dench among others.
Cast[]
- Kenneth Branagh -as- Prince Hamlet
- Derek Jacobi -as- King Claudius
- Julie Christie -as- Gertrude
- Richard Briers -as- Polonius
- Kate Winslet -as- Ophelia
- Nicholas Farrell -as- Horatio
- Michael Maloney -as- Laertes
- Rufus Sewell -as- Fortinbras
- Robin Williams -as- Osric
- Gérard Depardieu -as- Reynaldo
- Timothy Spall -as- Rosencrantz
- Reece Dinsdale -as- Guildenstern
- Jack Lemmon -as- Marcellus
- Ian McElhinney -a- Barnardo
- Ray Fearon -as- Francisco
- Brian Blessed -as- the Ghost of Hamlet's Father
- Billy Crystal -as- the First Gravedigger
- Simon Russell Beale -as- the Second Gravedigger
- Don Warrington -as- Voltimand
- Ravil Isyanov -as- Cornelius
- Charlton Heston -as- the Player King
- Rosemary Harris -as the Player Queen
- Richard Attenborough -as- the English Ambassador
- John Gielgud -as- Priam
- Judi Dench -as- Hecuba
- John Mills -as- Old King Norway
- Ken Dodd -as- Yorick
Crew[]
- Director: Kenneth Branagh
- Producer: David Barron
- Writers: William Shakespeare (play); Kenneth Branagh (screenplay)
- Music: Patrick Doyle
- Cinematography: Alex Thomson
- Editing: Neil Farrell
Trivia[]
- The film is notable as the first unabridged theatrical film version of the play, running just over four hours.
- The longest screen version of the play prior to the 1996 film was the 1980 BBC made-for-television version starring Derek Jacobi, which runs three-and-a-half hours.
- The play's setting is updated to the 19th century though retains Elizabethan English.
- Blenheim Palace is the setting used for the exterior grounds of Elsinore Castle and interiors were all photographed at Shepperton Studios, blended with the footage shot at Blenheim.
- Hamlet was the last major dramatic motion picture to be filmed entirely on 70 mm film until 2012, with the release of Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master.
- Hamlet was not a box office success, grossing just under $5 million on a budget of $18 million.
Trailer[]
Hamlet (1996) Trailer-1