HAMLET

Columbia Pictures & Castle Rock Entertainment

Release Date: December 25, 1996 (L.A., N.Y., Toronto)
Release Date: January 24, 1997 (Nationwide)

MPAA rating: 'PG-13' for some violent images and sexuality
Running time: 3 hours & 58 minutes

Photographed and presented in 70mm Format

Murder and violence, revenge and intrigue, sex and desire, paranoia and madness - the heady brew of passion and emotion that makes up Shakespeare's tragedy HAMLET has intoxicated audiences of all the ages. The story of the Prince of Denmark, who seeks revenge for his father's murder at the hands of his perfidious uncle, delves into fundamental issues about humanity and the nature of being. What, it asks, does it take to be a human being?

These were the elements that have intrigued and obsessed Kenneth Branagh ever since he first saw the play at age fifteen. The actor, producer, writer and director has yearned to film HAMLET for seven years, ever since he made "Henry V," his first filmed version of a Shakespeare classic.

"I was completely struck by the power of the play," recalls Branagh. "It even seemed to affect me physically, I had the shakes. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was astonished by what a terrific thriller it was. It had everything - murder, violence, intrigue, passion, a ghost - and I experienced a part of what made HAMLET so profoundly exciting and powerful. It was utterly compelling. "

For his cast, Branagh assembled a rich mixture of talent. Thanks to his international reputation as an actor and a premier director of Shakespeare on film, he was able to hand pick a team of stars from both sides of the Atlantic. It is a cast that combines the great Shakespearean actors of the stage - Derek Jacobi, Richard Briers, Michael Maloney, John Gielgud, Judi Dench, Rosemary Harris, Charlton Heston - with those who have never performed the Bard, such as Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Jack Lemmon and Robin Williams.

"The big names in the cast did not take their roles for the money," insists producer David Barron. "We did not have a big enough budget to pay Hollywood-style fees but the cast were all very keen to be in what they perhaps perceived as the definitive screen HAMLET. Ken was very astute in his choices. He went for the actors he thought would be right for the roles and who would do the film justice. For instance Jack Lemmon is very moving as Marcellus, Charlton Heston has great majesty as the Player King and Billy Crystal is very funny as the Gravedigger without tipping over into farce "

The film boasts some of the best of British behind-the-scenes talent, including Academy nominated director of photography Alex Thomson, production designer Tim Harvey, costume designer Alexandra Byrne, editor Neil Farrell and Academy-nominated composer Patrick Doyle.

Filmed on epic wide-screen 70mm - HAMLET is the first British film in more than twenty five years to use this spectacular format.

The Main Cast (in alphabetical order)

English Ambassador...................... RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH
the Ghost............................... BRIAN BLESSED
Hamlet.................................. KENNETH BRANAGH
Polonius................................ RICHARD BRIERS
Gertrude................................ JULIE CHRISTIE
First Gravedigger....................... BILLY CRYSTAL
Hecuba.................................. JUDI DENCH
Polonius................................ GERARD DEPARDIEU
Guildenstern............................ REECE DINSDALE
Horatio................................. NICHOLAS FARRELL
Priam................................... JOHN GIELGUD
Player Queen............................ ROSEMARY HARRIS
Player King............................. CHARLTON HESTON
Claudius................................ DEREK JACOBI
Marcellus............................... JACK LEMMON
Laertes................................. MICHAEL MALONEY
Old Norway.............................. JOHN MILLS
Fortinbras.............................. RUFUS SEWELL
Rosencrantz............................. TIMOTHY SPALL
Osric................................... ROBIN WILLIAMS
Ophelia................................. KATE WINSLET

Directed by............................. KENNETH BRANAGH

Movie Stills

(104k & 33k) Kenneth Branagh stars in and directs an all-star international cast in his adaptation of Shakespeare's classic HAMLET


(52k) Julie Christie stars as Gertrude


(55k) Derek Jacobi stars as Claudius


(43k) Kate Winslet stars as Ophelia


(56k) Claudius (Derek Jacobi, left) and Gertrude (Julie Christie, right) are wed as Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh, center) looks on


(62k) Kenneth Branagh (left) stars as Hamlet and Richard Briers (right) stars as Polonius


(101k) Kenneth Branagh (left) stars as Hamlet and Kate Winslet (right) stars as Ophelia


(58k) Kenneth Branagh (left) stars as Hamlet and Julie Christie (right) stars as Gertrude


(97k) Charlton Heston as the Player King


(58k) Jack Lemmon as Marcellus


(57k) Billy Crystal as the First Gravedigger


(61k) Gerard Depardieu as Reynaldo


(49k) Kenneth Branagh (left) stars as Hamlet and Nicholas Farrell (right) as Horatio


(75k) Laertes (Michael Maloney, left) and Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh, right) square off in a duel


(74k) Kenneth Branagh (left) stars as Hamlet and Michael Maloney (right) as Laertes


(57k) Billy Crystal (left) and Kenneth Branagh (right) on the set of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," directed by Branagh, from Castle Rock Entertainment.

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