Discovering Hamlet
The combined talents of British theater powerhouses Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh give Discovering Hamlet plenty of star wattage. This DVD is partly a documentary of Jacobi's production of Shakespeare's classic tragedy Hamlet, starring Branagh, partly an examination of the play itself (perhaps the most famous and, some argue, greatest play in the English language), and partly a conversation about how theater comes to be--the choices an actor and director make to illuminate the inner life of a play. The intention is to avoid literary analysis, instead grappling with Hamlet as the production struggles to find its feet on the stage. Unfortunately, Branagh's Hamlet isn't all that good--he himself later called his performance "high on energy but low on subtlety"--and Jacobi, while a great actor, isn't the most articulate director (he comments, in an interview on the DVD, that he hasn't directed since). It's to the documentary's credit that it includes interviews with many other members of the cast, creating a multifaceted perspective on rehearsal. The DVD includes an entire second disc of interviews and rehearsal footage, including the full engaging interview with Sophie Thompson, who played Ophelia, and even footage from the cast party, where everyone gets drunk and sloppy. All in all, an intriguing glimpse into British theater life. --Bret Fetzer Brand: RLJ Entertainment. Binding DVD. Publisher(s): Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Format: NTSC.
| Manufacturer: | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |
| Part Number: | unknown |
| Lowest Price (CAD): | $30.04 |
Product Features |
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| Starring : | Kenneth Branagh |
