Discovering Hamlet [VHS]
by Mark Olshaker

Our Price: $79.83
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $14.57 (click here)
Category: VHS Video
See more movie releases

Product details

VHS Movie Reviews of Discovering Hamlet [VHS]

Movie Review: Good Depiction of What It Takes
Summary: 4 Stars

Movie Review: PEAKING BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Summary: 4 Stars

Following Jacobi as he shapes actor's performances and staging for the play, this video is privy to insight from technical staff as well. Narrated by Patrick Stewart and featuring actors who graced stage and films familiar to audiences, the construction of Shakespeare's tragedy is worthy of several viewings. While Jacobi differs from the more traditional interpretation of Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy as a speech between Hamlet and Ophelia, the complex staging is Jacobi's own and unfortunately not alotted more time. Although brief in length, the production is filmed from first rehersal to opening night jitters. A new documentry could be titled "Critiquing Branagh" whose performances are faulted today, but in this setting, the actor is still fresh and vunerable to his director's insights to the lead actor's faults.

An excellent opportunity for students of film and performance studies to see process, it is worth purchase if only to have a record of one of Branagh's early stage performances before he became a film star. It would be interesting to haveJacobi's production restaged based on this film for another perspective on the never dull Shakespearean masterpiece of The Tragedy of Hamlet.

Movie Review: Well done and informative
Summary: 5 Stars

Summary of Discovering Hamlet [VHS]

PBS Video

• Genres > Television
• Television - PBS - General