Kenneth Branagh, 1996, 4 hours
This exuberant and lavish version of the play serves to reinforce one's mental contours and one is left with the feeling of having come closer to it's sprawling expanse. It skips nothing from the complete text and one can recognize its "something for everyone" approach and entertainment qualities. One can imagine the audience of that age held spellbound by the rapid succession of events, the humor, and the understandable tracts of reflection on life. One can imagine the playwright nodding his head in approval at this screen version with its generous and imaginative visual garnishing without touching the text, which may be of value to students of literature.
This exuberant and lavish version of the play serves to reinforce one's mental contours and one is left with the feeling of having come closer to it's sprawling expanse. It skips nothing from the complete text and one can recognize its "something for everyone" approach and entertainment qualities. One can imagine the audience of that age held spellbound by the rapid succession of events, the humor, and the understandable tracts of reflection on life. One can imagine the playwright nodding his head in approval at this screen version with its generous and imaginative visual garnishing without touching the text, which may be of value to students of literature.
2 comments:
I saw that version once during my undergraduate years. It was a terrific experience I wanted to have again.
If Shakespeare had been a film-maker, he would have made it something like this.
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