There are a number of differences among the texts, and each one contains some lines that are not in the others. The best standard version is probably the Arden Shakespeare edition (, Amazon UK.) There are three main texts of Hamlet, the First Quarto of 1603, the Second Quarto of 1604, and the First Folio of 1623. (There is a book version of the Hamlet Screenplay –, Amazon UK – though this has no notes on the text. Branagh based this film on a conflated version of the Hamlet text. There is an intermission (at around 2:38), so if you can’t plan to see the entire film in one sitting, you can split it at that point. At just under four hours, this is a long film. So, with big names and a big set, does this Hamlet work? First, you need to settle down for the long haul. The cast also includes such well-known actors as Robin Williams, Gérard Depardieu, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal, Rufus Sewell, Charlton Heston, Richard Attenborough, Judi Dench, John Gielgud and Ken Dodd. In addition to Derek Jacobi as Claudius (Jacobi notably played Hamlet in the BBC’s television version of the play, filmed in 1980), this film features Julie Christie as Gertrude, Kate Winslet as Ophelia, Michael Maloney as Laertes, Richard Briers as Polonius, and Nicholas Farrell as Horatio. Not only is the setting lavish, but the cast is full of recognizable names. With exterior shots of Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock, England, and interiors designed to reflect the English baroque style of that massive country house, Branagh’s Hamlet shows the king and prince of Denmark in an opulent, luxurious setting. Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is not only the longest version (just under four hours, not counting the credits), but also the most sumptuous version of Shakespeare’s great revenge tragedy on film.

Watch hamlet full movie