37. Branagh and the Bard

Words, words, words. –Hamlet (Act II, Scene II) Some of the most famous words in history are the basis of the films Alex and Jonathan are looking at today as we get into Kenneth Branagh's adaptations of William Shakespeare's Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), and Hamlet (1996). We talk about directing from an acting background, adapting stage material to the big screen, and how Branagh uses cinematic rhetoric to make Shakespeare accessible to modern audiences without updating the text. Skip to: 4:02 - Henry V 28:03 - Much Ado About Nothing 49:42 - Hamlet 1:11:03 - Overall 1:20:24 - Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: The Gold Rush (1925 & 1942) Modern Times (1936) The Great Dictator (1940) For more information, visit the blog: thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/09/19/branagh-and-the-bard