A good actor with a fine command of verse speaking, Kenneth Branagh boldly brings Shakespeare's tragedy to the screen in its entirety, making for vastly long movie, which is tough going for home viewing. But all his hard work, enthusiasm and intelligence pay off, in an impressive, eye-catching, occasionally thrilling production. Branagh's about the only man who could have done this as both actor and director in the Nineties and he grabs his chance with flair and a strong sense of both drama and cinema. The casting of star names in even the smallest roles works extremely well, with Julie Christie's Gertrude, Derek Jacobi's Claudius, Kate Winslet's Ophelia and Richard Briers's Polonius major successes. As actor-manager, Branagh riskily pits himself up against Laurence Olivier again, as he did with Henry V, and, though he comes in second, it's another close thing. At 242 minutes, this is the longest running major Hollywood production.

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