The Criterion Collection

Olivier’s Shakespeare

Henry V - The Criterion Collection 1999 DVD ( USA) Hamlet - The Criterion Collection 2000 DVD ( USA) Richard III - The Criterion Collection 2004 DVD ( USA) Olivier’s Shakespeare - The Criterion Collection 2006 DVD ( USA) Henry V - ITV Studios 2009 Blu-ray ( United Kingdom) Hamlet - ITV Studios 2009 Blu-ray ( United Kingdom) Richard III - The Criterion Collection 2013 DVD ( USA) Richard III - The Criterion Collection 2013 Blu-ray ( USA)
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  • Release Date: Tuesday, 01 August 2006
  • Country of Release: USA
  • MSRP: $0.00
Buy Physical Copy At: Amazon.com Amazon.ca
Henry V | Hamlet | Richard III
Licensor Information
Rank Organization, Carlton, Janus Films
Directed by: Laurence Olivier
Dubbed the greatest actor of the twentieth century, Sir Laurence Olivier, the classically trained and majestically handsome English theater veteran and one-time co-director of London’s Old Vic, first transplanted his passion for Shakespeare to the big screen in the 1940s, and in so doing, allowed Elizabethan verse to break free of its stage-bound origins. Olivier directed only five films in his sixty-year career, yet his three Shakespeare adaptations, presented here together on DVD for the first time, are still widely considered the definitive film adaptations: his thrilling directorial debut, Henry V, stunned 1944 audiences with its vivid Technicolor and full-throttle battle scenes; Hamlet, which won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Actor, in 1948, brought to stunning life literature’s greatest protagonist; and his legendary Richard III, thought by many to feature Olivier’s most magnetic performance. Faithful to the playwright’s words yet open to the visual potentials of the cinema, these works transcend both screen and stage with timeless passion. Criterion is proud to present this unprecedented filmmaking legacy.
  • Year: 1944 | 1948 | 1955
  • Time: 137 | 153 | 158 min.

Details by Film

Release Information:

Technical Specifications

Format:
DVD
Discs:
DVD-9 (3 Discs)
DVD-5 (1 Disc)
Total: 4 Discs
Regions:
6/5/4/3/2/1 (DVD)
1/6/5/4/3/2 (DVD)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33:1
1.66:1
Audio Options:
English Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Resolution:
480p/29.97
Subtitles:
English

Supplements

Types of Supplements Included:
  • Audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder
  • Insert featuring an essay by Terrence Rafferty
  • Audio commentary by playwright and stage director Russell Lees and John Wilders, former governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Interview with actor Laurence Olivier from a 1966 episode of the BBC series Great Acting, hosted by theater critic Kenneth Tynan
  • "Shakespeare's Royalty": a chornology of England's rulers
  • Gallery of behind-the-scenes and production stills and posters, accompanied by excerpts from Olivier’s autobiography, On Acting
  • Stills galleries: the "Book of Hours" and production photos
  • Twelve-minute television trailer featuring footage of Olivier, producer Alexander Korda, and other cast and crew
  • Insert featuring an essay by Bruce Eder
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Insert featuring an essay by Bruce Eder

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Henry V
7.0000/10
Hamlet
7.3846/10
Richard III
7.8750/10
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Release Notes on Restoration

Henry V
Henry V is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This new digital transfer was created from a 35mm internegative, made from the YCM separation protection masters in England. The sound was created from a new 35mm magnetic audio track, mastered from the 35mm optical track negative.
Hamlet
Hamlet is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This digital transfer was created from a 35mm duplicate negative. The sound was mastered from a 35mm optical soundtrack print.
Richard III
Since the original theatrical release of Laurence Olivier’s Richard III in April 1955, durations of the film have been published ranging anywhere from 155 minutes to l61 minutes. In the 1970s, the film reemerged but lacked nearly twenty minutes of the original adaptation. Unfortunately, the most complete version available on home video, Criterion’s 154-minute laserdisc reconstruction, was still missing a number of shots and segments of scenes when compared to the official "release script" filed by London Films In 1956. For this special edition DVD, the digital restoration is drawn from multiple film elements, and while some scenes show noticeable variation in image quality, this version of Richard III finally matches the official release script page for page.

Originally shot in VistaVision, the film is presented here in the European theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. 0n standard 4:3 televisions, the image will appear letterboxed. i0n standard and widescreen televisions, black bars may also be visible on the left and right to maintain the proper screen format. This new 24p high-definition digital transfer was made on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm color reversal intermediate. Missing scenes were inserted from newly rediscovered 35mm prints transferred on a Cintel C-Reality equipped with Oliver electronic wet-gate processing for dirt and scratch removal. The entire feature was restored using the i MTI Digital Restoration System, to remove thousands of Instances of dirt, debris, and scratches. The sound was mastered at 24-bit from several 35mm optical soundtrack prints. The Dolby Digital 1.O signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.