A Midwinter's Tale
| In the Bleak Midwinter | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Kenneth Branagh |
| Produced by | David Barron |
| Written by | Kenneth Branagh |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jimmy Yuill |
| Cinematography | Roger Lanser |
| Edited by | Neil Farrell |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
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Release date
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10 September 1995 |
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Running time
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99 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $469,571 |
In the Bleak Midwinter (also known as A Midwinter's Tale) is a 1995 British romantic comedy written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. Many of the roles in the film were written for specific actors. This was the first film directed by Branagh in which he did not appear.
The film begins with a monologue by out-of-work actor Joe Harper (Michael Maloney) about his slow decline into depression. In an attempt to beat his depression, Joe volunteers to help try to save his sister's local church from land developers for the community by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet, somewhat against the advice of his agent Margaretta. As the cast he assembles are still available even at Christmas and are prepared to do it on a 'profit sharing' basis (that is, they may not get paid anything), he cannot expect – and does not get – the cream of the cream. But although they all bring their own problems and foibles along, something bigger starts to emerge in the perhaps aptly named village of Hope. This film encapsulates the hilarious and heartbreaking struggle of actor versus situation versus life, and often versus each other. It was shot in black and white for artistic effect.
The story is set in Hope, Derbyshire, England. It's Christmastime, and 'tis the season to put on Shakespeare's most cheery seasonal play: Hamlet. Joe Harper takes the project on as a Final Stand of sorts under the encouragement of his catty agent, advertising in the local newspaper for actors at a low price. From the rabble of actors both strange and untalented, he chooses the following:
Hamlet: Joe Harper himself.
Ophelia: Nina Raymond, a shortsighted well-meaning space cadet who has been using low-calorie mayonnaise for lotion because she can't make out the label.
King Claudius: Henry Wakefield, a long-suffering and cynical old Englishman with a sharp tongue and a list of prejudices five miles (8 km) long, forced to room with Queen Gertrude's player.
Queen Gertrude: Terry DuBois, a flamboyantly gay theatrical actor with an estranged son and a preoccupation for costume.
Laertes, Fortinbras, and various roles: Tom Newman, a vain, self-righteous method actor who foists his values on everyone else and attempts to distinguish his many characters with a variety of outrageous accents.
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