Much Ado about Nothing: The Making of the Movie [Paperback]

Kenneth Branagh (Adapter, Author), William Shakespeare (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 131 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; First Thus edition (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393311112
• ISBN-13: 978-0393311112
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,369,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MUST HAVE for Kenneth Branagh fans!, September 19, 2000

By 

Lisa Gansky (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Much Ado about Nothing: The Making of the Movie (Paperback)

I just can't say enough good things about this book. The pictures are fabulous--I'd pay the price of the book for them alone! And for those curious about stage production and screenplays, this book is a MUST HAVE! Much Ado is definitely my favorite play by Shakespeare. Kenneth Branagh's movie version is the most fun version of Much Ado I've ever seen, and this book captures Branagh's magic. You will not be disappointed!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For the fan of Branagh or the movie, October 3, 2002

By 

Glen Engel Cox (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Much Ado about Nothing: The Making of the Movie (Paperback)

The book to accompany the movie. There's nothing new here, really, although one can take the screenplay and check it against the play to find out the changes that were made to the text.

Branagh says in the foreword that having the American actors was his idea. Perhaps. I had heard a rumor that he had included them for a wider U.S. distribution. In any case, it's worth noting that the Americans, with the possible exception of Denzel Washington, just can't hold a candle to even the meanest bit parts played by the British. I still think Keaton was way too "Beetlejuice" for Dogberry, although the explanation for his interpretation herein gave me new insight into it. If you're a Branagh admirer as I am, you shouldn't pass this book up.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We shall not cease from exploring, June 11, 2006

By 

bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Much Ado about Nothing: The Making of the Movie (Paperback)

We shall not cease from exploring, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. -T.S. Eliot-

We can now have voice over narration with movies that make DVD's well worth buying and we can enjoy the mover more after seeing what the artist or writer or director was trying to accomplish. I my self need someone to tell me when my show is untied.

You may notice a few drawbacks to the DVD extra rout that this book addresses. First even if the media lasted for ever the DVD will become unreadable with newer technology. Unless you have a portable device about the size of a book a DVD can be clumsy to carry around. People that are book oriented can get more pleasure from this medium.

The book its self is conveniently divided into logical sections as:
Introduction
Synopsis
The screenplay
The cast
The film
The shoot

All the movements and dialog are clearly written. There are plenty of color pictures as visual aids. After enjoying the different view both Shakespeare and the movie, this book makes a great conversation item.

Much Ado About Nothing