content: This work is a strange hybrid between a filmed theatrical performance and a full-fledged movie production. Many scenes are just static and stage-like. Others, the battle for instance, are shot outdoors with horses, mud and an obvious desire for realism. This is awkward as the play's prologue calls for the spectator's imagination and points out specifically that open fields cannot be reproduced as such in a play.Worse, both Branagh and Thompson clearly look much too old for their roles. Despite their talent, they are consequently both unconvincing. In particular, Thompson's French is excellent but there is no way that she can pass for a native speaker as her part calls for.Not devoid of interest, this DVD is recommended only to those curious of yet another interpretation of this Shakespearean play.