Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

Young lovers Hero and Claudio, soon to wed, conspire to get verbal sparring partners and confirmed singles Benedick and Beatrice to wed as well.

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play), Kenneth Branagh (screenplay)

Stars:

Kate Beckinsale, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Briers	...	Leonato
Kate Beckinsale	...	Hero
Imelda Staunton	...	Margaret
Jimmy Yuill	...	Friar Francis
Brian Blessed	...	Antonio
Andy Hockley	...	George Seacole
Chris Barnes	...	Francis Seacole
Conrad Nelson	...	Hugh Oatcake
Phyllida Law	...	Ursula
Emma Thompson	...	Beatrice
Alex Lowe	...	Messenger
Denzel Washington	...	Don Pedro
Keanu Reeves	...	Don John
Richard Clifford	...	Conrade
Gerard Horan	...	Borachio

Storyline

Young lovers Hero and Claudio are to be married in one week. To pass the time, they conspire with Don Pedro to set a "lover's trap" for Benedick, an arrogant confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice, his favorite sparring partner. Meanwhile, the evil Don Jon conspires to break up the wedding by accusing Hero of infidelity. In the end, though, it all turns out to be "much ado about nothing."

---

Plot Keywords:

bachelor | wedding | supper | courtship | nobility | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for momentary sensuality

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 May 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mucho ruido y pocas nueces

Filming Locations:

Villa Vignamaggio, Greve in Chianti, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

£4,139,294 (UK) (15 October 1993)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse Theatrical Films, Renaissance Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Three "Harry Potter" professors have roles in this movie. Kenneth Branagh was Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Emma Thompson was Sybil Trelawney in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Imelda Staunton was Dolores Umbridge, also in 'Phoenix'.

---

Goofs

During the opening when the women are undressing and preparing for the arrival of the prince, a few bare bottoms are showing. All have bikini lines.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Beatrice: Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more. Men were deceivers ever. One foot in sea and one on shore, to one thing constant never. Then sigh not so but let them go and be you blithe and bonny, converting all your sounds of woe into hey nonny nonny.

---

Connections

Referenced in Filmography: Keanu Reeves (2005)

---

Soundtracks

"Strike Up Pipers"
(uncredited)
Written by William Shakespeare
Performed by Patrick Doyle

User Reviews

Truly Wonderful! A great movie!

Brilliant! Kenneth Branagh's version of the timeless William Shakespeare classic is a great rendition of the film, making it accessible to everyone, even those who do not like Shakespeare.

Let me first say that I am a great fan of Shakespeare's works. In college I was an English literature major, with a minor in theater, and so Shakespeare is found in both. Theater people state that Shakespeare was never literature at all, which in the purpose of the plays is true, however because of the prose that he wrote in is a poetic form, he is literature as well. Whatever you do, never get in between two people arguing this point, your head might blow up!

Reading the comments on this page, the basic attack on this movie is that Branagh cuts lines and shaved parts. Yes, of course he did. Nothing is sacred, not even the works of Shakespeare, people. I myself was in a Shakespeare play, and over half the script was cut from it. With a Shakespeare play, the question is what to cut. If this play had been presented in it's entirety, it would have been close to five hours long. And today's movie audience just does not have that kind of patience. "Titanic" was stretching it a little, in terms of time. Shakespeare's original audience would have had no problem, because they made a day of it.

So when Branagh did this play, he had to shave off a great deal of the script, and he had to decide what to focus on. He had to focus on the main characters, being Beatrice and Benedict and their romance, and of course the drama concerning Hero and Claudio, but also keep other characters incorporated as well. For those attacking the "whittling down" of the script, why didn't anyone bring up the point that Benedict is supposed to have shaved his beard while in attempt to woo Beatrice. Why? Because it really isn't a major plot point that is needed at all. So Branagh made great choices in his direction of the film, and in the end he made sure that everything tied together logically, and that there were no loose ends.

The performances by the actors were great as well. There was nothing wrong with casting Denzel Washington as the prince, though people seem to have a beef with it. He pulled it off very well. And Keanu Reeves did a great job as well. It was a treat to see him as a villain. I happen to be a fan of Reeves, and I do see him as great casting, though why people also have a problem with him I'll never know. Branagh was going for acting ability, not just names. Reeves has the goods, and he can speak Shakespeare very well, it's his character that's supposed to be moody. And Keaton was a wonderful choice for the Constable, making me laugh whenever he was on the screen. And the other actors all did very well in their roles.

If you're a lover of Shakespeare or not, this film is a great treat, and it appeals to all audiences who love the classic masterpiece.