The best Kenneth Branagh’s documentary movies
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London; in 2015 he succeeded Richard Attenborough as its president. He has been nominated for five Academy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. He has won three BAFTAs and two Emmy Awards. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2012 Birthday Honours and knighted on 9 November 2012. He was made a Freeman of his native city of Belfast in January 2018. In 2020, he was listed at number 20 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.[4]
Branagh has both directed and starred in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays, including Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Othello (1995), Hamlet (1996), Love's Labour's Lost (2000), and As You Like It (2006). He was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Director for Henry V and for Best Adapted Screenplay for Hamlet.
He has also starred in the television series Fortunes of War (1987), Shackleton (2002), and Wallander (2008–2016) and in the films Celebrity (1998), Wild Wild West (1999), The Road to El Dorado (2000), as SS leader Reinhard Heydrich in Conspiracy (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Warm Springs (2005), as Major General Henning von Tresckow in Valkyrie (2008), The Boat That Rocked (2009), and as Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn (2011), Dunkirk (2017), and Tenet (2020). He won an International Emmy Award for Wallander and a Primetime Emmy Award for Conspiracy, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for My Week with Marilyn.
Branagh directed and starred in the romantic thriller Dead Again (1991), the horror film Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), and the action thriller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014). He directed and starred as Hercule Poirot in the mystery drama adaptations of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022). He also directed such films as Swan Song (1992), which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film, The Magic Flute (2006), Sleuth (2007), the Marvel superhero film Thor (2011), and the live-action adaptation of Disney's Cinderella (2015),
He narrated numerous documentary series, including Cold War (1998), Walking with Dinosaurs (1999), The Ballad of Big Al (2001), Walking with Beasts (2001), Walking with Monsters (2005), and World War 1 in Colour (2005).
Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 2: Characters
8/10
Dive deeper into the World of Harry Potter by focusing on the characters in the film and going behind the scenes with filmmakers.
Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe
7.2/10
A look at the story behind Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from all of the Marvel films, the Marvel One-Shots and "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story
7.1/10
At 89 years old, Stan Lee's name appears on more than one BILLION comics in 75 countries in 25 languages. Arguably the most recognized name in comics, Stan Lee has co-created over 500 legendary pop culture characters including Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor and The Hulk. Stan continues to create new material and entertain fans of all ages with fantastic stories and characters in all areas of entertainment. With Great Power: the Stan Lee Story, explores the vivid life and imagination of Stan Lee, from the early days of his Depression-era upbringing through the Marvel Age of Comics and beyond! The film uncovers original transcripts, illustrations, photographs and stories of Lee's fascinating journey from his early years at Timely Comics and World War Two, the comic book industry's censorship battle of the 1950's led by Dr. Fredric Wertham, the dawn of Marvel Comics and the legendary characters Stan co-created, to his current company POW! Entertainment.
Looking for Richard
7.3/10
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope
7/10
A behind-the-scenes look at San Diego Comic-Con, the world's largest comic book convention, and the fans who attend every year.
Lost Lives
7.4/10
This poignant testament to the physical and emotional cost of war, centres on the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Thor: From Asgard to Earth
6.3/10
A strong and fast-paced overview piece that looks at the picture's set design, the inspirations from various versions of the comic, costume construction, and filming locations.
London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder
8.3/10
The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes from more than 200 nations for the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking an historic third time the capital has hosted the world’s biggest and most important sporting event. The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation. It was a Ceremony 'for everyone' and celebrated contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, as well as the creativity and exuberance of British people.
Universal Horror
7.6/10
A documentary about the era of classic monster movies that were made at Universal Studios during the 1930s and 1940s.
Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 8: Growing Up
8.5/10
One from a series of documentaries on the making of the Harry Potter cinematic universe.
Before the Dinosaurs: Walking with Monsters
8.2/10
Many people think of the dinosaurs as the first inhabitants of the earth, but this prequel to the acclaimed "Walking with Dinosaurs" puts viewers in the midst of a host of strange creatures that inhabited the earth millions of years before the dinosaurs ever existed.Starting from the Cambrian Period (530 MYA) and ending at the Early Triassic Period (248 MYA), Walking With Monsters shows the life and death struggles of the fantastic creatures that existed before the dinosaurs.
Looking at the World in a New Way: The Making of Tenet
A look behind the scenes of Christopher Nolan's Tenet.
Discovering Hamlet
7.8/10
IN 1988, rising star Kenneth Branagh tackled the role of Shakespeare’s prince of Denmark for the first time in his professional career under the guidance of celebrated actor Derek Jacobi. Narrated by Patrick Stewart, this hour-long film documents how Kenneth Branagh and Derek Jacobi, two intelligent and passionate men, found new depths in Shakespeare’s classic drama, Hamlet. Filmmakers Mark Olshaker and Larry Klein follow the company through four weeks of rehearsals, from the first read-throughs to opening night.
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
7.2/10
Mary Shelley created a monster in 1818, and writers, actors and filmmakers haven't been able to get enough of it ever since. The history of the creature on and off the screen includes clips from Thomas Edison's 1910 filmization to Kenneth Branagh's 1994 treatment, plus interviews with Robert De Niro, Mel Brooks, Roger Corman and others. Hosted by Roger Moore; narrated by Eli Wallach.
It's a Whole New West: The Making of 'Wild, Wild West'
6.7/10
This is a promotional behind the scenes featurette that originally appeared on HBO. A lot of the usual interviews and behind-the-scenes clips, but enjoyably, there are a few shots that look at how the FX were filmed.
Anne Frank Remembered
8.1/10
Using previously unreleased archival material in addition to contemporary interviews, this academy award-winning documentary tells the story of the Frank family and presents the first fully-rounded portrait of their brash and free-spirited daughter Anne, perhaps the world's most famous victim of the Holocaust. Written by Dawn M. Barclift
James Ellis: An Actor's Life
Documentary tracing the life of James Ellis, one of Northern Ireland’s best loved actors.
IMAX: Galapagos 3D
6.9/10
Retrace the groundbreaking footsteps of Charles Darwin with a young scientist as she explores the biological diversity and unique geologic history of the Galapagos archipelago. Using the magic of IMAX® and IMAX® 3D technology, plunge 3,000 feet into underground lava tubes, soar over the peaks of 5,000 foot volcanoes and encounter an abundance of marine life.
Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic
7.4/10
Documentary about the legendary American film director from his introduction to the film industry in its early years to his death in 1959.
The Tramp and the Dictator
7.8/10
A look at the parallel lives of Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler and how they crossed with the creation of the film “The Great Dictator,” released in 1940.
