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There may be better Hamlets on film, but there are none bigger, or grander than Kenneth Branagh's magnum opus. This version incorporates big names, from Charleton Heston (as the chief player), to Robin Williams (Osseric, the vain master of ceremonies for the final duel); the movie uses the entire script Shakespeare wrote (that's four and a half hours!). The camera uses big vistas: we see Fortinbras' entire army on the snow-covered plain; the Ghost leads Hamlet to an isolated heath where the sod opens in places to reveal fires of Purgatory to which the Ghost must return; the palace (the Blenheim, whose duke appears in the film as English Ambassador)is spacious for most of the indoor shots, many of which have the camera circle the actors. The shifting perspective, borrowed from Olivier's 1949 film, causes us viewers uncertainty and brings us into Hamlet's unbalanced world. Not everything bigger is better- an example is the closing duel where Hamlet and Laertes remain on the carpet in conformity to the rules until Hamlet scores the second hit and Laertes breaks the rules in an obvious way (he had been cheating all along with the envenomed sword, recall). Then it is no longer a swordfight, but a brawl in which Laertes is killed by falling off a two story balcony and the King is killed but a swinging chandelier (or was it a sword thrown from that balcony?); in the mean time, Fortinbras Norwegian forces are able to sneek up on the palace and capture the whole while overwhelming the meager guard. This latter seemed just a might hard to believe and detracts slightly from the climax, I thought. Interestingly enough, the costuming chosen was not that of Elizabethian England, nor of Medieval Denmark, but of early 18th century central Europe. The chief arms are rifles (ok, muskets), the soldiers' crested helmets are very tall, the castle furnishings are very elegant down to the hall of mirrors and the flawless black and whited checked floors. It works well and is a strength of the film. I did not initially find Branagh himself as Hamlet to be very impressive looking. His most fitting role, I thought, was Iago against Fishburn's Othello. But Branagh's acting made the neccesary difference. Though he did not look impressive to me, he acted impressively. He seemed to grow in stature as the film progressed. Nicely handled are some of the ambiguities. The King is portrayed so positively that our sympathies to not go over to Hamlet as quickly or as strongly as in other versions of the play. At the scene in which Hamlet seeks to out the King's guilt by having the players perform the "Murder of Gonzago," Hamlet acts the positive boor, the king leaves not in guilt but in disgust. Even Horatio's assent to Hamlet's fevered question, "Did you see it?" leaves us feeling that the case against king Claudius is far from proved. I had waited a while to purchae this film until the cost came down. But I can understand why it commands a price considerably more than "Shakespeare in Love": it is a classic worth viewing years after you have sold the rest oif your video's on Ebay. (See my other reviews of Shakespeare on video at Expage.com/page/shakefilm)Read full review
This version of Hamlet is fantastic. Although it is hard to picture Kenneth with blond hair and about 30 years old, the production is lavish and holds nothing back. The set is visually different than anything you would imagine for Demark at the time, but the acting is superb and the cast is a menagerie of actors from all areas of stage and screen. As a high school literature teacher, I use this version to compare and contrast with other versions of Hamlet so my students can understand the many interpretations a director may have from the lack of stage directions, or what is deemed important and given greater focus in a play. All-in-all, this is very entertaining for any Shakespeare purist who is really to forget the world on a cold, rainy day.
This Kenneth Branagh film on video is an uncut version of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The cast includes many well known actors in both large and small roles. It is lavishly produced and as an uncut version of the play it makes for a complete Hamlet experience.
every single line that shakespeare wrote is in this movie. not an abridged version every word. kenneth branaugh is amazing in this play.
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