Hamlet (1996)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  Just as a cinematic experience, this film is unparalledled. It takes the story and puts it in a different era, but for the most part keeps the rest of things intact. This is a grand, long, sweeping epic that reaqlly does justice to the Bard and this, his most famous/popular… More
  Just as a cinematic experience, this film is unparalledled. It takes the story and puts it in a different era, but for the most part keeps the rest of things intact. This is a grand, long, sweeping epic that reaqlly does justice to the Bard and this, his most famous/popular (I'd assume) story. The technical stuff, like the sets, costumes, pageantry, art direction, all of that, is just perfect. This is high art that's also accessible. The camera work and direction are wonderful, and the massive ensemble cast filled with tons of cameos are awesome. Well, Jack Lemmmon (surprisingly) is a bit weak, but the rest are great. This isn't a film I want to watch too often, mostly because it is a lot to undertake, but it is definitely one of those spectacle films that deserves repeated viewings. I don't know what it is, but Branagh and Shakespeare are just a perfect match, and this is exhibit a to prove that.

• Thomas B

  
  Incredible direction coupled with incredible acting equals Kenneth Brannagh's Hamlet. Full review later.

• Alice S

  
  Good god, Kenneth Branagh plays Kenneth Branagh in everything he does. It's commendable that he chooses to play Hamlet as an ACTIVE character, rather than a PASSIVE one, but his interpretation is much too knowing, much too methodical for the unsure, questioning, brooding prince.… More
  Good god, Kenneth Branagh plays Kenneth Branagh in everything he does. It's commendable that he chooses to play Hamlet as an ACTIVE character, rather than a PASSIVE one, but his interpretation is much too knowing, much too methodical for the unsure, questioning, brooding prince. Hamlet is driven by love for his father, mother, and Ophelia, but all I saw was an arrogant, attention-seeking, pretty-boy. Branagh had merely three notes in his performance- screaming fury, hushed seriousness, schticky madness. SOOO schticky and not even funny. Kudos for undertaking this full-length version on film but it's supposed to be <i>film</i>. There was nothing cinematically artistic about the execution - cinematography was lazy and scoring tried to compensate. I do have to admit though, out of Branagh, Gibson, and Hawke, Branagh does the best "I loved Ophelia!" Anguish!!!

• Dan S

  
  One of the best literary adaptions I've ever seen. Branagh owns this movie, from a directing and acting standpoint, and the line-by-line dedication he presents impresses even the most anti-Shakespearean style people (like me).

• _kelly .

  
  this THE film version of Hamlet

• Cassandra M

  
  Part of the genius of Branagh's interpretation of Hamlet is in the use of the techniques of the cinema to enhance the production. Branagh has not condensed the acts like some mass market soup, as was done in Olivier's 1948 Oscar-winning production, or in, say,… More
  Part of the genius of Branagh's interpretation of Hamlet is in the use of the techniques of the cinema to enhance the production. Branagh has not condensed the acts like some mass market soup, as was done in Olivier's 1948 Oscar-winning production, or in, say, Zeffirelli's 1989 Hamlet lite starring Mel Gibson (both excellent, though, within their scope), but has kept every word while directing our understanding so that even those only casually familiar with the play might follow the intent and purpose with discernment. Recall that for Shakespeare--the ultimate actor's playwright who wrote with precious few stage directions--interpretation was left to the direction and the actors, an open invitation that Branagh rightly accepts. The use of flashback scenes of things implied, such as the amorous union of Ophelia and her Lord Hamlet abed, or of a vast expanse of snow darkened with distant soldiers to represent the threat of Fortinbras' army from without, and especially the vivid remembrance in the mind's eye of the new king's dastardly deed of murder most foul, helps us all to more keenly appreciate just what it is that torments Hamlet's soul. I also liked the intense closeups. How they would have bemused and delighted an Elizabethan audience. Branagh's ambitious Hamlet is also one of the most accessible and entertaining, yet without the faintest hint of any dumbing down or abbreviation. A play is to divert, to entertain, to allow us to identify with others who trials and tribulations are so like our own. And so first the playwright seeks to engage his audience, and only then, by happenstance and indirection, to inspire and to inform. Shakespeare did this unconsciously, we might say. He wrote for the popular audience of his time, a broad audience, it should be noted, that included kings and queens as well as knaves and beggars, and he reached them, one and all. We are much removed from those times, and yet, this play, this singular achievement in theatre, still has the power to transcend mere entertainment, to fuse poetry and story, as well as the high and the low, and speak once again to a new audience twenty generations removed. Branagh himself is a wonderful Hamlet, perhaps a bit of a ham at times (as I think was Shakespeare's intent), a prince who is the friend of itinerant players. He also lacks somewhat in statute (as we conceive our great heroes); nonetheless his interpretation of the great prince's torment and his singular obsession to avenge his father's murder speaks strongly to us all. Branagh, more than any other Hamlet, makes us understand the distracted, anguished and tortured prince, and guides us to not only an appreciation of his actions, wild and crazy as they sometimes are, but to an identification and an understanding of why (the eternal query) Hamlet is so long in assuming the name of action. In Branagh's production, this old quibble with Hamlet's character dissolves itself into a dew, and we realize that he was acting strongly, purposely all the while. He had to know the truth without doubt so that he might act in concert with it. I was also very much impressed with Derek Jacobi's Claudius. One recalls that Jacobi played Hamlet in the only other full cinematic production of the play that I know of, produced in 1980 by the BBC with Claire Bloom as Gertrude; and he was an excellent Hamlet, although perhaps like Branagh something less than a massive presence. His Claudius combines second son ambition with a Machiavellian heart, whose words go up but whose thoughts remind below, as is the way of villains everywhere. Kate Winslet is a remarkable Ophelia, lending an unusual strength to the role (strength of character is part of what Kate Winslet brings to any role), but with the poor, sweet girl's vulnerability intact. She does the mad scene with Claudius as well as I have seen it done, and of course her personal charisma and beauty embellishes the production. Richard Briers as Polonius, proves that that officious fool is indeed that, and yet something more so that we can see why he was a counselor to the king. The famous speech he gives to Laertes as his son departs for France, is really ancient wisdom even though it comes from a fool. Julie Christie was a delight as the besmirched and wretched queen. In the bedroom scene with Hamlet she becomes transparent to not only her son, but to us all, and we feel that the camera is reaching into her soul. She is outstanding. The bit players had their time upon the stage and did middling well to very good. I liked Charlton Heston's player king (although I think he and John Gielgud might have switched roles to good effect) and Billy Crystal's gravedigger was finely etched. Only Jack Lemon's Marcellus really disappointed, but I think that was mainly because he was so poorly cast in such a role. Not once was he able to flash the Jack Lemon grin that we have come to know so well. The idea of doing a Shakespearean play with nineteenth century dress in the late twentieth century worked wonderfully well, but I know not why. Perhaps the place and dress are just enough removed from our lives that they are somewhat strange but recognizable in a pleasing way. And perhaps it is just another tribute to the timeless nature of Shakespeare's play. The mirrors in the great hall added to the effect of a vast and indifferent castle environment, and in the scene with Ophelia and Laertes returned tended to magnify the focus. There is so much more to say about this wonderful cinematic production. It is, all things considered, one of the best Hamlets ever done. Perhaps it is the best. See it, by all means, see it for yourself.

• Michael S

  
  One of the greatest of Shakespeare adaptations.

• Jennifer X

  
  one of the better hamlet versions.

• Stuart B

  
  Brilliant. I know its long but it really is a modern masterpiece

• Michael G

  
  The only Shakespeare story I go ape for. Loved it.

• Jeremy S

  
  The best Hamlet adaptation after Laurence Olivier's edition.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]Even with countless versions and having personally witnessed my tenth grade English teacher flog it to death, there is still much to admire in Kenneth Branagh's lavishly produced adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The least of… More
  [font=Century Gothic]Even with countless versions and having personally witnessed my tenth grade English teacher flog it to death, there is still much to admire in Kenneth Branagh's lavishly produced adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The least of which is the large and talented cast which is a mix between Branagh's regulars(including Derek Jacobi and Brian Blessed) and Hollywood cameos. Of which, Charlton Heston and Billy Crystal especially impress.(Yeah, I'm amazed, too.) Despite rarely leaving the ornate throne room, the movie gets past its theatrical roots by not only focusing on the present, but on the past where Prince Hamlet(Kenneth Branagh) remembers better times, giving emotional potency to the 'Alas, Poor Yorick' speech. And it is not Hamlet's reluctance for revenge that causes the tragedy but a singularly rash act. Regardless, he has no options. Once his father's ghost(Brian Blessed) appears, there can be no other course of action. So, one of the play's themes is the weight that a younger generation bears from its parents. Also, remember that Ophelia(Kate Winslet) is prohibited early on by her father, Polonius(Richard Briers), from seeing Hamlet who she loves. All of which is set in the foreground while Fortinbras(Rufus Sewell) is on the march in the background[/font] [font=Century Gothic]And to close, I will point out that this is not the first time that Derek Jacobi has played a character named Claudius.[/font]

• Cameron J

  
  A passionate complete adaptation of Shakespeare's classic. In spite of the occasional slow and drawn out point and too many events withing some scenes, the film holds superb acting and direction, brilliant capturing of the compelling story and strong characters, beautiful… More
  A passionate complete adaptation of Shakespeare's classic. In spite of the occasional slow and drawn out point and too many events withing some scenes, the film holds superb acting and direction, brilliant capturing of the compelling story and strong characters, beautiful scenery and extreme captivation, in spite of being predominantly talkative. Ultimately, Branagh stuns us once again with another msterful Shakespeare recreation.

• Alec B

  
  This film gets a high review just because of the tremendous effort put forth. All of the single takes in that enormous palace are just so cool. The ending is too over the top for my taste but it is still one of the best Shakespeare adaptions out there.

• Ivan D

  
  An exhausting(both in length and content) but worthwhile screen adaptation of arguably the masterwork of William Shakespeare. Hamlet, as how he was always described as the "melancholic dane", lingers through every stage productions and film renditions with controlled anger,… More
  An exhausting(both in length and content) but worthwhile screen adaptation of arguably the masterwork of William Shakespeare. Hamlet, as how he was always described as the "melancholic dane", lingers through every stage productions and film renditions with controlled anger, and fury suppressed by sadness. But Kenneth Branagh, who also directed the film, added an energetic haze into the Prince's persona, turning him from a quiet rebel into an unpredictable, flamboyant protagonist, playing out the character with both loud intensity and emotional subtlety. Through its running length of 4 hours, though there's some clever use of quick editing, Branagh's "Hamlet" may very well be one of the cases of "substance over style", championing the sheer strength of Shakespeare's material that sometimes, it became unconscious of its cinematic audience that some of it actually looked very much "theatrical", save for the live sets. If I have to pick the best "Hamlet" adaptation from the 3 which I have seen, I have to say the Laurence Olivier version, with this and Franco Zeffirelli's tied; Though this film version is good, I thought its visuals is too pretty to completely emphasize the core of the play, yet it's(the visuals) also one of the film's main points that made it much more accessible than the other versions. I'm really unsure on what to say about this film, but maybe its an unconscious psychological effect from the "man that could not make up his mind". Or not.

• MJS M

  
  I?d always been intimidated by this film?s long running time, but it was clear that now was the right time to check it out for two reasons: firstly, I?ve been obsessing over Shakespeare adaptations lately (that Ethan Hawk thing was not enough to scratch my Hamlet itch), secondly it… More
  I?d always been intimidated by this film?s long running time, but it was clear that now was the right time to check it out for two reasons: firstly, I?ve been obsessing over Shakespeare adaptations lately (that Ethan Hawk thing was not enough to scratch my Hamlet itch), secondly it was announced that Kenneth Branagh would be directing the upcoming Thor movie and I want to catch up on some of his work. I?m glad I worked up the courage to see it because this is possibly the best Shakespeare adaptation I?ve ever seen. Doing an unabridged adaptation of the play seemed silly at first, but now it seems like the only way to do this stuff, I wish more adaptations would skip the editing because the scenes that are usually cut really do enrich the material. Aside from all that, this is simply beautiful filmmaking. The sets are awesome, I don?t know if they found a real castle or something, but everything is larger than life; it?s a truly epic canvas. Also this was the last film to ever be shot on 70mm, and the difference is notable.

• Lovable M

  
  If a movie can make Shakespeare interesting, it gets a thumbs up.

• Janice :

  
  The best Hamlet adaptation in my opinion... Kenneth Branagh is excellent in the role and captures our attention non-stop! He totally outdid himself; you can sense the jubilation he sometimes feels, read the fury in his eyes and then follow him in his descent towards madness and… More
  The best Hamlet adaptation in my opinion... Kenneth Branagh is excellent in the role and captures our attention non-stop! He totally outdid himself; you can sense the jubilation he sometimes feels, read the fury in his eyes and then follow him in his descent towards madness and insanity. AMAZING! Note: My only criticism is how long this movie is. I suggest you divide it up in two, that way you won't get annoyed and find this boring ;D

• Sean L

  
  This is a wonderful film. I've watched many film versions of Hamlet in the last couple weeks and all of them suffered from the fact that I watched this one first and none of the others could quite live up to how full and beautiful this film was.

• Magnus X

  
  A cinematic masterpiece!!! Kenneth Branagh really pulled out all the stops in this one. It's a feast for all senses. An incredible cast, great score and for the first time the whole play filmed with a little indulgence from Branagh. A fantastic film!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings