While it's nice to have every line and every scene on film here, given that there are three versions of 'Hamlet' (two quartos and this folio) we can't even be 100 percent sure that this is what was performed in the original performances. Further, at 4 hours, it can be a chore to watch the movie in one sitting (thankfully, Blu-ray doesn't require single viewings), which perhaps displays why most 'Hamlet' productions, stage or otherwise, make cuts. There are also some budgetary limitations where 'Henry V' or 'Much Ado About Nothing' went outside to battlefields and country sides, most of 'Hamlet' is locked inside the castle, which makes the movie feel like it's on a stage. What works less well is that some of the American performers lack the naturalism on display from those who have had more Shakespeare experience. Branagh's is the second best Hamlet I've ever had the pleasure to see, but the best, as played by Simon Russell Beale at London's Royal National Theatre in the fall of 2000, was a 40-year-old man who looked even less the part. I remember reviews at the time of this release claiming Branagh was too old to play Hamlet, which is technically true, but a foolish complaint. What works very well is the 19th Century wintery setting, Branagh's performance is top notch, and as a director, he has a great cinematic eye and coaches his cast to recite complicated language in an easy-to-understand way. Setting aside my Branagh fandom, and his Hamlet's historical significance as being the first to film the whole play, I think 'Hamlet' is a very good film, but not a great one. But when the ghost of Hamlet's father comes to tell him that he was murdered by Hamlet's Uncle, Hamlet sets out on a quest to prove his Uncle's guilt, and avenge his father's death. For those unaware, 'Hamlet' (or 'The Lion King' without talking animals) is the story of the prodigal son who is alone in his kingdom, having lost his father a month ago and at present is forced to watch his mother re-marry his Uncle. He filmed the entire play (the Folio) with an all-star cast in the epic 65mm format to be projected in Panavision Super 70. With 'Hamlet' a decade after 'Henry V', Branagh did the impossible.
It was that film which sparked a love of film and Shakespeare that I've been chasing to this day it was that film that inspired my dual college majors of Theatre and Communication it was that film which sent me across the Atlantic to study the Bard and visit the places where Shakespeare-the-man lived, wrote, and produced his unforgettable plays.
It was remarkable for the first time to clearly understand the words being spoken, to see the engaging melodrama, and cheer on the glorious action. Until a fateful high school English class when I saw Kenneth's Branagh's near-perfect (filmmaking debut, no less) adaptation of 'Henry V'. And for those who have this tragic view, I feel sorry for you. They will give the impression that Shakespeare is slow, boring, and written in some language that merely resembles modern English. Some, perhaps most, of these productions were not or will not be good. Assuming it never missed a day somewhere in some country, we have a potential 149,650 days in release! 'Avatar' may be the current financial box office champ, 'Gone with the Wind' may have sold the most tickets in its many releases since 1939, but Hamlet… Hamlet has literally been on stages and screens around the world for the last 410 years. William Shakespeare was the Jerry Bruckhiemer or perhaps the James Cameron. Think of London in 1600 as that era's Hollywood. "The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King."
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