Hamlet [12] -1996-

I had eagerly anticipated this movie, but it ended up in a very limited release in its first run at the end of 1996. (It premiered on 3 screens). Later at the Cannes film festival, the extended 4 hour version premiered. It took until the video release for me to actually get a look at it.

I had thouroughly enjoyed Kenneth Branagh's performance in "Much Ado About Nothing", and figured to enjoy him in the great tragedy. Kenneth does a good job. However, I know at every moment that it is Kenneth the actor, and not Hamlet. And perhaps that is the problem for me with stage plays in general: The actor plays the part but is never really the character. Mr. Branagh had come so close in "Much Ado about Nothing", that I really believed he could transform Hamlet for me.

Richard Briers, on the other hand, does an extremly good job as Polonius. Him, I believe.

We certainly understand Hamlet's dilemma. I am no student of Shakespeare, nor English literature in general. So I will not comment on the screenplay itself. Nevertheless, it agrees with the text read by me from high school class. Certainly this movie will get plenty of mileage in English lit. It probably will date itself over the years and need to be remade.

What I had hoped would be a movie for the ages, ended up being a ho-hum 4 hours over two winter nights. Watch the film if you like Shakespeare and his play Hamlet. Otherwise, wait for the next re-make. {BB}

Expectation Review 1

Expectation Review 2

Added: May 18th 2004
Reviewer: BB
29 Point Scale Score:    [12]

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