Ken Branagh as Hamlet is the performance to define Hamlet for generations to come. Bravo! Gone are the ghosts from actors past, gone is the psycho-babble from productions past, and here forever is Hamlet truly and faithfully revealed! Branagh's Hamlet is noble, courageous, and intelligent, as well as angry, depressed, and vengeful.
What a concept: Branagh read Shakespeare's Hamlet, and filmed it. He didn't re-interpret it, analyze it, cut it, reorder it, rewrite it, or otherwise adulterate it. We are treated to the fullness of Shakespeare's genius, as well as to the genius of the magnificent cast in the film. Branagh's vision and direction are superb. He sets the stage, then lets the actors do their jobs with the best lines ever written for the stage.
The casting was intriguing, and I think that everyone made the best of the parts they were given. So, while some criticize Jack Lemmon's performance as a castle guard in the beginning of the movie, I say, just how much more could he have done with the role, anyway? After all, he wasn't playing Hamlet!
Charlton Heston as the Player King was as great as you'd expect Charlton Heston to be. I think there was a bit more Charlton Heston than Player King in his performance, but who cares? He's a great actor playing a small but interesting role in an actor's play -- sort of like his character.
Billy Crystal was a very pleasant surprise as one of the grave diggers. What a stroke of casting genius! Robin Williams as Osric had the audience laughing hysterically. Even Gerard Depardieu's "Yes, my Lord" lines and demeanor as Reynaldo stood out.
But I save the best for last. Every one of the actors who played the main roles was outstanding. They all went beyond anything anyone could have expected, especially Derek Jacobi as Claudius, Julie Christie as Gertrude, or Kate Winslet as Ophelia. Jacobi unfolds Claudius carefully and discreetly before our eyes; we begin by wondering why Hamlet hates him so much, and end up knowing all too well the villainy that drives his ambition.
Julie Christie's Gertrude is never the happy bride with Claudius; there is always a sadness lurking under the surface, a nudging guilt that makes it impossible for her to face her son's accusing stares. Her own fears and ambitions outweigh her better judgment.
Kate Winslet as Ophelia is sublime. Her passion and love for Hamlet are boundless. She has a loving, friendly, close relationship with her brother Laertes. And, she loves and respects her father very much. When her father tells her that she must stop seeing Hamlet, she obeys him, but she doesn't like it. Winslet's Ophelia is noble and passionate, torn between being a good daughter and following her heart's desires. Her choice is terrible and doomed, no matter what she does. She can't have both, but she ends up losing both, which ultimately drives her mad. Watching Winslet play the mad Ophelia will wrench your heart.
I must also credit Richard Briers as Polonius, who brought a depth and feeling to the character which has hitherto been lacking. This Polonius was shrewd, but not clever; ambitious, but not successful; and loving, but insensitive.
Michael Maloney's Laertes was the epitome of brash youth, dispensing advice to his sister that he has no intention of following himself -- like father, like son. He likes Hamlet very much, but he's also wary of his intentions toward his sister Ophelia. However, unlike Polonius, Laertes is motivated more by love than by ambition. Maloney puts Laertes' emotions on his sleeve; Laertes is ruled by his feelings, and will act before he thinks.
Branagh's direction is brilliant, exciting, and fresh. By filming Hamlet in its entirety, Branagh treats the audience to the fullness of each character's roles, and this has given the film several advantages:
Balance, balance, balance. No character was omitted, rewritten, overplayed, or overshadowed. We saw everything Shakespeare intended -- nothing less.
We come to understand each character more completely and deeply than in previous adaptations of Hamlet. This film gives us time to know everyone, and to accept them for who they are. Not to simplify things, but every character in Hamlet represents something fundamental to the human condition: Claudius' ambition, Polonius' conceit, Ophelia's innocence, Laertes' emotional indulgence, Gertrude's selfishness, Horatio's loyalty, and Hamlet's nobility.
The camera allowed Branagh to bring added dimension to many scenes in the film, which made Shakespeare's words resonate even more. The camera swirls, the flashbacks, the setting -- delicious!
In this newsgroup, Anita, in her review, eloquently commented:
"[Branagh's] Hamlet is a noble prince, torn between avenging his father's murder and not wanting to become a murderer himself and in the process loses everything he loves before he heartbreakingly succeeds at the end. He brought out every emotion the character has to deal with."
To this insightful assessment, I would add that Hamlet is a tragedy whose events are pre-ordained and inescapable. His father's death was unnatural; his mother's hasty remarriage to his uncle, also unnatural; and, the presence of ghosts among the living is the most unnatural occurrence of all -- it can all only end in tragedy. The ghost of Hamlet's father (excellently rendered by Brian Blessed -- I could believe he was a ghost) demands revenge from his son, which thus assures the tragedy that is to follow, and thus seals Hamlet's fate. Hamlet senses this; it is the source of his "melancholy" right from the start.
Branagh approaches the role from this perspective, showing us Hamlet's pain, frustration, rage, and depression right from the start. As events unfold and Claudius' guilt is revealed, the great burden of doubt is lifted from Hamlet's shoulders, and his character from that point forward greatly changes. His passion for revenge is focused, his mission to put things right is clear. Branagh shows us that Hamlet is not some wimpish soul incapable of action; rather, he shows us Hamlet's courage, his struggle to revenge one murder with another, and his sensitivity and intelligence to everything that is going on around him. He knows Claudius is on to him; he also knows what low deeds Claudius is capable of, and he therefore treads cautiously -- but not fearfully. Likewise, Claudius plots carefully around Hamlet, for the death of Polonius has taught him that Hamlet is not as harmless or mad as he appears.
Thanks, Ken; we needed this film!
By the way, if Kenneth Branagh ever decides to write his biography (and, he will), I think the perfect title would be:
Inside Shakespeare's Head, or My Life with the Bard
Run to your nearest theater and see this movie!
Back to Hamlet reviews.