The play's the thing in Kenneth Branagh's bold and ambitious 4 hour adaptation of Hamlet, which uses the entire text to capture the full intent of Shakespeare's most famous tragedy.
Olivier's robust, Oscar winning 1948 portrayal may still be the definitive screen portrayal of the doomed Prince of Denmark, but Branagh's sumptuous, exhilarating epic is probably the definitive cinematic interpretation of the play.
Branagh has updated the action to the 19th century, which makes its dramatic background a little more timely and accessible for modern audiences without sacrificing the central integrity of the original language or the awesome power of the dramatic themes.
Branagh has crammed the film with an impressive lineup of heavyweight talent from both sides of the Atlantic, with cameos from John Gielgud, John Mills and Charlton Heston, who is majestic as the Player King. Derek Jacobi is perfectly sinister as the ruthless Claudius, while Julie Christie is beautiful and brings a pained grace to her role as betrayed Gertrude.
Winslet is marvellous as the sexually confused and tormented Ophelia. Branagh's performance is passionate and energetic, capturing the tortured emotions of the prince who seeks vengeance for the murder of his father but is unsure of how to act. Robin Williams and Billy Crystal highlight the undercurrents of comic wit that are so often overlooked in productions that concentrate on the blood and intrigue. The first British film in over 25 years to be shot using the 70mm format, Hamlet is a spectacular, visually stunning and splendidly epic cinematic experience. Cinematographer Alex Thompson captures the bleak, wintry landscape, and his swirling camera work during many key sequences is breathtaking.
**** Excellent stuff
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