Branagh's Hamlet

Finally got around to seeing this the other day, and this might eclipse Julie Taymor's Titus as my favorite Shakespeare film. Laundry list!:

-The film is just gorgeous to look at, with rich colors and immaculate costumes. I also love the way Branagh reimagines famous scenes like "To be, or not to be...", Claudius' confession, and the play-within-a-play, or adds crucial intercuts like Claudius and Gertrude drunk on their wedding night, Hamlet and Ophelia's passionate (though brief and tasteful) sex, and the actual murder of King Hamlet.

-Branagh is on fire here, even in the quieter scenes, and he clearly relishes getting to play Hamlet's more sarcastic scenes or the famed "My thoughts be bloody, or else be nothing worth!" soliloquy. He's also unafraid to portray Hamlet as a bit of a douche at times, particularly during the nunnery speech or his self-satisfaction at witnessing Claudius' guilty face. The rest of the main cast is great too. Derek Jacobi (who I am always happy to see) makes Claudius both a great villain in his manipulation of others, and a surprisingly sympathetic soul as he tries to run a kingdom while his nephew's acting like a mood-swinging lunatic. Julie Christie makes for a marvelously ambiguous Gertrude; she's clearly in love with Claudius, so did she have anything to do with the king's murder? Christie never quite answers that, and I love her for it. Kate Winslet is so very sad as the doomed Ophelia, Michael Maloney is a passionate Laertes, Richard Briers is a terrifically manipulative Polonius, and Nicholas Farrell does some underrated work as Hamlet's only true friend Horatio.

-The celebrity cameos do vary in effectiveness, but most of them work. Brian Blessed proves to be intense and commanding even when whispering as the Ghost, Rufus Sewell is appropriately intense as Fortinbras, Billy Crystal and Charlton Heston are surprising highlights, it's always fun to see Gerard Depardieu, and even Robin Williams works as Osric. The lone exception is Jack Lemmon, who I love dearly, but just seems utterly lost with this language.

In short, I loved it.

Relative to it's running time, Lemmon's role is thankfully small.  As others have said, it comes to down to just not being his milieu.  On the other hand I loved the idea of Heston as the Player King; the role was built for a performer like him.

The only qualm, and it's a small one, is that Zeffirelli beat Branagh to Helena Bonham Carter, the best Ophelia we'll likely see for some time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by soylentgreen 

Relative to it's running time, Lemmon's role is thankfully small.  As others have said, it comes to down to just not being his milieu.  On the other hand I loved the idea of Heston as the Player King; the role was built for a performer like him.

 

The only qualm, and it's a small one, is that Zeffirelli beat Branagh to Helena Bonham Carter, the best Ophelia we'll likely see for some time.

Oh, yeah, it's a small complaint. And I'll definitely have to check out the Zeffirelli version at some point, if only because I loved his Romeo and Juliet (which eats Luhrmann's spastic mess alive any day of the week).

The sheer look and passion of the film are kind of amazing. It’s one of those films that looks and sounds so beautiful on DVD that I kind of ache to imagine what it looks like cinematically or at least on Blu-Ray. Branagh is effortlessly magnetic in this, giving power and emotion to scenes which should be rendered stoic by their cultural cache. He also delights in the wordplay of the character, really getting to the dichotomy of a character who is in mourning, but who is also devilish and quick-witted. He’s a brilliant wastrel gifted with purpose by his desire for revenge and it’s a great interpretation of a character who can often be defined by his melancholy. The supporting cast are great and whilst I think some of the stunt-casting is a little off (Robin Williams and Lemmon are both a little hard to get to grips with, Williams because he’s all persona and Lemmon because he really, really, mangles the language) but I think the odd bits of casting help to define all of the ancillary characters in a sprawling cast. Of the main cast I think the main weakness might be Winslet. Now Kate Winslet is a favourite actress of mine, but she plays Ophelia a little too academically. There’s supposed to be a wildness to the character which never quite comes through and she comes across as kind of am-dram in her madness.

I love how the film represents Norway as this ravenous force on the outskirts, an exterior danger to the internal machinations. In particular the quick cuts between the storming of the castle and Hamlet’s duel are a great way of framing the internal struggle. I think Branagh sees Hamlet’s desire for vengeance as at least partially self serving and overly destructive and he even frames Claudius in a rather sympathetic light. As such by allowing Norway control of Denmark, as in the original play, Branagh shows how destructive that revenge is on a national level.

The film is gorgeous, just everything from its costume design to the beautiful use of Blenheim Palace really creates this sense of resplendence. The costuming and wintery-scenery are a real feast for the eyes and they’re beautifully matched by Patrick Doyle’s gorgeous score. I love how there’s a singular motif in the entire score, with different variants on it in different sequences.

And Luhrman's ROMEO + JULIET is fantastic. Shakespeare works are seldom presented with such verve and passion. It's why it, McKellen's RICHARD III and Taymor's TITUS are some of my favourite Shakespeare adaptations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spike Marshall 

The sheer look and passion of the film are kind of amazing. It’s one of those films that looks and sounds so beautiful on DVD that I kind of ache to imagine what it looks like cinematically or at least on Blu-Ray. Branagh is effortlessly magnetic in this, giving power and emotion to scenes which should be rendered stoic by their cultural cache. He also delights in the wordplay of the character, really getting to the dichotomy of a character who is in mourning, but who is also devilish and quick-witted. He’s a brilliant wastrel gifted with purpose by his desire for revenge and it’s a great interpretation of a character who can often be defined by his melancholy. The supporting cast are great and whilst I think some of the stunt-casting is a little off (Robin Williams and Lemmon are both a little hard to get to grips with, Williams because he’s all persona and Lemmon because he really, really, mangles the language) but I think the odd bits of casting help to define all of the ancillary characters in a sprawling cast. Of the main cast I think the main weakness might be Winslet. Now Kate Winslet is a favourite actress of mine, but she plays Ophelia a little too academically. There’s supposed to be a wildness to the character which never quite comes through and she comes across as kind of am-dram in her madness.

 

I love how the film represents Norway as this ravenous force on the outskirts, an exterior danger to the internal machinations. In particular the quick cuts between the storming of the castle and Hamlet’s duel are a great way of framing the internal struggle. I think Branagh sees Hamlet’s desire for vengeance as at least partially self serving and overly destructive and he even frames Claudius in a rather sympathetic light. As such by allowing Norway control of Denmark, as in the original play, Branagh shows how destructive that revenge is on a national level.

 

The film is gorgeous, just everything from its costume design to the beautiful use of Blenheim Palace really creates this sense of resplendence. The costuming and wintery-scenery are a real feast for the eyes and they’re beautifully matched by Patrick Doyle’s gorgeous score. I love how there’s a singular motif in the entire score, with different variants on it in different sequences.

 

And Luhrman's ROMEO + JULIET is fantastic. Shakespeare works are seldom presented with such verve and passion. It's why it, McKellen's RICHARD III and Taymor's TITUS are some of my favourite Shakespeare adaptations.

I have no problem with verve and passion in terms of Shakespeare. I too love Julie Taymor's Titus (haven't seen McKellen Richard III). What I have a problem with is headache-inducing direction, pathetically transparent attempts to make the story "hip" (let's slather on a cool soundtrack to bring in the kids!), and actors who are clearly trying but are let down by the director or miscasting *points at poor Leo*. Ergo, I can't stand Luhrmann's R+J.

Otherwise, I agree with everything you say here, although I thought Winslet had a nicely creepy, wild vibe to her madness.

Go here to discuss Romeo + Juliet.

http://www.chud.com/community/forum/thread/131785/romeo-juliet-1996

It's not for everyone, but I think considering the tone of the play itself Lurhman's lurid sensibilities work. And the music IS cool.

Yeah, I think I've said all I need to say on it. It's just not my thing. Sorry.