Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is long. The length alone is off putting. Who would sit down to watch a four hour long film, especially a four hour long Shakespearean film? Shakespeare and cinephiles, that’s who. If you are not a lover of film or a lover of Shakespeare, you will not like this film. Every line of dialogue that can possibly be found is in this version of the film, however, it may be one of the most beautiful, aesthetically pleasing film in the history of cinema.
Like the epics of David Lean, Kenneth Branagh takes the world of Hamlet and expounds it into a much larger scope, filling these larger than life characters in huge set pieces and landscapes. He focuses more on the growing threat of Fortinbras than almost every other performance of Hamlet, giving it more of an international incident rather than a small family matter. He films this movie with a more brightness and color and beauty than so many other performances. Where Zefferelli’s Hamlet keeps the classic dark, moody feeling of the play, Branagh sets his film in Denmark in the winter, with snow and more daylight and more color in the castle. There is even a hall of mirrors in the castle, bringing more light and radiance. The significance is that the pretty, bright, vibrant world there is darkness that lies just beneath the surface.
Where this version also shines is with cast. Though major actors are side stepped by lesser known actors (actors such as Robin Williams, Timothy Spall, Charleston Heston, Judi Dench, Richard Attenborough, Rufus Sewell, and Gerard Depardieu all being left in the darkness) the major actors that Branagh still uses are the always superb Derek Jacobi and Julie Christie and the not-yet-famous Kate Winslet. Not being much of a fan of her work (though I cannot deny her talent), I believe she did a much better performance than Helena Bonham Carter in Zefferelli’s version (a-gasp) in the role of Ophelia. She smiles in the film, she has an innocent presence about herself in this version, something that is not often shown, and she plays insane quite brilliantly, more subdued than over the top. I don’t need to say much about Jacobi or Christie, they are just gods among actors so there is little I can say, but what they can do is perfectly pick apart each line and deliver each one of them to help compliment what the other actors are doing. They keep the pacing down and they never raise their voice causing their characters to be more soft spoken.
Every Ken Branagh film that I watch, the sets always surpasses every expectation that I have. Tim Harvey, the production designer, creates breath-taking sets and finds amazing locations to film. The castle that doubles for Elsinore is a wonder and works well on the epic scope of the film. As previously stated, the hall for the film is bright as can be with a hall of mirrors and golden, bright colored furnishings and designs fill the hall. Tim Harvey truly emphasizes Branagh’s idea of darkness underlying an otherwise happy-looking world.
One other key factor that I love about this film (and it is true to all of Kenneth Branagh’s films) is the music. Patrick Doyle’s brilliant music always hits the perfect mark. Never has he been too overwhelming and never has his music been anything but aesthetically pleasing. I could listen to his music all day every day and never be tired of its brilliance and beauty. And like with everything in the film, it is large and epic in scope, with a huge orchestra playing then themes throughout the entire film.
There are only two major problems that must be stated: Kenneth Branagh is a genius Shakespearean actor/director, however, when he directs himself, he just let’s go and never stops. He becomes so enamored with the speeches that he soon loses all meaning because of the rapidness of his speech. Kenneth jumps right into it and thinks he is running track, the complete opposite of what Derek Jacobi does. The other problem is the actor who plays The Ghost, Brian Blessed. And not simply the actor, but everything that Branagh does around the Ghost. Brian Blessed becomes just like Branagh: he thinks too hard about the way to say it rather than how to say the words. Yes, there is a difference. His voice hisses and gasps, almost like Treebeard, a very raspy voice, speaking while he is breathing in a raspy voice. When Hamlet first sees the Ghost and runs after him in the forest, the camera cuts to the ground which is cracking and opening with mist and smoke pouring out in almost a random, badly cut fashion. It is weird and a harsh contrast to the rest of the film. He films it in a lot jumpier, quicker, and darker way than the rest of it and not much is understood.
Other than these few problems, almost everything else is perfect and dead on the mark. Branagh knew how to depict the great play and bring to light more of the subplots of the tragedy and film it in more of a unique way, a way that not a lot of other filmmakers or academics had thought of before.
*****
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