Hamlet
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Movie Reviews of Hamlet
Movie Review: best film version i've seen (and i've seen them all!)
Summary: 5 Stars
through my endeavors i've had to read Hamlet 7 times (twice my senior year of high-school). much as i don't like Shakespeare this play is part of my life.The Olivier version is more accurate to the stage version but the camera techiniques are over-blown and hokey (circling the swords before the duel to see which one is tipped, it made me dizzy). the Branagh version, while creative in it's set up (modernizing it to imerial Russia), and using the entire text, complete with Prince Fortinbras of Norway, is SO long and SO over-acted (especially on the part of Branagh) that i needed a nap after i saw it. and i choose not even to dignify the Ethan Hawke version it was so terrible.
This one is my favorite, all the scenes which are cut aren't necessary for the forwarding of the plot in my humble opinion (the opening scene with the palace guards meeting the dead kingis cut yet horatio's explaination of this happening later in the movie is sufficient). Gibson chooses to play Hamlet as insane (that decision is left to the director) and as i am in the camp that Hamlet IS insane, you could also see why i favor this version. Glenn Close is EXCELLENT as Gertrude as is Helena Bonham-Carter as Ophelia.
solid performances with a great cast, what more does a 400 year old play need?
Movie Review: Gibson's preoccupation with violence began here...
Summary: 5 Stars
When you think of Mel Gibson's career, it is a traverse across infinities of violence. Even his comic, antic cop movies are motivated by violence. Nobody can deny that the heart-sickening violence of the Passion of Christ was the the scene of the flogging of Christ by drunken centurions. Where better to start one's voyage than in Hamlet?
Since this is a young Gibson, you can see where he began his trademarked looks. He looks off camera one way while his eyes shift to the other to communicate anxiety, or double think. We have seen this in many of his movies. He communicates the opposite meaning through his roughing Ophelia up while he smiles. Gibson's heart is that of a narcissist player, but here, in his youth, he carries it off.
Glenn Close is a wonderful Gertrude. Gibson matches well with her, because she is the best Gertrude I have ever seen.
The Polonius character is underplayed, which is unfortunate. He is a slimier character than shown here.
His daughter, Ophelia, played by Hellen Bonham Carter, is as magnificient as is Glenn Close. She is the only Ophelia I have seen where I truly believed she was going crazy in grief.
Great version of Hamlet!
Movie Review: Wonderfully Done Gibson Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
This film has so much passion (forgive the pun) on the part of Mel Gibson. If you watch the additional features of the disk, you'll see what I mean. There's one segment where he's in a high school English class, teaching the class the play. Fantastic!
The film is a fairly good rendition of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. So many good actors are in this film I can't mention them all, but to name the tops are Gibson, Glenn Close, Iam Holm (Frodo Baggins from the LOTR films and Bilbo from the BBC audio), and Helena Bonham Carter.
A quick synopsis: The King of Denmark dies at the hand of his brother, who is having an affair with the queen. He is made king. Prince Hamlet is visited by his father's ghost, who tells him what has transpired. Hamlet takes it upon himself to right the wrong, and let his father rest in peace. In the meantime, he loses his mind, and everybody dies. Typical Shakespeare.
Anyone who never liked Shakespeare growing up should watch this. It might just change your mind about the old boy!
Movie Review: A wonderful Hamlet - too bad about the text editing
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember when this movie came out almost 15 years ago - I really wanted to hate it - imagine! Mel Gibson, Mr. Lethal Weapon, Mad Max as the Danish Prince! I was almost tasting the blood as I walked into the theatre. Surprise, surprise! It's actually my favorite film of this play, and yes, that includes the much-overrated (in my opinion - I hate the voice overs) Olivier version. I really, really, really got behind Gibson as the Prince in this one, and I thought Paul Scofield as the ghost was magnificent - his scene with Hamlet on the battlement is so intimate - a real father/son talk.
For those who know the play, some of the textual cuts and re-arrangements may be startling -it's odd to hear Hamlet tell Ophelia "get thee to a nunnery" in the middle of the Mousetrap scene, for instance. I also found myself feeling frustrated that I didn't get to see Gibson do some of the speeches and soliloquies which were cut -- "How all occasions do inform against me" for example.
All in all, an excellent version.
Movie Review: "To die, to sleep . . . no more."
Summary: 5 Stars
Who would have thought that Mel Gibson could do Shakespeare? Well, if he could portray William Wallace, then he could portray Hamlet as well. This is a fantastic film production of one of the most famous plays of all time. Director Franco Zeffirelli has done splendidly with this rather faithful adaptation. Much of the text from the play has been edited out, but the human drama still stands (every bit of rawness and intensity from the play remains). The actors have made some fine achievements. Gibson, Close, Bates, Holm, Bonham Carter, and Scofield play their parts very well (though I do believe that Gibson doesn't really look the part sometimes). The only problem I had with this movie is that there were several moments in which it felt very ponderous. I know Shakespeare isn't supposed to be very quick-paced, but here, some scenes do seem to plod when it's not even intentional. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this adaptation of Hamlet, and it makes me appreciate the great master of literature & theater even more.
Grade: A-