Really Surprised!

Great Film overall

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Mel Gibson's HAMLET is a perfectly acceptable 1990s retelling of the Shakespeare play, eclipsed only by Kenneth Branagh's lavish 4-hour epic version that was later put out in 1996. I had the pleasure of seeing the Branagh film at the cinema back in the day, and it's still one of my favourite Shakespeare adaptations. By comparison, this version feels a little glum and subdued, although it's still perfectly watchable.One of the things that stands out about this HAMLET is that it has a gloomy and grey look to it; the sort of film that makes you feel the chill while watching. It's set in a forbidding grey stone castle for the most part and feels a lot like both Polanski's MACBETH and IN THE NAME OF THE ROSE. Gibson is a good choice for lead and successfully captures the character's anguish and a descent into madness, while the supporting cast are all very good too with Alan Bates and Ian Holm particularly shining. The film has just the right running time and stages all of the big moments with relish, ending on a high note despite the tragedy of the situation.

Having just completed a review of the Branagh Hamlet, I felt it fair to offer my two cents on this one also.Shakespeare is not above criticism. Nor does a person require a Ph.D to enjoy, or even interpret his words. While the historical plays may benefit from some due diligence to flesh out the finer points, the plays were written for a colloquial Elizabethan audience who were hungry for entertainment, innovation and also a little sex and violence.Not too different from people today I think.Hamlet is a very complicated play about a conflicted, hallucinogenic kid who struggles to cope with an uneasy, perhaps immoral, relationship with his mother and the marriage of her to his uncle after the sudden death of his father. It's heavy stuff, and boy does it get heavier. All that said it can easily serve as digestible entertainment on the level of a vengeance story. There is a reason this play has lived for so long. No matter how you transform it, the song remains the same. Even if this version of the song isn't perfect, it's largely a delight to the ear and also the eye. It is also quite accessible and easy to follow. In nearly every area I demonized the selfish Branagh production, this Franco Zeffirelli one excels. The ambiance is richer and more convincing in the dank castle halls. The editing flows surprisingly well for a two hour performance. The long lensing really zeroes in on the performances. There is a wealth of context in the relationships of Hamlet with all the major players. It feels as if Zeffirelli is acutely aware of subtext and exploits it with subtlety at every turn. With some exception, the actors are all steeped in the part and not simply engaging in dry recitation. Paul Scofield is absolutely scorching as the Ghost, who may, or may not actually exist. Ian Holm as Polonius is vibrant and also sad. Helena Bonham-Carter is just about perfect for Ophelia. Glen Close too really nails her unfortunately small part. Mel Gibson? He doesn't do all that bad. You really do take Hamlet as crazy, that's for sure. But Lethal Weapon could have easily been passed over for somebody better. On the other hand, without him, the film probably wouldn't have ever been made. To be or not to be I guess.

beautiful images. precise direction. great cast. impressive performance. and magnificent essence of unique play. a Zeffireli. after his vision, result of his rules. aesthetic. and more. because the mark of this adaptation, not the best, not giant, not maybe, memorable, is the soul. each word, each face expression, each gesture is fruit of a profound feeling of a strange prey. sure, it is Shakespeare. but delicate manner to introduce in the Hamlet universe, the care for detail, the rough Scotland, the solutions for ordinaries problems of adaptations are worthy of respect. after Romeo and Juliet and mature experience, it is not a surprise. only form of seduction. because , more than a director work, it is a delight.

Hamlet Movie ReviewThe movie "Hamlet," released in January 18, 1991, shows director Franco Zeffirelli's selections of Shakespeare's original Hamlet and reflects one intriguing possibility of the text. There are various interpretations of each character and the story; however, no one vision can adequately encompass every perspective of the play. The text, of course, will always exist in permanent form and it is up to the individual's interpretation to make the story their own. Zeffirelli did a terrific job at directing such a complex story into a film easily understood by viewers. In most translations from books to movies, producers sacrifice certain elements to narrow the focus and make the film unique to his style. The use of film techniques, compared to the Victorian stage plays, allows different dramatic developments in the story. Thus, the movie unfolds at a different pace than stage play, creating a whole new dynamic between scene transitioning. Christopher de Vore's skill as a screenwriter accurately portrays the characters without detracting from Shakespeare's language. For example, the prologue in the beginning of the movie demonstrates the enthrallment of Hamlet Senior as a ghost. Retaining the originality to the dialogue in the text, the movie is still unique to the director's vision. Most importantly, the director's interpretation of the story works well in developing the depth of each character without creating a new twist in the story of "Hamlet." Although he cut some essential parts from the play, Zeffirelli employed his own style and created an amazing tribute to Shakespeare. He edited parts of the movie and rearranged it to create a story that would make sense to contemporary audiences. Through this, he gives in an apparent life to the play which moves well from beginning to end.Shakespeare's play is not at all about the story. The story is just the outer armor on which some life altering metaphoric structure is built around. For example, Hamlet Junior bellows, "Tis true: 'tis true 'tis pity, and pity 'tis true." From Hamlet Junior's first meeting with Hamlet Senior's ghost, he is profoundly disturbed and begins to question his mentality and judgment of reality. Ironically, he pretends to be crazy to conceal his true plans to kill his uncle Claudius. Zeffirelli has a fine sense of coloring in each scene with movement between light and dark, and good and evil. Zeffirelli focuses on the characters and allows them lead the storyline without compromising the text's originality. One complaint is that Mel Gibson seemed to be too old for the role of Hamlet, thereby making Glenn Close too young to be Gertrude. The issue of Hamlet's age has always been a problem. According to the text, he is supposed to be in his thirties; however, that makes some of his relationships with Ophelia, for instance, seem pedophiliac. Yet, if Hamlet is portrayed too young, the depth of his thought is almost impossible to imagine. I thought he was a good actor; particularly in reciting the Shakespearean lines is something I have found most important to my understanding of the story. His passion clearly portrays a son who has gone through madness over his father's death, contemplation of murdering his uncle, and the incestuous marriage of his mother. Gibson not only gives a convincing depiction of Hamlet's cloak of madness, but also shows us the desperation of the character in his quiet moments as Hamlet is not a man who could not make up his mind, but rather, one who riddled with uncertainty. Thus, Gibson spends much of the film alternating between mania-induced impulsiveness and paralyzing inability to function with sanity. Glenn Close is amazing as she portrays Gertrude as a real character, with traits both shameful and empathetic. Helena Bonham-Carter's performance is astounding as well, especially her moment of lunacy as Ophelia in reacting to the death of her father, Polonius. The cast of characters in this version of Hamlet was more than enough to bring Shakespeare's stage theater alive on screen. Overall, I believe that this is a good foundation to understanding the language of Hamlet further, and would be supplemented with the Shakespearean text. I commend Zeferelli as a master filmmaker for his directing skills. I would promote this acclaimed film to anyone who has ever marveled at Shakespearean language and would like to watch a film literature as well.