I'd heard good things about Zeffirelli's production of Hamlet in my Freshman English class at BYU. But (as you can see), it took me a long time to get around to watching it. It is quite a bit shorter than Kenneth Branagh's 4-hour version, but suffers for it. Whereas that one seemed to be set in the 1800s, this one was given a more Medieval setting.
My verdict: If you want a full treatment of Hamlet, watch the Kenneth Branagh version (even though he gasps most of his lines). If you want something a little shorter, then this one will do.[1] Mel Gibson is sometimes overly melodramatic, but for the most part does a pretty good job. Given the other movies that I've seen Helena Bonham Carter in it was a little weird to see her cast as Ophelia.[2] But then Kate Winslet was no better in the 1996 version. The cinematography is generally well done, though many scenes are unnecessarily dark and make it difficult to see.
Notes:
[1] One word of warning, though: this version implies something incestuous between Hamlet and his mother.
[2] However, Ian Holme (of Bilbo Baggins fame) gives an admiral performance as Ophelia's father, Polonius.
My verdict: If you want a full treatment of Hamlet, watch the Kenneth Branagh version (even though he gasps most of his lines). If you want something a little shorter, then this one will do.[1] Mel Gibson is sometimes overly melodramatic, but for the most part does a pretty good job. Given the other movies that I've seen Helena Bonham Carter in it was a little weird to see her cast as Ophelia.[2] But then Kate Winslet was no better in the 1996 version. The cinematography is generally well done, though many scenes are unnecessarily dark and make it difficult to see.
Notes:
[1] One word of warning, though: this version implies something incestuous between Hamlet and his mother.
[2] However, Ian Holme (of Bilbo Baggins fame) gives an admiral performance as Ophelia's father, Polonius.
No comments:
Post a Comment