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UCFC Movie Reviews Hamlet Year: 1996 Director: Kenneth Branagh Sword Master: Nick Powell Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, and Charlton Heston Review by V. Bjerreskov (00 06 02) Ah, Hamlet. That wonderful Shakespearean play with the carefully scripted duel in the final scene... Of course, it is a play that at times has been dragged kicking and screaming into bad films. This is not the case with Branagh's version. Not only is Branagh an experienced Shakespearean actor and director, but his Hamlet uses the full text of the play, the first time this has been done on the screen. Of course, this nod to the Bard stretches the film to close to four hours in length, but the fans among us don't mind. On the whole, Branagh pulls it off. By placing the story in the Victorian era, he is able to enhance the visual appeal with exquisite architecture and costumes, not to mention weaponry. Branagh plays Hamlet with a well-conceived sense of the Prince's torments. He is supported by an outstanding cast of actors, including Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, and Charlton Heston. I have two problems with this film. First, Act I.v, where Hamlet confronts his father's ghost, is the most overdone and melodramatic scene I've seen in a film for a long time. Methinks Branagh spent too much time watching B horror films in preparation for this scene, and not enough time thinking about how to make this go over better with his audience. Second, Act IV.iv, Hamlet's soliloquy after meeting with Fortinbras' army. In the theatre, the music overpowered the speech because it was recorded with English technology, or something like that, and the video version isn't much better. The slow pan away from Branagh was the wrong camera shot to do at this point, though it does show Fortinbras' army in the background. On the whole, I didn't find the scene well handled. On to the swordplay! As foreshadowing to the final bout, Branagh chooses to show fencing classes in progress, though they are generally in the background. By including this, Branagh gives weight to Hamlet's contention in Act V.ii that he has been studying and would find it easier to beat Laertes. The duel itself is also handled well. It's been a while since I've seen it, so forgive me if I withhold my opinion on the accuracy of their fencing for a time. In the end, I'm just a Hamlet fan. Back to Movie Reviews Home  |  About Us   |  About Fencing   |  Links  |  Photo Gallery Image Bank  |  Reviews   |  Fencing Fun  |  Contact Us