Review of Hamlet

The sheer look and passion of the film are kind of amazing. It’s one of those films that looks and sounds so beautiful on DVD that I kind of ache to imagine what it looks like cinematically or at least on Blu-Ray. Branagh is effortlessly magnetic in this, giving power and emotion to scenes which should be rendered stoic by their cultural cache. He also delights in the wordplay of the character, really getting to the dichotomy of a character who is in mourning, but who is also devilish and quick-witted. He’s a brilliant wastrel gifted with purpose by his desire for revenge and it’s a great interpretation of a character who can often be defined by his melancholy. The supporting cast are great and whilst I think some of the stunt-casting is a little off (Robin Williams and Lemmon are both a little hard to get to grips with, Williams because he’s all persona and Lemmon because he really, really, mangles the language) but I think the odd bits of casting help to define all of the ancillary characters in a sprawling cast. Of the main cast I think the main weakness might be Winslet. Now Kate Winslet is a favourite actress of mine, but she plays Ophelia a little too academically. There’s supposed to be a wildness to the character which never quite comes through and she comes across as kind of am-dram in her madness.

I love how the film represents Norway as this ravenous force on the outskirts, an exterior danger to the internal machinations. In particular the quick cuts between the storming of the castle and Hamlet’s duel are a great way of framing the internal struggle. I think Branagh sees Hamlet’s desire for vengeance as at least partially self serving and overly destructive and he even frames Claudius in a rather sympathetic light. As such by allowing Norway control of Denmark, as in the original play, Branagh shows how destructive that revenge is on a national level.

The film is gorgeous, just everything from its costume design to the beautiful use of Blenheim Palace really creates this sense of resplendence. The costuming and wintery-scenery are a real feast for the eyes and they’re beautifully matched by Patrick Doyle’s gorgeous score. I love how there’s a singular motif in the entire score, with different variants on it in different sequences.