Movie Review: Hamlet (1996)

Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is one of the greatest achievements in the history of film. Clocking in at 242 minutes, it’s a grand attempt to adapt the full Hamlet text, and it’s done very intelligently and skillfully.

Branagh is not just a great actor, but he has a great eye for visual detail. There are some long takes in this movie that are really incredible, and his command of the camera as director is an achievement in itself.

Of course, what would Hamlet be without some outstanding performances? Fortunately, Branagh does a wonderful job as the titular character, and he’s aided by a remarkable supporting cast that includes Julie Christie as Gertrude and Kate Winslet as Ophelia.

My favorite performance may be Charlton Heston as the Player King. It’s not a major role, but Heston does a wonderful job.

This cast truly is incredible. Charlton Heston, Billy Crystal, Jack Lemmon, and Robin Williams all have small roles, and Judi Dench and John Gielgud have unspeaking parts in a sceen that isn’t really necessary. I love that they got the best actors possible, and I love how committed the cast is, but I’m sure that had a lot to do with why this movie flopped. The movie had an $18 million budget, and made only about $5 million at the box office.

It’s a shame, too, because honestly this movie looks even bigger than it is. The talent in front of and behind of the camera is plain to see.

This is a yearly watch for me, and I’d recommend it to anybody.

Rating: 10/10