“To be or not to be…”
Of all the plays that William Shakespeare has written, none are as iconic as Hamlet. The tale of the troubled Prince of Elsinore has stood the test of time, resonating through four centuries worth of various stage and screen interpretations and endless analysis from scholars (among countless others) worldwide. While the world of live theater may have provided opportunities to present The Bard’s work in its entirety, its cinematic cousin has been little more than kin and less than kind.
Even in the most accomplished of motion picture adaptations, namely Laurence Olivier’s 1948 Best Picture winner, much of the play was condensed or even removed altogether. When it comes to a movie adaptation, truncation does make sense. After all, a full-length film version of Hamlet would undoubtedly run three and a half hours or longer which is the modern-day financial kiss of death unless your movie is set in Middle Earth, on the Titanic or Pandora.
Yet, the prospect of financial failure didn’t seem to deter filmmaker Kenneth Branagh, for whom presenting the full version of Hamlet on the silver screen was a true labor of love. After conceding to a pair of provisos for his producers (have an international cast and produce a shorter version of the finished product to be released concurrently), the Irish filmmaker’s long-gestating dream came true in 1996. Shot in Super Panavision 70 and showcasing a superb international cast, Branagh’s epic take on Hamlet is as ambitious and accomplished as movie adaptations of the Bard come.
To the unfamiliar, a very brief recap: young prince Hamlet (Branagh) has returned to Elsinore, where things are truly rotten under the surface. His father (Brian Blessed) has died under mysterious circumstances, allowing his uncle Claudius (Derek Jacobi) to step in, marry Hamlet’s mom Gertrude (Julie Christie) and assume the throne. Hamlet has no love for his uncle and has even less when the image of his father’s ghost appears one night, proclaiming that he was murdered by Claudius and now seeks a task that he bestows upon his tormented son: revenge.
Murder, Sex, Madness and Revenge. Themes that have run through each and every cinematic adaptation of Hamlet. Yet this is the first version of Hamlet that has had the opportunity to fully examine each theme without compromise which makes it stand apart from the rest of the pack. The four-hour run time gives the material the proper breathing room it needs to come alive and make its full emotional impact felt. Gloriously shot in 70mm by Alex Thomson (Lawrence of Arabia), Branagh frees Hamlet from the dark, dank nature that has been associated with the tale in past adaptations (it’s nice to have the play’s humor back in place) and fills it with an epic scope worthy of the play’s iconic status.
It goes without saying that no matter how well-produced and directed a movie version is of Hamlet, it won’t be successful without a worthy cast and Branagh has assembled a very impressive ensemble at that. The filmmaker excels as the melancholy Dane and is supported by superb performances from the likes of Jacoby, Christie and Kate Winslet as Hamlet’s long-suffering former love, Ophelia. Other notable smaller performances come from Charlton Heston as the Player King, Michael Maloney as Laertes, Nicholas Farrell as Horatio, Richard Briers as Polonius and even Billy Crystal as the Gravedigger. Slightly less impressive were turns by Jack Lemmon, Gerard Depardieu and Robin Williams. None of them are bad performances, but definitely less impactful.
Chances are that if another full-length adaptation is attempted of Hamlet two things will be for certain: it will not be one made for cinemas and it will not have the passion that Kenneth Branagh infused this production with. While I still think his 1989 version of Henry V is his best work and my favorite Shakespeare film adaptation (bar none), his take on Hamlet is a true epic that is a rewarding experience for anyone who experiences it.
High-Def Presentation
Warner’s VC-1/1080p encode of Branagh’s epic (in its 2.20:1 aspect ratio) is very give and take. In housing the 37-gig file of the movie on one BD-50 and not spreading it across two discs, Warner has denied Hamlet a higher bit rate and most likely a nicer picture. What we do get is a clean print that boasts strong colors, solid black levels and a fair amount of picture detail.
But it is also a transfer that is by and large soft, and one that uses a fair amount of Digital Noise Reduction that makes many of the close-ups look waxy. There is also some moderate usage of Edge Enhancement but not enough to be majorly distracting. The pinkish skin tones that appear throughout the film have been the subject of some debate on the Internet. But given the inconsistency of the pinkish appearance, one has to wonder if this may be more the result of the production’s makeup work than it is an authoring issue.
Audio-wise, the 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio track adequately gets the job done. The center-channel dialogue is clear throughout, with the right and left channel front speakers giving Patrick Doyle’s sweeping score and a few choice sound effects some nice heft. Bass is somewhat reserved, while the rear channels display moderate use.
Beyond the Feature
While there are no new supplements for this Hamlet Blu-ray debut, Warner has ported over the bonus material found on the 2007 DVD release. The disc does come housed in a nice 36-page hardcover digi-book that is filled with trivia and background information on the cast and the film’s production. With the exception of the Branagh introduction, all video-based supplements are presented in average-looking 480p Standard Definition.
Introduction by Kenneth Branagh (8:00; 1080i) – Recorded in 2007, the filmmaker gives a brief background on the origins of the production and even gives a tip of the hat to the many fans of the film that wrote Branagh over the years asking when the movie was going to be released on DVD.
To Be on Camera: A History With Hamlet(24:34) – Produced back in 1996, this short documentary looks at the production of the film and not the cinematic history of the play itself. The doc features interviews with the cast and also features behind-the-scenes footage.
Audio Commentary with Kenneth Branagh and Russell Jackson – Branagh sits down with Shakespearian Scholar Russell Jackson to discuss the play and the production at great length. It is easily the highlight of the bonus material.
1996 Cannes Film Festival Promo – A short feature to get the anticipation ball rolling on the movie in May of 1996.
Theatrical Trailer – The film’s original theatrical trailer.
Funny, tragic, majestic and engrossing from start to finish, Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is as epic as William Shakespeare gets on the big screen. Warner’s high definition debut of the film isn’t quite as epic as one would hope thanks to a so-so picture transfer, but it’s going to have to do. After all, the play *is* the thing here, and if you love the work of Shakespeare as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to pick this Blu-ray up for your collection.
– Shawn Fitzgerald
Shop for Hamlet on Blu-ray at a discounted price from Amazon.com.
