Kenneth Branaughs HAMLET -- WHEN?
 

When is this Oscar-winning version of HAMLET coming to DVD?????

Anone else even care?

I think I heard Branagh said next year.

This is from the Digital Bits:

Sweet.

The only Hamlet to use the full text... shot in 70mm... this is the BEST Hamlet.

Problem with it? Well, some distracting cameos to help push box office and then... Kenneth Branagh as Hamlet. This film may be the best version - but he's not the best Hamlet.

True. The costumes and set designs won me over more than anything.

Seeing this at the theater in true 70MM was what won me over, and while I'm a huge Branagh fan, I must shockingly admit that as far as contemporary performances of this character go I prefer Gibson's over Branagh's.

P.S. When the hell is the Zeffirelli version being released?

Argh. Tell me about it. I love Jack Lemmon, but his performance here is absolutely cringe-worthy.

Gibson's Hamlet is one of the greatest surprises I've ever had at the theater. I went in expecting to laugh it off the screen, but was amazed to see how well they pulled it off.

Warner needs to get this one released on DVD... preferably with a cast commentary.

P.S. "Good thing I have this on laserdisc" ;)

Awww, I wanted to say that.

He was not good, but Robin Williams' decision to play his character as a flaming homosexual for no reason whatsoever was truly embarrassing.

Surprisingly, I thought Charlton Heston was quite good in it, and I was not expecting that at all.

I think that's just the true Robin Williams coming through. ;)

I'd agree with the comment about Branagh's choice to play the role. While his performance was certainly good, the main distraction for me was his age. I have always identied with Hamlet as the troubled young man in his late teens/early 20's, not a thirtysomething. You're supposed to be young and intense; when you pass a certain age, people just think you're bitter :). My two cents.

Just to counterpoint what you two are saying. The character of Osric is often played an effeminate character, who shows some homosexual or at least homosocial tendencies towards Hamlet.

Looking in the text, there is evidence of a crush in Osric's language. The language is certainly more intense than that in the relationship between Horatio and Hamlet. Many performances downplay Osric's character, or even excise him from the text (as many performances also do with Chuck Heston's monologue), but in the very least Osric is an overtly dramatic character as evidenced by his focus-pulling ejaculations (no pun intended) into the duel ("A hit! A palpable hit!"). I hope you don't think that Shakespeare would never write a homosexual or flaming character.

I think the most controversial aspect of Branagh's film is his interpretation of the ending. His belief is that the military forces of Fortinbras are invading, coming to conquer Denmark, but that Hamlet has already and inadvertantly taken care of all the work. The general consensus of critics is that this is not the case, and that Fortinbras was simply passing through Denmark.

But I do agree with the above points about Lemmon's lackluster performance and the greatness of Heston's.

and I'm sure this is more of a response that you were thinking you would get. I just wanted to put a critical spin on the actor's choices beyond matters of personal opinion.

Even so, Williams' performance was way over the top. He was shooting The Birdcage around the same time, and seems to have thought he was playing the same character in both.

Hamlet's actually getting on in years in the play. Yorick has been dead 'three and twenty year', yet Hamlet remembers playing with him when he was just a young prince.

I didn't think his role in The Birdcage was that 'flaming', actually.

I still find it funny that Branagh received an Oscar nom for Best Adapted Screenplay. He took the play from Shakespeare and put it on the table. I could have done that! ;)

It's a little sad that people think that's all there is to it. (And since I'm not sure to what your wink refers, I'll just play dumb and treat your post as serious.)

The screenplay was published in book form. You owe it to yourself to check it out from the library and read it if only to find out why he got that nomination! There are notes and directions between almost every single line of dialogue.

Two excerpts from the shooting diary, since I have the book out now:

"Wednesday 10 January. Rehearsal on set with Robin Williams [...]. [Robin] is careful to see Osric as a person - a landowning upstart, but with his own sense of place and purpose. Details: he looks round the room nervously (but only a brief glance) while waiting for Hamlet to answer him."

"Thursday 11 January. Shoot the scene. Osric at first confident, not very flamboyant or aggressive, but as the scene progresses he is less easily conciliatory with Hamlet, a bit surer of his own fashionable rightness, even when taunted about the fancy words he uses. (But it's still an ordeal: eyes show he's had enough, and he manages to collide with a chair when he bows.) Robin has found the physicality: the painfully restricting boots, tight new uniform, make him stiff and awkward, undermine the high status he has awarded himself. Proud at first of having been told to go to see Hamlet, by the end he is glad to get out."

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bboisvert
[B]Gibson's Hamlet is one of the greatest surprises I've ever had at the theater. I went in expecting to laugh it off the screen, but was amazed to see how well they pulled it off.

Wow, how can you say that? They only cut out THE most important part of the entire play from the movie (not sure if it was filmed and deleted or just never shot)

The Scene where Hamlet over hears his Uncle confess to the murder of his Father is IMO the most important scene of the play/movie. For some reason, Gibson and company did not feel this was necessary to the film, guess they consider themselves a better judge of what the story needs than Shakespear himself.

On the topic though, I did love Branagh's Hamlet, hard to beat Oliviers performance though. He's a legend for a reason.

Just want to say I enjoyed the film, and if the price is right I'd get the DVD.

I've been waiting for this movie forever to come out on DVD. I saw this in my english class in hs, and I really enjoyed it. I STILL don't get why this wasn't released earlier though....

I'll try and see if I can track this one down.

Anything else besides this that is must see for Shakespeare fans?

My BF and I just got back from the Shakespeare Festival at Illinois State University. We saw "As You Like It", "Knight of the Burning Pestle" and "King Lear". Wonderful!

I was just browsing on Amazon yesterday and noticed the different versions of Hamlet.

Any help discerning would be appreciated!

:)

-- Jenny

Sure, but you weren't a "homosexual" or a "flamer" in those days...you were a "Dandy". ;)

Pacinos "Looking for Richard" is an interesting documentary. Available cheap on DVD. Worth it for Shakes' fans.

For what it's worth, "cutting" the play is something that almost every stage production must do. Shakespeare's plays were intentionally overwritten because in his time they were designed to run for a number of hours, with different segments of the audience coming in and out over the course of the day, and those people needed to be able to catch up and follow the plot.

The conventions of modern theater are quite different, and the plays usually must be adapted for performance.

Check out Branagh's A MidWinter's Tale, which he made just prior to his Hamlet, and is about a stage troupe trying to put on a production of... yes, Hamlet. I recall a funny scene or two where they discuss "the cuts", with all of the actors arguing to save more lines for their characters.

I'd love to have Branagh's version on DVD. If anyone is a huge fan of the play, here are two other great interpretations:

http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=82

http://www.videoeta.com/movie/49572

In my modest opinion,

Best Hamlet perfomance ever in a motion picture.

Innokenti Smoktunovsky .... Hamlet (1964) Russian persion.

Period.


Can't wait for the Ruscico DVD.