Directed by:
Franco ZeffirelliCinematography:
David WatkinComposer:
Ennio MorriconeCast:
Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Paul Scofield, Ian Holm, Helena Bonham Carter, Stephen Dillane, Nathaniel Parker, Christien Anholt, Pete Postlethwaite (more)VOD (1)
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Zeffirelli's film adaptation of Shakespeare's play. Hamlet (Mel Gibson), Prince of Denmark, is in mourning for his father, whose death is quickly followed by widow Gertrude's (Glenn Close) marriage to Hamlet's uncle, Claudius (Alan Bates), who has assumed the throne following his brother's demise. When the ghost of Hamlet's father (Paul Scofield) visits him and claims to have been foully murdered by Claudius, the young prince vows to avenge his death. However, Hamlet's self-doubt and procrastination lead to further tragedy. (Momentum Pictures)
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A very successful Shakespeare adaptation with excellent actors. I was pleasantly surprised by Mel Gibson, whom I had never ever before imagined playing the Prince of Denmark, but in fact he did an excellent job with the role of Hamlet. Along with Branagh, Zeffirelli is one of the few directors who know how to bring Shakespeare to the movie screen in a way that the end result doesn’t seem just like a recording of a theatre performance. But they manage to retain the spirit of the play. Slightly short of perfection, but even so, this Hamlet is a very respectable example of a Shakespeare movie.
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It's fine. But that's about it. There are interesting actors here, with Glenn Close essentially not delivering much, and Ian Holm having too little space similar to Helena Bonham Carter, so it all depends on Mel, who shows that he can play every emotion, but still doesn't elevate this version of Hamlet.
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