The Play's The Thing

I know what you will say, Gentle Reader, "Two Kenneth Branagh posts in one day? C'mon." It's true, but I just had to write about this DVD. As my very good friend Lana and I were wandering about, sipping Starbucks' peppermint hot chocolate (Lana) and Cinnamon Dolce Latte (yours truly) and seeing what Chapters (kind of like Barnes and Noble for our American readers) had to offer, I came across the 1996 version of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh.

I can not tell you how long I have waited for this DVD and it is now available. This is the ultimate version of Hamlet ever put to film. Now, I know that the very mention of Shakespeare will cause the same result as having to take a very badly tasting cough syrup for a lot of people. However, no one does Shakespeare like Kenneth Branagh. He knows the material so well that he makes it come alive to a level that even if one doesn't know exactly what is being said, the action moves the story along so that it is understandable. Branagh's treatment of Much Ado About Nothing (1993) is definitely another one to check out. And of course, his Henry V (1989).

Shakespeare's play of corruption, revenge and "murder most foul," is "the Bard's" longest work and the full text of the play is presented for the first time which brings the movie in at about 4 hours, so it's definitely a curl up on the couch kind of movie, but it is so beautifully shot and well-acted by an eclectic cast including Branagh, Kate Winslet, Derek Jacobi, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, etc, that the time moves by very quickly.

Unlike other versions of Hamlet, Branagh understands that although the character is "the melancholy Dane," his surroundings don't have to be. Branagh keeps the court of Elsinore bright, cheery and alive. He sets the piece in the 19th century which works amazingly well with the source material. Honestly, this film is an acquired taste, but if Shakespeare is your thing, pick this up. You won't be disappointed. If Shakespeare is not your thing, give Hamlet a try, you might be surprised. And if you do give it a try and you think I was full of shit, please tell me. Just please be kind.