There's no question that Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of "Hamlet" is intimidating. It's very length - four hours, plus an intermission - gives the average moviegoer pause. (Though I've been in 90-minute movies that seemed longer; think Pauly Shore.)
Shakespeare purists and fans of flamboyant costume fare are already in line, of course, but for those who are waffling, here's some reassurance: Branagh's Shakespeare is nothing if not accessible.If you've seen his "Henry V" or "Much Ado About Nothing," you already know that Branagh is capable of making the language not only understandable but dramatically sound. You may not catch every word, but the gist never escapes you.
Branagh has also moved the action forward in history, to a vague late 19th-century period, using opulent sets and costumes and expansive location footage, all of which adds to the cinematic approach.
While he has carefully cast well-known actors who perfectly suit the major characters, he takes the title role himself. And though Branagh is too old for Shakespeare's brooding prince, he manages to make "Hamlet" his own.
This is not the typical "melancholy Dane," but rather a feisty fighter with a dark sense of humor. (And that humor seems more pervasive here than in other "Hamlets" I've seen.)
The story is well-known: Prince Hamlet learns from the ghost of the king, his late father (Brian Blessed), that he was murdered by his brother Claudius (Derek Jacobi). Meanwhile, Claudius has married Queen Gertrude (Julie Christie) - within a month of the king's death - and taken over the throne.
Mix in Hamlet's feelings for Ophelia (Kate Winslet), daughter of the king's counsel Polonius (Richard Briers) and sister of his best friend Laertes (Michael Maloney), and you have a classic set of conflicts, as Hamlet tries to determine what action he should take to set things right.
All of these players are quite good, but Jacobi and Christie certainly stand out. And while Jacobi has continually delivered the goods in serious productions over the years, Christie hasn't had a part like this to sink her teeth into in some time. (Has it really been 30 years since "Doctor Zhivago"?) If she ever had any worries about being taken seriously as an actress, they should vanish after this film is widely seen. (Her Oscar snub notwithstanding.)
Once Branagh achieved his goal of getting a studio green light to mount a flamboyant, complete, unabridged "Hamlet" - a play that has often been trimmed of significant characters as well as scenes for its various film incarnations (and that includes the most recent, which starred Mel Gibson) - he set out to make it entertaining for the masses. But, as much as possible, without compromise.
And by and large, he has managed to do just that.
True, Branagh's stunt star-casting is as blatant here (perhaps more so) as in his "Much Ado" - with small roles taken by Charlton Heston, Jack Lemmon, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, etc. But if Williams or Crystal can bring in a few more ticket-buyers, who can argue?
What's more, some of these stars - in particular Heston, Williams and, believe it or not, Crystal - manage to adapt their famous personas quite wonderfully to the characters. (The worst is Lemmon, who is far too stiff and looks rather nervous as Marcellus, especially when delivering the famous "some-thing is rotten in the state of Denmark" line.)
On the other hand, there are a few scenes where Branagh himself goes over the top, and moments when he inexplicably allows his camera to linger on the vastness of his sets, as if to justify their cost.
But most of the way, "Hamlet" is a magnificent effort, and despite the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences largely overlooking his direction and his central performance, audiences will come away genuinely impressed.
"Hamlet" is rated PG-13 for violence, brief sex and nudity, and some vulgarity.