[What Is This Feeling?]

I watched this film less than a month ago. I was really impressed. I know it isn't the best version out there, but I think the film is really good. I loved Mel Gibson, Helena Bonham Carter, Glenn Close and Ian Holm especially. I recently played Guildenstern in my high school production. So, I stumbled upon the film one day. What do you guys think of the movie? I thought the costumes and cinematography were both excelent.

[Annie]

Ugh. I hate this version.

I much prefer the Richard Burton and Kenneth Branagh films.

But I LOVE Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet.

[Salome]

I really loved this version of Hamelet. GHibson is very credible as Hamlet but itst he supporting cast that makes the fiulm.. Ian Holm as Polonius is brilliant the late Sir Alan Bates is a stirring Claudius, Glenn CLose a well balanced and Nuanced Gertrude,Helena B. Carter a tragic Ophelia and of the course the legendary Paul Scofield is simply the finest Ghost to ever be put on film.

Tony Richrdson's film starring Nicol Williamson is still my favorite film version of Hamelet but Zefferelli's is 2nd.

(p.s. Sir John Gielgud's Hamelt starring Ricahrd Burton isnt a film.its a recorded version of the broadway production so it doesnt count as a film.)

[Glow]

It was pretty good. Zefferelli always has an insightful approach to Shakespeare and the movie was cohesive dramatically. Still, I think the best version I've seen was Grigori Kozintsev's Russian version or Richard Burton's (it's a filmed version of a live performance). The Branaugh is a bit overstated for my taste.

[Salome]

Richard Burton was never knighted.

[Glow]

Thanks for your correction. I always make that mistake, and also confuse him with Olivier sometimes. I am getting old.

[Mistress]

I've never seen Zeferelli's film, only Branagh's and the last third of the Ethan Hawke movie. Branagh's was fun, (especially when I could sit there and pick out all the cameos) but his Hamlet was to broad for the screen, it would have been better suited to the stage...he should have toned his acting down a bit...other than that, I loved the rest of it.

That being said, I love Shakespeare films, and Branagh is undoubtadly one of the best in the business (I adore his Much Ado About Nothing-minus the bewildering presence of Keanu Reeves of course)

[Salome]

Everyone should see Tony Richardson's Hamelt film.

[star2ballie]

love this version!! we watched it in humanities when we studied Hamlet. i agree with salome, the supporting cast is simply brilliant. although gibson did much better than i expected. i enjoyed his performance. i really loved close and helena bonham carter...they were both great

[what_the_heck013]

I've only seen the Branagh version, which I think is brilliant.

[Salome]

whilei love alot of Branagh' version it suffers from Spot The Actor Syndrome.

while some of the star turns are perfect (Derek Jacobi,Julie Christie,kATE Winslet,Brian Blessed,Richard Briers,Robin Williams) some are not needed (John Gielgud,Judi Dench,Gerard Depardeau) and others are miscast or embarassing (Charloton Heston,Jack lemmon *the mans only poor performance* and Billy Crystal).

[what_the_heck013]

^I pretty much just like it for Winslet. And I feel like "spot the actor" is part of its charm.

[What Is This Feeling?]

I personally like the Medeval, traditional setting of the piece. I've heard Branagh's version is set in the late 19th century. Which, I look forward to seeing. Although, I've also heard it becomes ridiculously long. Zefferelli's Hamlet is almost cut in half, but I still found it very affective.

[Mistress]

Branagh's film is indeed epic at close to 4 hrs long. It's because it's completely and totally uncut. Every single piece of Shakespeare's dialogue is in there, which is quite the accomplishment considering it's his largest work.

BTW I alos liked playing spot-the-actor with Branagh's film

[Salome]

[Mistress]

I actually, I think whattheheck ment that he/she liked playing the little game, trying to spot all the cameos (I know I did ).

Julie Chrsitie was my favourite to watch...awsome Gertrude she was (Although we had to quit the movie before we saw the end, so I missed out on the final sword fight scene)

[Salome]

I found Derek Jacobi to be my favorite in the Branagh film.

[MaryMag]

[Salome]

its not that she was badi n hamlet but she had the non speaking role of Hecuba oppositet he non speaking role of John Gielgud as Priam. these are only charactersi n he speech given by player king. Branagh wanted to use Sir John and Dame Judi so he had them seen as Heston overacted the speech.

[WSSfan]

I've never seen Zefferelli's Hamlet either, but having seen Zefferellli's
version of Romeo & Juliet and not particularly cared for it, unlike most of the kids I knew who saw it, I don't think I'd want to see his rendition of
"Hamlet", either. Just my two cents.

[Salome]

what didnt youl iek about his R&J? its the only good version of that play on film.

[Salome]

bump