Review of Hamlet (1996) by Matt C — 11 Feb 2010

I so now wish that I had seen in this in 65 mm when it came out. There is so much that is perfect in this film. Patrick Doyle's score. The confrontation between Gertrude and Laertes. That giant throne room set, and in fact, both the interiors and exteriors.

The palace in the snows. Most of the big names in bit parts, especially Charlton Heston as the Player King and Billy Crystal as the Gravedigger. (I also loved how Gerard Depardieu was in there, seemingly for the hell of it, for the nothing part of Reynaldo, just to say "No, my lord.

" "Yes, my lord.") The "mousetrap" scene has the tension of Hitchcock's best suspense scenes. I once had a conversation with noted Canadian cinephiles Alex Fung and Omar Odeh about how few 3+ hour films have no flab and are absolutely tight.

Eureka and The Seven Samurai were noted as examples. This is another. Shakespeare's Hamlet is a "poem unlimited." Branagh made a film that is worthy of the play.