Review of Hamlet (1996) by Alice S — 29 Oct 2008

Good god, Kenneth Branagh plays Kenneth Branagh in everything he does. It's commendable that he chooses to play Hamlet as an ACTIVE character, rather than a PASSIVE one, but his interpretation is much too knowing, much too methodical for the unsure, questioning, brooding prince.

Hamlet is driven by love for his father, mother, and Ophelia, but all I saw was an arrogant, attention-seeking, pretty-boy. Branagh had merely three notes in his performance- screaming fury, hushed seriousness, schticky madness.

SOOO schticky and not even funny. Kudos for undertaking this full-length version on film but it's supposed to be film. There was nothing cinematically artistic about the execution - cinematography was lazy and scoring tried to compensate.

I do have to admit though, out of Branagh, Gibson, and Hawke, Branagh does the best "I loved Ophelia!" Anguish!!!