Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

By Rebekah Johnston
page 4

By using some creative license, usually in the form of flashback visuals without dialog, Branagh adds more dimension to several of the characters. He shows scenes of domestic tranquility in Elsinore years ago, with Gertrude, Old Hamlet, and the young prince playing games and laughing at the jests of Yoric, while Claudius lingers ominously in the background. In a moment that elucidates the true nature of their relationship, we are shown Hamlet and Ophelia in bed. And , with the ghost's words serving as a voiceover narrative, Claudius his brother and predecessor.

Briefly, I want to mention a few of the many scenes that captured my attention. The first, which may be the most majestic moment in the entire film (and which is used for the theatrical poster) occurs during the departure of Gertrude and Claudius from Elsinore's audience chamber under a hail of flower petals while Hamlet, dressed in black,watches bleakly from behind them. Then there's the sequence where Hamlet encounters his father's ghost.

The earth spits open, fire belches forth, mists coalesce, and the forest reverberates with the unearthly voice. Hamlet's {"Get thee to a nunnery")confrontation with Ophelia is tense and emotionally wrenching. The graveyard scene, which opens the final act, is perfectly realized, especially as Hamlet recognizes the body in the coffin. Finally, the climax is handled with the right mix of drama and adventure, and includes a nice nod to Errol Flynn.

From the moment it was first announced that Branagh would attempt an unabridged Hamlet, I never doubted that it would be a worthy effort. After all, his previous forays into Shakespeare have been excellent. Nothing, however, prepared me for the power and impact of this motion picture. No other has engaged my intellect, senses, and emotions in quite the same way. I have seen dozens of versions of this play (either on screen or on stage), and none has ever held me in such a grip of awe. This may be Branagh's dream, but it is our pleasure.

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