If you’re not familiar with the play, it surrounds a character named Hamlet (I know, shocker) that recently lost his father and has almost as recently gained a father through his uncle. Distraught by the situation, he soon finds out that his uncle has murdered his father and Hamlet has been charged with getting revenge. Hamlet’s need to kill his new father doesn’t take into account of anyone’s feelings; revenge is all that matters. Keep in mind, noobs, that this is a tragedy.
If you’re a fan of Shakespeare then you are most certainly aware of how difficult it is to take Hamlet and translate it to film; it’s one of the toughest gigs. Need proof? Ask Mel Gibson how that went. His Hamlet was good, but didn’t even touch the entire play. So when Kenneth Branagh approached the project of bringing another version of the famous play to film you better believe he came prepared. Kenneth Branagh’s passion for Shakespeare, and experience on the stage, has brought about many great Shakespearean films including Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing. When he proposed making Hamlet people just knew that the sky would be the limit.
He produced what many people believe to be the best Hamlet ever. That’s a big statement when you consider that Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet was clearly one of the more powerful performances caught on film. Branagh did what few filmmakers wouldn’t dare to do these days (without including Hobbits in the plot); he made the full four-hour play and had it sent to a mass audience. With Castlerock’s $18 million dollar backing, he rented out the gorgeous Blenheim Palace and performed one of the darker versions of Hamlet. He also hired an all-star cast that included Brian Blessed, Judy Dench, Charlton Heston, Billy Crystal and Robin Williams. The cast was handpicked by Branagh and picked quite well. Each player knew their role and played it well. The shining star, of course, is Branagh as Hamlet. He plays the part like he shot the film, with passion and drive that isn’t rivaled by anyone else. He makes the world his stage when he’s on camera and he controls everyone’s attention. That sort of ambition is rare and what came out of it was even rarer; success and critical acclaim.
You must understand how big this film was for the time. It was the last film shot on 70mm, which was a huge deal. The use of 70mm film on a gorgeous set such as the Blenheim Palace really brought out the large scope of the sets. Most of the film is played within a gorgeous mirror hall of the palace. The walls are completely lined with mirrors and that makes the shoot more than ambitious. It’s hard enough to hide a camera and crew in a single mirrored room, but it’s nearly impossible to do so in a giant room filled with mirrors. Branagh and crew pulled it off perfectly and with some very risky camera shots. Yet, there are no flaws in the film; no glitches where you can see a single crewmember. It’s a perfectly shot film.
So, with location, cast and an epic Shakespearean play intact, what is there to hate about the film? Nothing at all. This is Shakespearean perfection on film. This film set a new standard that no one can meet when it comes to translating Shakespeare to film. Branagh’s meticulous attention to detail shines through from scene to scene. If you need an example of how to put a play to film then you need only pull this from the film library and start taking notes. It’s truly shining perfection.
Now, Warner Brothers has taken this wonderful piece of perfection and moved it to Blu-ray and guess what? My God it’s beyond beautiful. Imagine the most beautiful woman/man in your life and then make them even more beautiful; that’s Hamlet on Blu-ray. The location and the environments are enhanced beautifully by the HD upgrade. There aren’t any scenes of graininess, artifacts; there’s nothing wrong with how the HD shines through. For example, after Hamlet meets with his father’s ghost in the woods you get a horrifyingly beautiful glimpse at the foggy, snowy landscape in the dark woods. It looks dreadfully perfect, as you’ll be just as visually drawn into the situation as Horatio and company. You’ll attach your emotions to the scene through visuals and understand the urgency of the oath that Horatio and the guard must abide by or face consequences. The entire scene visually commands your attention and you won’t be able to take your eyes off it, especially once you see it in the crystal clear HD transfer that Warner Home Video has laid out for you. The visuals are truly as perfect as the film.
Sticking with the same scene, you get the audio in DTS-HD and you’ll jump when Hamlet’s father’s ghost shouts at the men to ‘take the oath!’. The rumbling of the ground, the demanding, overpowering voice of Brian Blessed will jar you into almost taking the oath yourself. The audio is clear, powerful and properly remastered.
Treating their films right, Warner Home Video has added Hamlet to its booklet Blu-ray releases. You get the Blu-ray in a wonderful booklet case that tells you a bit more about he production and the cast. The case itself is hardbound and fits eloquently on your Blu-ray shelf. Much like the motif of the production and the Blu-ray, the case is just as classic.
Finally, you get some good features with the Blu-ray. You get a great introduction by Kenneth Branagh, which could quite honestly be a featurette of its own. He describes what he did to make the film, what decisions went into it and how the casting went down. The introduction was the 2007 intro that he did for the DVD version of the film (he states it in the intro). He also provides commentary for the film, which is informative and interesting. The other features you get are a tribute to Hamlet called ‘To Be on Camera: A History of Hamlet’; featuring a variety of interesting takes about the Hamlet Branagh created. You also get a promo reel for the Branagh film.