HAMLET
A film review by John Bauer
Copyright 1997 John Bauer
***1/2 (out of 4)
[Note: After claiming otherwise, my appetite was indeed whetted by Kenneth Branagh's HAMLET to search out other attempts to translate Shakespeare to film in hopes of finding a better mousetrap. As it happens, it didn't take long.]
Is there a more romantic director than Franco Zeffirelli? Known mainly to American audiences as the man behind 1968's ROMEO AND JULIET (required viewing for many high schoolers, and as much as most ever learn of Shakespeare), he is also a favorite at the Metropolitan Opera, where his achingly beautiful designs further the already lush emotion of many a Puccini aria. Last year he gave us his beautifully realized version of JANE EYRE, one of the twin peaks (with WUTHERING HEIGHTS) of romantic literature.
It might seem peculiar, then, that Zeffirelli ever had an interest in translating HAMLET for the screen. At first blush, HAMLET is far removed from romance. The hero, though a prince, is depressed, conflicted and confused. The ostensible love interest gets little screen time, and her scenes with her prince are usually as an object of mockery. The plot is full of political intrigue and the players are as cursed as the House of Atreus.
It is Zeffirelli's genius, however, that he is able to expose the romantic core of HAMLET and give the sometimes dry tale an emotional embrace. In this Italian master's hands, romance is everywhere -- in a son's worship of his father, in the bonds of deepest friendship, in the private thoughts of young lovers, even in the mystery of castles by the sea. After all, the story hinges on a ghost, and what could be more romantic than that?
What seemed like a cheap way to sell tickets at the time turned out to be one of the most romantic gestures of all, namely, hiring then-reigning Hollywood hunk Mel Gibson to play the lead. Who could believe that the man who made his mark playing Mad Max and a "lethal weapon" (in the series of the same name) would have the skill to succeed in the most famous role in the English language? Franco Zeffirelli, that's who. And it is apparent in every frame that his instinct was right on the money.
What Gibson brings to the role is a naturalness and ease which makes the whole story meaningful, not to mention comprehensible. His line readings sound spontaneous rather than rehearsed. His movements and gestures (excepting his sometimes too active eyes) are totally in keeping with the character. This is a Hamlet whose pain we feel, whose struggle we empathize with, and whose death we mourn as sincerely as Horatio at film's end.
Glenn Close, the other big name in the production, also does well by the script and satisfies as Hamlet's mother, Gertrude -- though I must confess I'm still trying to understand the character as written. (Zeffirelli's incestuous interpretation of Hamlet's relationship with his mother doesn't help.) Alan Bates makes a believably evil Claudius without resorting to the mannerisms of a Hollywood heavy. By and large the rest of the cast performs admirably and comfortably.
Of special note are the cinematography by David Watkin and the score by Ennio Morricone. Both support the realistic mood marvelously (as do the sets and costumes), without any overstated effects that declare "this is important; this is Shakespeare!" I particularly appreciate that the words are often spoken without any music at all: the melody of a wonderfully wrought phrase is given its due.
Perhaps it is difficult to call edited Shakespeare "definitive." And there are certainly quite a few other filmed versions of HAMLET that I have not seen. But if you've ever felt the urge to overcome your fear of the Bard, this HAMLET is an excellent place to start.
May 10, 1997
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