Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Hamlet’ – Movie Review

Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Hamlet’ – Movie Review

Kenneth Branagh's film 'Hamlet' is faithful to the original play as per words are concerned . The setting of the movie looks much like of Victorian era with huge palace, beautiful costume and colourful surroundings, rather than 11th century or the Renaissance age Denmark. This makes movie more interesting and appealing to the audience.  Even the last scene added by the director where Hamlet is taken like jesus Christ for the funeral was remarkable which we cannot find in the play.

 Yes, the movie has  changed my perceptions.  While reading the text we cannot get the idea of the tone in which words are spoken. The sub-plot emerges out very well in the movie and it also cleared my concept that how plot and sub- plot are interwoven .  I felt all the words spoken by Hamlet and Ophelia.

I felt "aesthetic delight" while watching following scenes from the movie :-

      a.)  In conversation between Hamlet and King Claudius

          " King - How is it that the clouds still hang on you ?

            Hamlet - Not so , my lord , I am too much in the sun " - scene 2

      b.) Hamlet’s behaviour with his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

      c.) Osric and Hamlet's conversation also gives a 'comic effect'.

 I felt "catharsis"  during many scenes like :-

       a.) when Ophelia goes mad after her father’s death.

       b.) when Hamlet sees the ghost of his father second time

       c.) Even when the queen Gertrude died.

   The movie helped a lot for better understanding of the play . It gives us the clear idea of situations , characters, the way they deliver the dialogues and their emotions . Also it gave the clear picture of Hamlet's character , his behaviour and his madness.  Audiovisual always helps to understand any play or text in a more better way.

   I loved one scene in the movie the most which I will cherish lifetime.  When Ophelia sings a song in her madness after her father's death.

          " And will he not come again ?

            No , No, he is dead ,

            Go to thy death-bed,

            He never will come again........" - scene 5

Her emotions touched my heart.

The film by Kenneth Branagh's is amazing , but if I was the director I would like to use ' Flashback Technique' in making the film. The movie would start with Hamlet's death. Horatio would tell Hamlet's tragedy to the audience by using this technique.

Symbolism is one of the narrative techniques.  Kenneth Branagh has very well used this technique in the movie. The first and last scene of the King's statue outside the castle symbolises  “circle of life”.Power never remains stagnant. It keeps on changing. Downfall is necessary to know the real value of power.

The director also tries to say that revenge has never brought anything fruitful.  We can cite here the example of the Mahabharata in which after revenge no was left to rule the throne. So what is the point of revenge.

  We can observe many approaches in one or the other way . I find formalist approach more applicable in the movie. We see the trap imagery executed very well . Hamlet sets a trap for his uncle through a mousetrap ( play within play ) and other other hand Claudius sets a trap for Hamlet through hiding himself behind the mirrors.  Everything looks simple in seeing but reality is quite different.

 The moral and philosophical approach appealed me (in pre- viewing task ) more than any other approaches.  We feel that Hamlet is misfit for the place where he lives. He is very idealist and therefore he is shattered when he discovers that some humans are so ambitious for a crown that they are willing to kill anyone. He is broken when he finds his mother and lover involved with the uncle , though Ophelia has nothing to do with the murder.she was a mere puppet for most of the male characters including hamlet.

We find many approaches at different levels in the play.