Hamlet (1990)

6 out of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent - Mel Gibson and just a really good film

Joy from Blackpool, England, 11th January, 2006

You really don't have to be a Shakespeare buff to enjoy and appreciate this masterpiece of a film. Mel Gibson and/or Shakespeare fans will love it. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli and a star line up of Mel Gibson bringing energy and good looks (1991 bit younger mmm!) Glen Close as the Queen and Helena Bonham Carter, as Ophelia are excellent in there role. The period costumes and the scenery are beautiful and filmed with colour and vibrance, not an air of stuffiness you might expect from a Shakespeare adaptation. In fact forget the Shakespeare bit (if it helps) and enjoy a gritty tragic tale of honour, betrayal and revenge that can rival any modern day blockbuster action movie. A cracking good film - A great way into Shakespeare

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2 out of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Forget your prejudices, this is better than you'd think

jennifer claire from Ireland, 21st September, 2006

Not a Mel Fan but I Loved this film.Shakespeare as she were wrote- action and movement , excellent intro duction to the play for the younger set, fluid and beautifully shot with top class performances. I cannot reccommend this film highly enough.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Hamlet for idiots.

A Customer from Yeovil, England, 25th July, 2008

I loved this film when it came out at the cinema, and revisiting it on DVD hasn't lessened my opinion of it. It's a lot more accessible than wading through the abridged written works out there, despite having and Austral/American lead character. If you haven't seen it rent it!

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1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Hamlet

Timpson from from rotherham, 9th May, 2008

I am not a great fan of Shakespeare (apologies to those who are) but as I am currently doing an undergraduate course in English Literature it is imperative that I have an understanding of the plays of the bard. This film was surprisingly good and has helped me enormously. Even if you are ony watching for entertainment purposes this film will help you to undestand what all the fuss is about. A truly exceptional portrayal!

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Mel Gibsons got a really funny face

Jelly from from Glasgow, 2nd August, 2008

I thought this was really fantastic, I LOVE Shakespeare. Great casting, wonderful screen adaption, truely stunning and dramatic location. It was filled at Duntocher Castle in Stonehaven, I was living nearby in Aberdeen when it was being filmed and i remember they drafted in half the local bikers and metallers as extras. I thought Helena Bonham Carters haunting performance as Ophelia especially moving and far more convincing than Kate Winslets later portrayal. No disrespect to Kate (i blame the director for that strange performance). However I had to close my eyes when Mel Gibson had a soliloquy. He SOUNDED ok but the expression on his face so goofy it was totally distracting. Obviously it would have been better if i didnt have to do this but the film is so worth seeing that I really didnt mind too much. Can i really be the only one who felt this way????

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