Overview
Like all other works by Shakespeare, the play that this film is based on was very successful and numerous adaptations have ensued. The original play was titled The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark but many just referred to it as Hamlet. The play was composed in the Kingdom of Denmark. One of the latest adaptation of the play was directed by Kennett Branagh in 1996 who startlingly plays as Prince Hamlet in the same film. The cast also features figures such as Julie Christie as Queen Gertrude, Derek Jacobi as Kin Claudius, Kate Winslet as Ophelia, among others.
Plot
Of all the adaptations made of the play, this film of 1996 is the first unabridged theatrical movie version, and runs for more than four hours. No other film adaptation of the play run for that long. Hamlet is also Shakespeare’s longest play. The film dramatizes the revenge on Claudius by Prince Hamlet for killing King Hamlet, Claudius’s brother and Prince Hamlet’s father. Claudius then goes to an extent of taking Prince Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, as is wife after taking over the throne. Some of the themes embedded in the play include revenge, treachery, and incest.
The film lucidly depicts both the true and false imprudence, from livid rage to overwhelming sorrow, by exploring the themes detail. Claudius’s determination to clinch power sees him eliminate all other figures that may assume the reign. Prince hamlet losses close family member and his mother is taken as the wife of Claudius after his father is murdered. The prince is equally determined to revenge for all this misery, but there are no easy ways to do so.
Impression
The themes in the film are very enlightening and well defined that one can learn from. The film is cited as one of the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature which is largely to do with the way the initial play was composed. It is easy to understand why the play is one of the most adapted forms of literature with only Cinderella having more adaptations. This adaptation in 1996 is cited by many as the best of them all since it is well put and comprehensive, becoming an identical form of the play.