26. Hamlet

Those who consider Bob and Doug McKenzie’s Strange Brew to be the best Hamlet ever put on film must have missed Kenneth Branagh’s masterful version during its initial 1996 run. The reasons for skipping Branagh’s film were plentiful though. For one thing, it’s Shakespeare, and a lot of people still consider Shakespeare as something they had forced down their throats in elementary school, like turkey meatloaf or green leafy vegetables. Secondly, Branagh’s Hamlet is four hours long, and few people have posteriors hardy enough to sustain that amount of down time in a theater seat. In addition, this was supposed to be a relatively straightforward (if groundbreaking “full text”) adaptation, not a clever contemporary update (a la Luhrmann) or some sneaky sonnet masquerading as an urban reality play. And then there’s some guy named Laurence Olivier, whose 1948 translation of the play has often been referred to by many as -- McKenzie Bros. devotees take note -- the “definitive” version.

What’s the frequency, Kenneth? Did you think you could out-muscle Sir Larry? With so many strikeouts going in, Branagh might as well have shot his film in black and white! But if anyone could prove there’s more than one way to tackle this most cautionary of cautionary tales it was Branagh, who’d already proven himself a worthy Shakespeare wrangler with his 1989 interpretation of Henry V  (in fact, half of Branagh’s directorial efforts to date have been worthy interpretations of the Bard). Hamlet boasts impeccable credentials: a sumptuous cast, gorgeous costumes, impressive set design, and phenomenal performances that range from the sublime (Derek Jacobi as Claudius; Julie Christie as Gertrude) to the ridiculous (Billy Crystal as a gravedigger; Ken Dodd as alas poor Yorick). And Branagh himself contributes a performance in front of the camera (as the conflicted Dane) that’s every bit as staggering as the one behind it. Eat your vegetables. Read the book. Then see this film. (David N. Butterworth)