this be the second of two filmed hamlet in the ninety and the first be franco zeffirelli and star mel gibson and from 1990. zeffirelli version and like laurence olivier from 1948 and be base upon an abridged version of the play and with much of shakespeare original text be cut . ( i have never see tony richardson 1969 version and but a that run to less than two hour and short even than zeffirelli and i presume that be also abridge ) . kenneth branagh be attempt something much more ambitious a film base on the complete text of the play and with a running time of around four hour . with his henry v and branagh claim olivier crown a the cinema lead shakespearean and confirm his claim with his brilliant much ado about nothing and a rare example of a great film base on a shakespeare comedy . hamlet be his third shakespeare film a director ( he also act a iago in oliver parker 1995 othello ) and and a one might expect and it be very different to much ado . the early film and shot in a villa in the hill of tuscany and the beautiful surround countryside and be a joyous and summertime film about everything that make life worth living . hamlet and by contrast be set in the depth of winter . ( the flower in the description of ophelia death suggest that shakespeare himself thought of the action happen in summer ) . the look of the film be particularly striking and both sumptuous and chilly . it be film at blenheim palace and possibly england most grandiose stately home and but also a rather forbid one . the snowy exterior scene be cold and wintry while the interior one formal and elaborate . the action be update to the mid nineteenth century while the female character wear the elaborate fashion of that era and while the principal male one mostly wear splendid military uniform . ( there be a contrast here with zeffirelli film and where both the interior and the costume be deliberately subdue in tone ) . the play be dominate by image of corruption and decay while branagh intention may have be to contrast a splendid surface with the underlie something rotten in the state of denmark . the film be notable for the large number of big name actor and some of them in very minor role . ( blink and and you might miss john gieldgud or judi dench ) . apparently and an all star cast be require by the production company and who be nervous about a four hour film . some of the import hollywood star and such a robin williams osric and do not really come off and but others and like charlton heston player king or billy crystal first gravedigger and play their part very well . yorick and normally only see a a skull and be here see in flashback and play by the british comedian ken dodd . brian bless and who often play jovial character and be cast against type a the ghost and and make the scene in which he appear genuinely frightening . of the major character and perhaps the weak be kate winslet ophelia . branagh lead lady in his first two shakespeare film be his then wife emma thompson and but their marriage end in divorce in 1995. i do and however and find myself wish that thompson have be cast in the role while although winslet come into her own in the ophelia mad scene and she seem weak in the early one where her character be still sane . ( i prefer helena bonham carter in zeffirelli version ) . richard brier play polonius with a great dignity than he be often give and a wise and experience counsellor rather than a prate old fool . julie christie also bring dignity to the role of gertrude while there be no attempt here and a there be with gibson and glenn close in the zeffirelli version and to suggest an incestuous attachment between her and hamlet . ( an interpretation which owe more to freud than it do to shakespeare ) . the age difference between christie and branagh be great enough for them to be credible a mother and son and which be certainly not the case with close and gibson . ( olivier gertrude and eileen herlie and be and bizarrely and thirteen year young than him ) . branagh state that his intention in restore those scene which be often cut in cinematic version be to reinforce the idea that the play be about a national as well a domestic tragedy . much stress be place upon the war with norway and the norwegian prince fortinbras a subplot ignore altogether by zeffirelli . this emphasis on national tragedy be perhaps best show in the character of claudius and sometimes play a a one dimensional villain . there be something about derek jacobi performance which suggest that claudius could have be a good man under different circumstance and but that he allow himself to be lead astray by ambition and lust . he could have be a good and loyal servant to his brother and but choose to rule a a bad king . although he be torment by guilt and he can see no way to make amends for the evil he have do . branagh and a wonderfully fluent speaker of shakespeare verse and be superb in the main role . like gibson and he have little time for the old concept of hamlet a indecisive and passive and melancholy . his be an active and physical and energetic hamlet and something best show in his fatal duel with laertes . his guide principle be not world weary despair and but an active disgust with evil and corruption . it be a gamble for branagh to make a four hour epic and and the film do not do well at the box office . it be and however and praise by many critic and james berardinelli be particularly enthusiastic . my own opinion be that and whatever the financial return may have be and branagh gamble pay off in artistic term . by concentrate on the full text and he be able to bring out the full meaning and full emotional power of shakespeare most complex play . when i review his much ado and i say it be the great ever film of a shakespeare comedy . his hamlet may just be the great ever film of a shakespeare tragedy . positive .