when i first read hamlet and i couldn not help but think of the end of outrageous fortune and where bette midler put down the play because of how indecisive he be and and say and give me romeo any day . five act of a man try to decide whether or not to kill his uncle or not . seem like overkill to me . but upon further reading and i grow to really appreciate the play . i have see the olivier and gibson movie version ( and part of the nicol williamson version ) and and all of them take their model from olivier while the melancholy dane . olivier at least do it without be self indulgent about it and but gibson and and from what i saw and williamson and look like they go to the look and ma and i be act . i be act . school . now here come kenneth branagh version and which be breathtaking from start to finish . it finish # 2 on my top ten of 1996 ( behind the english patient and and ahead of lone star and jerry maguire and fargo and secret and lie and everyone say i love you and flirt with disaster and big night and and look for richard ) and and it the best hamlet and and maybe the best shakespeare and put to film . obviously and branagh talent a a filmmaker and for make the full length version and in 70mm print and and not lose our interest for four hour and be great and but what seem to get overlook in discussion about this film be his performance in the title role . this be my favorite performance of the year by far . branagh avoids the melodrama which actor seem to get trap in by play hamlet a a normal and regular human be and and make u understand his action and feeling each step of the way . and unlike olivier and who depend mostly on his voice and branagh use his entire body to demonstrate the range of emotion that hamlet go through and but since he play him a normal and none of it seem like scenery chewing . the rest of the cast be top notch as well . i do not even mind jack lemmon and though i agree he be the weak member of the cast . the most surprising turn come from charlton heston while i have always find him stiff a a board and but he quite command a the player king . the other big surprise be billy crystal while i think i would find him all wrong a the 1st gravedigger and but he be his usual funny self while be in character . all in all and a glorious film .