Hamlet (2000) (Rental)

"To be, or not to be – that is the question"

Actually, the question is more “why was this screenplay made into a film?� You do know you should actually read the play before trying to make it into a film? This is one film version of Shakespeare’s classic play that should be avoided at all costs.

For several weeks during year 12 I studied this play laboriously and went over it with a fine (a really, really fine) tooth comb. This is something that the writer/director Michael Almereyda should have done, but it isn't apparent that he did. It says on the back cover that “Almereyda has done for ‘Hamlet’ what Baz Luhrmann did for ‘Romeo and Juliet’...� Sure that may be correct, but only if Luhrmann really stuffed up the story, but alas, no, Luhrmann excelled in bringing R+J to the screen whereas Almereyda has failed dismally in bringing Hamlet to the screen. Now this is coming from someone who has studied the play, and this version of it totally lacks direction and is incredibly difficult to follow, even for a Shakespeare fan. At first you may think “wow, cool, a version of Hamlet brought into the 21st century�, but if you want a film version of Hamlet then the only way to go is with Kenneth Branagh and the unabridged four hour version, sadly unavailable on DVD at present. This one simply bites.

The only thing going for it is Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You, The Bourne Identity, Save the Last Dance). Her presence on screen shines boldly as she stunningly portrays the troubled Ophelia with a clear-cut precision. At least we know someone read the play... The backup cast includes Bill Murray (Polonius), Liev Schreiber (Laertes), Steve Zahn (Rosencrantz), Kyle MacLachlan (Claudius), Sam Shepard (Ghost), Diane Venora (Gertrude) and even Casey Affleck (Fortinbras). Ethan Hawke (Gattaca, White Fang, Training Day) takes the reigns as Hamlet, but appears more troubled from the opening frame than is expected and lacks any feeling. You don’t want to see him on screen, let alone feel for him. And what is it with that stupid beanie?

Shakespeare’s play takes place in Denmark in a castle called Elsinore. This version takes place in modern-day New York, where the giant multimedia corporation Denmark is owned by Hamlet’s father, and Elsinore is an apartment building. Hamlet returns to Elsinore after his father’s death only to find his mother already remarried – to his uncle. Hamlet is visited by a ghost of his father who tells him of the evil plot that was undertaken prior to his father’s murder involving Hamlet’s uncle and father-in-law, Claudius. It is up to Hamlet to catch him out, in a film (originally a play with Shakespeare) called The Mouse Trap, which Claudius snugly falls into. Meanwhile, the love between Ophelia and Hamlet is teased along, and manipulated by Polonius, Ophelia’s father. It is now that everyone believes Hamlet is mad. So rather than denying, why not pretend? Hamlet takes the role of a madman, which then starts the decay of the socialites around him.

This version totally lacks heart and misses key concepts of the complete version. A modern day setting and large all-star cast isn’t enough to convert a shallow screenplay into a piece of modern art. What should be a look into over a dozen complex themes true to the play ends up as a washed out modernised waste of film (and time).

The video is presented in an aspect of 1.85:1 and is 16x9 enhanced, as we have come to expect from Roadshow.

Colours are slightly muted, however this is due to so-called artistic license. The washed-out palette, however, is rendered superbly on this disc, with barely any posterisation. Blacks are relatively solid, yet not as black as they could have been. The entire picture suffers from a slightly blue wash – again, that artistic license. Skin tones are a tad bright and lacking in contrast, as are the shadow definitions. They are watchable, but just not entirely natural.

Grain would have to be the largest problem, with a fine (and sometimes dense) wash of grain over the entire image. Film artefacts are not a problem, so it is more than likely that the grain is another one of these “artistic� inclusions. What about the MPEG artefacts – shouldn’t they be these inclusions too? Well, no, there are no compression related artefacts whatsoever to call “artistic.� OK, that’s taking the piss, but anyway the transfer is clean in the compression artefact department.

The sharpness of the image is suitable, yet just lacks depth and clarity. Detail is quite high, yet just not as clean as it could (or should) have been. There is nothing worse than a flat video transfer.

Being a single-layered disc, there is no layer change. The included subtitles are clear and easy to read, and hold most of the dialogue, yet sadly not all of it. So sorry for the hearing impaired, but you do lose some of Shakespeare’s poetry.

The one audio track on this disc is in Dolby Digital 5.1 English.

Dialogue is crisp and clear throughout, and comes entirely from the centre speaker. At times some dialogue is hard to understand due to the pace of speaking.

The remaining speakers are only used to enhance the music and additional sound effects. This is definitely not the best 5.1 track around, but (yay!) for once the surrounds are subtle. Let’s say it all together - “subtle surrounds.� They are meant to enhance the sound, not take over, and this transfer proudly does that. Hip hip hooray!

The music by Carter Burwell isn’t anything remarkable, yet it's mysteriously appetising for the on-screen action. It seems to meander just a little too much following Almereyda’s direction of misdirection, rather than making a memorable theme or building on previous ones.

It’s a Roadshow disc, so of course we get extras... Um, OK, maybe not.

We have been given a theatrical trailer which is boring and doesn’t even do this version of the play justice. But anyway, enough bitching, we’re at the end of the review anyway.

Overall, stay away from this version of Hamlet as it really destroys the essence and soul of the original Shakespearean play. The video transfer is suitable and quite good (at least better than the film) and the audio transfer is clear and clean, with excellent surround usage. The extra features aren't really so 'extra' as trailers should be stock standards. But anyway... gimme Kenneth Branagh any day.