Hamlet is 1990 drama about the Prince of Denmark, who finds out that his uncle killed his father to obtain the throne, and plans revenge.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Okay sure, there’s most likely not a one of you who got through high school and didn’t learn something about William Shakespeare‘s Hamlet, but here’s the rundown either way of this 1990 adaptation. In Denmark, the young prince Hamlet (Mel Gibson) is distressed to learn that his father the king (Paul Scofield) has suddenly died in his sleep, leaving his uncle (Alan Bates) to take the throne. Worse, Hamlet’s mother (Glenn Close) up and marries the new king a mere month after her husband died. Even more worse, the dead king has returned as a ghost and confesses that it was not by natural causes he passed, that there is foul play afoot and to honor his father’s murder, Hamlet must seek revenge. Oh, and he’s also in love with the beautiful Ophelia (Helena Bonham Carter), but you know, this being a Shakespeare story … it don’t end well.
QUICKIE REVIEW: Hamlet has seen its fair share of screen time, the timeless story getting all kinds of iterations and makeovers, though by far the best and most faithful is Kenneth Branagh‘s 1996 take, which is pretty much a masterpiece. Either way, here it is the legendary Franco Zeffirelli behind the camera, he no stranger to the works of The Bard, his 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet still considered the standard by which all others are made. With Hamlet, he cuts much of the original play’s dialogue in half, yet mounts a very convincing (if condensed) and atmospheric film, with some terrific performances all around, even if Gibson isn’t quite up to par when partnered with Bates and especially Scofield. No matter, because this is a fun and gritty retelling that is well worth seeking out.
THAT GHOST KING MOMENT: Poor Scofield plays dead from the opening moments, he laying in a coffin as the film begins, the King of Denmark passed on. After we meet the main characters and learn that the new king, brother to the first, has taken his place and pretty much stolen his wife, Hamlet is left a brooding dour soul unhappy that things have moved on so quickly from funeral to wedding.
As the celebrations rage on, Hamlet finds solace on the high castle battlements, wallowing in disgust of his new uncle and more so his mother’s acceptance of her new role. In comes his best friend Horatio (Stephen Dillane) along with a few night watchmen who have an astonishing announcement: they have seen the dead king, and he walks in the shadows of the night along these same castle walls. Confounded, Hamlet agrees to take the next watch and await the coming of his father, greatly distressed at the idea of an unsettled man returning to the world of the living. He doesn’t wait long.
From the ebony of the night strolls the ghost of the king, beckoning his living son to follow, the harried Hamlet in shock at the sight and his friends desperate to stop the prince from doing so, fearing the ghost will tempt him to leap from the precipices. Hamlet breaks from their grasp and heads on alone, eventually finding the ghost atop a small watchtower where he at last speaks to his terrified son.
The king tells of a ghastly tale of betrayal, how, during his afternoon sleep, his brother poured poison into his ear, robbing him of not just his life, but chance to prepare for a righteous death, and how he manipulated his wife and stole the throne of Denmark. He begs the prince to act, to not let the seat of power be a home to an incestuous and adulterate beast, but however he does plan this revenge, to leave his mother be, her guilt enough to take to heaven. It’s a staggering moment that leads to the madness that has long since defined the broken prince.
WHY IT’S GREAT: Dang, that Scofield could act. While the ghost king is on screen only briefly, his impact and this very moment generate the story’s entire motivation. As well made as the rest of the movie is, nothing compares or even reaches the crushing power of this revelation and the sheer physical presence of Scofield. Mixed with Zeffirelli’s terrific direction and another monumentally moving score from the iconic Ennio Morricone, this scene resonates long after it’s over. Watch what Scofield does with his hands, how he uses the light to shade and illuminate, how his deeply affecting voice aches with sorrow and contempt. I love how Zeffirelli draws out the moment up to the speech as well, having the chaotic Hamlet chase after the slow moving but eerily deceptive spirit. Gibson does very well here, the prince with barely any lines, but capturing well the pain and shock of discovering death has left his father in tortured limbo.
Hamlet, despite it’s rich and complex orations, remains ever accessible, and of all the Hamlet films, this is perhaps the place to start for newcomers to Shakespeare adaptations, sticking to the era and setting while keeping the story easy to follow. This moment in particular is simply the best version of this scene ever made, even more so than the aforementioned Branagh film, which, while more accurate in its script, lacks the immense emotional punch of this one.