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Hamlet [VHS] [1991]
 
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Hamlet [VHS] [1991]

VHS ~ Mel Gibson
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Actors: Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Paul Scofield, Ian Holm
  • Directors: Franco Zeffirelli
  • Writers: Franco Zeffirelli, Christopher De Vore, William Shakespeare
  • Producers: Bruce Davey, Dyson Lovell
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: 4 Front Video
  • VHS Release Date: 17 April 2000
  • Run Time: 129 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004S305
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,056 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Franco Zeffirelli's stripped-down, two-hour version of Shakespeare's play stars Mel Gibson as a rather robust version of the ambivalent Danish prince. Gibson is much better in the part than many critics have admitted, his powers of clarity doing much to make this particular Hamlet more accessible than several other filmed versions. The supporting cast is outstanding, including Glenn Close as Gertrude, Alan Bates as Claudius, Ian Holm as Polonius, and Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia. Zeffirelli's vigorous direction employs a lively camera style that nicely alters the viewer's preconceptions about the way Hamlet should look. --Tom Keogh


Synopsis

Hamlet is visited by his father's ghost who implores him to kill his murderer. Hamlet becomes torn between avenging his father's death and his reluctance to spill blood. Based on the play by William Shakespeare.

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Gibson's a great Dane !, 22 Oct 2002
By Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
This is a Hamlet that is easy on the eyes and the mind...if you don't have the time and stamina for Branagh's 4 hour version, and would like one a little more updated than Olivier's exquisite '48 film, this is the one for you !
It's by far my favourite Hamlet on film.
Mel Gibson is excellent as Hamlet. He gives him humour and masculine vigor, and the top-notch supporting cast is superb. I especially like Alan Bates...his lusty, murderous king is fabulous...and mention should be made of Nathaniel Parker's wonderful Laertes.

David Watkin's cinematography is stunning, Ennio Morricone's score subtle and beautiful, and the production is one of Zeffirelli's best.
This is very enjoyable Shakespeare, even for those who don't normally like him...and I highly recommend this film to parents who would like to introduce their teenagers to the Bard.
Don't miss this glorious film !!

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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Hamlet for today's audience., 10 Dec 2004
By bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: Hamlet [DVD] [1990] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)
This version of Hamlet is short and fast paced. It has plenty of energy and Mel Gibson is a convincing Hamlet. The balances of the cast are top-notch actors and are in excellent form. There is enough of the story to give cohesion. There are no stories or plays that could not stand a little reinterpreting. But some times this leave out the feel. Mel actually put more feel back in to the original intent. So do not compare while watching. And watch it again.

The story takes place in Denmark. Hamlet the prince is informed by the ghost of his father that his mother and uncle were responsible for his father's death. His mother and his uncle get married before the funeral meat is cold. How will Hamlet deal with the situation and what effect will it have on others around him?

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, if shortened interpretation, 12 Oct 2003
This is an ouststanding version of Hamlet, with Mel Gibson taking on the lead role very well. The film has been cut down, from around the usual 4 hours to around two. The major advantage of this is that you are less likely to get more and is more accessible but the disadvantage is that it misses out chunks of speech, which some would argue is crucial to the film. As well as Gibson turning in a superb performance, the other main players (Julie Christie, Helena Bonham-Carter, Ian Holm amongst others) all give excellent performances and this makes makes a worthy addition to the Hamlet family.

RATING : 4 STARS ****

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Gloomy means lightless
This Play is one of the most important pieces of drama and poetry in Shakespeare's complete works. A cycle of peace and quiet is disturbed by an incestuous crime, both the murder... Read more
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5.0 out of 5 stars Since brevity is the soul of wit ...
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Whatever you think of Mel Gibson's other vehicles, this is a revelation. Everything about the film is just right, and MG makes the central character believable - not an easy... Read more
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