Hamlet (1996) (PG-13, 1996)

The problem I have with most Shakespear-based films is that they either remove scenes/dialogue or try to modernize it. This, however, is the closest we will EVER get to the original play, which is very impressive. Granted, that also makes this one incredibly long, but you can tell they really tried their hardest with this one. It is kinda odd seeing Robin Williams in this, but nonetheless, this is the best version of the film to expose high-school students to as it got everything right.

This version of Shakespeare's classic is truly marvelous to behold. Kenneth Branagh adapts every line of Shakespeare's HAMLET into a grand and engaging four-hour spectacle filled with drama and instantly recognizable stars. It really is a lovely film, and I as a parent would be thrilled if my kid were mature and intelligent enough to express interest in it. The movie has some heavy thematic material, including insanity and murder, but nothing is ever shown graphically. Some people are stabbed with swords on-screen, but it is very quick and never graphic. We briefly see a pool of blood surrounding a dead man's body, but it won't be disturbing for anyone but young kids. There is no profane language or drug use. Sex is extremely minor. It is suggested through flashbacks that Hamlet and Ophelia had sex, but nothing graphic is ever shown. We see them kissing in bed (and see their bare legs and his chest) in momentary cuts that are literally less than a second long. All in all, this is an amazing movie that embodies everything most recent movies lack: intelligence, maturity, inspiring messages, and plot-driven emotion.

Of course, most people have their own favourite film versions of "Hamlet," William Shakespeare's classic tragedy about love, murder, revenge and family loyalty, that was first performed at the Globe Theater in 1603. Classic tragedy, right up there with "Romeo & Juliet," "Richard III," "Othello," "Julius Caesar," "Macbeth" and "King Lear." Personally, Kenneth Branagh's 4 hour version of the play is the greatest, next to Sir Laurence Olivier's 2/1/2 hour film version, produced in 1948. The all-star cast is terrific (featuring Academy Award winners Julie Christie, Charlton Heston, Sir John Gielgud, Jack Lemmon, Richard Attenborough and Robin Williams, among others; Gielgud, Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh have each played Hamlet over 300 times on stage). The costumes (as per the opulent 19th-century setting) and sets are visually lush. There is nothing bad about this production. It's clear that Branagh spared no expense to make this movie. At $18 million, it was worth every penny. As far as letting children see this film, I would highly recommend it for ages 10 and above, due to the mature subject matter (death, lost love, revenge, etc), the archaic English, some non-explicit, but suggesstive, love scenes between Ophelia (Kate Winslet) and Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) and the 4 hour running time. The film has recieved a PG-13 rating from the MPAA for violent images and some sexuality, but I rate it PG for some violence.