Good on them for trying to film all of it, I say. The length didn't bother me - I spread it out over several days as well, of course, but I also didn't mind the long waffling speeches between minor characters and things. (I guess maybe opera has given me increased resistance to large amounts of non-plot-advancing waffling? :P) But I can see how if you hadn't read the play just beforehand or hadn't read the play at all, you might get comatose'd pretty quickly. :|
I think I might agree with you that morose!Hamlet is more the way to go, and Branagh definitely does seem really self-conscious. (I liked him more...near the end, I think.) Laertes didn't really do anything for me either. I liked a lot of the minor characters, though, and it was cool how they had the constant ominous presence of Fortinbras. Didn't like Hamlet's boisterousness at the play scene either, iirc.
Overall, the movie was enjoyable and thought-provoking, but not OMG FANTASTIC
I agree! I do want to see more Hamlets though. I've only seen bits of the Mel Gibson one long ago. Hamletfic recs would also be cool. Yay for themed fiction experiences!
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Date: 2006-02-01 03:24 am (UTC)Good on them for trying to film all of it, I say. The length didn't bother me - I spread it out over several days as well, of course, but I also didn't mind the long waffling speeches between minor characters and things. (I guess maybe opera has given me increased resistance to large amounts of non-plot-advancing waffling? :P) But I can see how if you hadn't read the play just beforehand or hadn't read the play at all, you might get comatose'd pretty quickly. :|
I think I might agree with you that morose!Hamlet is more the way to go, and Branagh definitely does seem really self-conscious. (I liked him more...near the end, I think.) Laertes didn't really do anything for me either. I liked a lot of the minor characters, though, and it was cool how they had the constant ominous presence of Fortinbras. Didn't like Hamlet's boisterousness at the play scene either, iirc.
Overall, the movie was enjoyable and thought-provoking, but not OMG FANTASTIC
I agree! I do want to see more Hamlets though. I've only seen bits of the Mel Gibson one long ago. Hamletfic recs would also be cool.
Yay for themed fiction experiences!