Did anyone like Mel Gibson's "Hamlet"?

[Mike 03]

I don't trust my own judgment when it comes to great Hamlets anywmore.

Never saw Olivier.

Thought Mel Gibson was surprisingly good.

Obviously, I can't distinguish good from terrible Hamlets.

Who were the great Hamlets I should see?

Thank you in advance.

[lost-in-nj]

1. no

but I still love you



:hug: :loveya:


:hi:

lost

[Xipe Totec]

2. I thought he did well n/t

[Lyric]

3. No, it was awful.

I like the Kenneth Branagh version the best. :hi:

[alphafemale]

4. I think Mel Gibson played a mentally unbalanced, selfish prick well...but then,

:yoiks:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I thought he was pretty good -- better than I expected, anyhow.

Gibson is a wack job, but he's usually a pretty decent actor. One of my all-time favorite movies is "The Year of Living Dangerously," in which he was excellent. And he was really good in "Gallipoli," too.

[Dr. Strange]

6. Mel Gibson?

Dude, I think Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.

[LostinVA]

7. Agreed -- surprisingly good

[AwakeAtLast]

8. Considering it's the only one I've seen

it was O. K.

[DS1]

9. Did A Jolie play sweet tits?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

10. I much preferred Laurence Fishburne's Othello.

:shrug:

[triguy46]

11. I think Kenneth Branaugh was better. It's on right now on TMCW.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. I liked it ...

I liked it a lot.

[mitchum]

13. He did a really good job, but was too old for the role...

as are all movie Hamlets. The end result is always this somewhat absurd spectacle of an adult man portraying a character who is first introduced in late adolescence. Film doesn't grant the kind distance of the stage.

[jobycom]

14. Yes, it was a very good performance.

Mel Gibson's greatest role is always the tortured, anguished martyr. Mad Max, Fletcher Christian, Hamlet, William Wallace, Martin Riggs... he does anguish well.

Next he should play Usama bin Laden. You've seen that photo.

[Orsino]

15. I liked it a lot.

Mel was probably the weakest link in that cast, and I thought he did well.

[jobycom]

16. Derek Jacobi played a great Hamlet.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080835/

Patrick Stewart played Claudius.

[Blue_Tires]

17. it was all right...

not the best, not the worst... and like another poster said, Gibson was WAY too old to be credible in the role...

[SoxFan]

18. It was very good

Although, as others have said, Gibson was about ten years too old for the role. "Unhinged" comes naturally to Mel, so he did a nice job with Hamlet's character. Helena Bonham Carter does a good job as Ophelia, too.

[sarge43]

19. It wasn't bad.

Gibson played him in about the only way he probably could - a punk, one more horn of mead away from going Vik barbarian on everyone's ass and nothing wrong with that. The 11th century settings were well done and supporting cast, excellent. You could have done worse.

Olivier's version is showing its age. The shoe string budget is obvious. The Freudian interpretation of Hamlet's 'hesitation' just doesn't fly anymore and Lord Larry's theatrics are a bit much for modern tastes. His Henry V and Richard III are far better.

Branagh's: If you have the iron butt for it, it's Hamlet uncut, all four hours. His acting leaves me cold - too self absorbed and self conscience. However, his take on Hamlet's delay was fascinating. Also, liked showing Hamlet and Ophelia as actual lovers which makes his rage at her 'betrayal' realistic instead of a boy having a hizzy. Interesting supporting cast, a mix of classic Shakespearean actors and Billy Crystal/Jack Lemmon?! (well, why not). So until something else comes along, it's the one if for no other reason you'll see the complete play.

Haven't seen Burton's Hamlet. If you can run that down, certainly worth a look. It's his stage performance, filmed.

There's dozens of TV and foreign versions. A handful reasonably well done, most shed and drool.

As for the actors being too old for the role, how many teenagers or early twenties somethings have the depth and gravitas? They can do Romeo; Hamlet requires some seasoning.

FWIW

[Bertha Venation]

20. I liked it. Glenn Close was wonderful.

So was Helena Bonham Carter.

[Vidar]

21. I liked it. He played Hamlet as a dpressed young man vs the usual oratorical style.

[LanternWaste]

22. Branagh's Hamlet is the best (IMHO), but Gibson's didn't suck...

Branagh's Hamlet is the best (IMHO), but Gibson's didn't suck...Helena Carter did quite well as Ophelia, but on the other, I didn't care too much for Glen Close as Gertrude. Gibson was able to pull off the language more than adequately, but nothing to write home about.

Branagh's set design is opulent and eye-catching, yet doesn't detract from the dialog at all. His casting for Laertes (cannot remember actors name) was brilliant, and Billy Crystal was actually damned good (I think Branagh is a real actor's director-- and can shape the actor to fit the dialog and vice-versa).