Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet: 9 Things That Stand Out

To date, Kenneth Branagh has appeared in 6 Shakespeare films (5 of which he also directed)

In what way could a director bring the themes of Hamlet into focus? As, quite possibly, the most revered and famous piece of fiction of all time, Shakespeare's play has gathered an unrivalled abundance of literary criticism. A Shakespeare enthusiast like Kenneth Branagh therefore has a vast depository of readings, identified themes, and critical appraisals to draw upon when crafting the definitive film version of the text. 

Filmed in 1996, Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet was the first (and so far only) unabridged film version of the play. As a 4+ hour piece of cinema about a play where the protagonist essentially spends the majority of the time wrestling with the idea of doing something or not doing something, Branagh's film was always going to be a hard sell in terms of finding financing. When the American production company Castle Rock Entertainment came to Branagh's rescue, it was on the proviso that he utilise as many 'big name' actors as possible.

So we get a range of surprising cameos throughout:

• Two-time Academy Award winner and Hollywood legend Jack Lemmon as the watchman Marcellus. Lemmon manages to turn a relatively small role into a figure of depth and weight; a wise and half-broken old man of the night's watch.
• France's biggest actor, Gerard Depardieu, as the one-scene wonder Reynaldo.
• Billy Crystal as the more talkative of the two Gravediggers (and he does a great job with the role too).
• Academy Award-winning screen legend Charlton Heston as the Player King.
• Oscar-winning British acting royalty John Gielgud, John Mills, and Judi Dench as characters who are only mentioned in passing in the actual play (Gielgud and Dench appear as historical figures from the story of Troy, who are referenced in the Player King's speech, whereas Mills appears a couple of times as 'Old Norway', the ailing leader of Denmark's neighbouring kingdom).
• The roaring and relentlessly beardy character-actor Brian Blessed as the Ghost / King Hamlet.
• Richard Attenborough (students may recognise him from the Jurassic Park films) as the English ambassador who appears at the end of the play.
• Renowned British comedian and 'music hall entertainer' Ken Dodd as Hamlet's childhood friend, Yorick. Dodd's lively and wordless cameo takes place in flashback as Hamlet stares into the jester's skull, and it's (in my opinion) one of the most surprisingly moving moments in the film. 
• Robin Williams as the pompous courtier Osric. Williams takes a role that could be interpreted as smarmy, or arrogant, and manages to make the character amusingly hapless and somewhat sympathetic. 

All these well-known actors mean that the film actually holds the record for the most Oscar-winning performers on the screen in a single film. A nice bit of trivia for you!

Hamlet peers into his past.

Branagh's extensive use of flashbacks to characters like 'Old Norway', Yorick, and the historical figures in the Player King's speech, helps to open the play up into something more cinematic and non-linear. Despite the film's daunting length, Hamlet (1996) presents the text in the most accessible way possible, with Branagh consistently finding inventive ways to add movement and simplicity to the narrative.

Take, for instance, the climactic showdown in Elsinore's court. Everything is turned up to 11 - Claudius is impaled by a flying sword, Laertes falls from a balcony in his death scene, and even Osric is killed! Branagh also liberally interprets Fortinbras's arrival as a violent political coup, with the Norwegian troops storming the castle during Hamlet's fatal duel. There's also the hilarious and bizarre arrival of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern earlier on in the film, with the interchangeable pair riding in with much self-made fanfare on a little tooting steam train!

Hamlet the Film - and - Themes / Concepts

Where should I begin? Watching Branagh's film translation of the text helped to nail a lot of ideas down for both myself and my students. Here are some things that became apparent for me while I watched the movie - some are particular to the film, and some are just general observations about the way the play represents Shakespeare's ideas and context:

• Antithesis Visualised: Shakespeare was a big fan of placing antonyms up against each other in his dialogue. Part of the reason for this is that it helps give the actors direction in how they perform a line. For example, when said as a single line without thought, "To be or not to be" is simply six words, however, when said with emphasis on the opposing ideas, the line becomes much more significant. Branagh takes the Shakespearean motif of antithesis and renders it with clarity on the big screen through his introduction of Hamlet in Act 1, Scene 2, as a dour black-clad brooder juxtaposed against the bright and dazzling cheer of the Danish court; a resplendent hall of polished surfaces where white rose petals rain down in celebration of the coronation and marriage of King Claudius.  

An incredibly visual translation of the text's themes.

• The Private vs. Public: In Act 1, Scene 3, Ophelia tells her father about Hamlet's attempts to woo her. Branagh's Hamlet has Polonius cautiously close some impressive wrought-iron gates behind his son's exit so that he can establish privacy before broaching Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet. This simple piece of direction, completely unmentioned in the play's dialogue, highlights the political delicacy of Hamlet's affections for Ophelia. In other words, Polonius knows that Hamlet's status as Prince means that he will be unable to ever establish a formal and public relationship with Ophelia, and hence he does not want anyone to bear witness to the dimensions of any conversation along these lines. It's telling that Polonius is so paranoid and distrustful right from the get-go, especially in light of his own tendency towards spying throughout the remainder of the film/play. 

• Madness and Appearances: The introduction of 'mad' Hamlet in Act 2 sees Kenneth Branagh appear wearing a skull mask - an obvious but nonetheless neat piece of foreshadowing that emphasises the play's theme of mortality. The removal of the mask to reveal Hamlet's unhinged eyes also calls into question the layers of appearance that the play asks the viewer to buy into. Is Hamlet play-acting? Or is he genuinely distressed? The wearing of the mask suggests the former, but the eyes hint at the latter. Later, when Hamlet says, "Now I am alone", Branagh plays it as a cathartic release - suggesting that the pretense of madness is physically and emotionally exhausting; perhaps leading to madness in itself.

• The Great Chain of Being: This quote, paraphrased, "What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty... in action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! ...the paragon of animals", perfectly demonstrates the play's concern for the Elizabethan idea of the Great Chain of Being. In context, this was a way of seeing the universe - a hierarchy that established man's place in relation to the natural and metaphysical worlds. In the aforementioned quote, Hamlet is pondering the contradictions of a man; set on the Earth amongst the animals yet also capable of godlike and angelic behaviour. All of a person's actions fall on a scale between the beastly and the divine, and it's this way of understanding humanity that drives much of Hamlet's plot. Think of Claudius's confession scene - he veers from one end of the spectrum to the other in his acknowledgement of guilt, sin, and criminal reward. Hamlet also wrestles with his place in the Great Chain, albeit implicitly, in the way he considers how revenge and thoughts of suicide fit with one's ascent to Heaven.

• Historical Allusion: Branagh manages to keep all of the Player King's speech (heck, the film is unabridged - meaning that everything is kept!) whilst simultaneously making this difficult section of the play more relevant. The Player King makes reference to the story of the Greek General Pyrrhus and the Trojan Horse, which Branagh boldly puts up on the screen as a means of highlighting one of Hamlet's key themes - the role of subterfuge in the Danish court and the hiding of intentions; elements in Shakespeare's play that were no doubt designed to hit home with Elizabethan audiences who were becoming increasingly acclimatised to the Machiavellian intrigues of the Queen's court.  The Elizabethans were also quite taken with Ancient Greek and Roman culture, which meant that this textual allusion would be a familiar allegory for audiences to identify with.

Osric is basically Polonius Mk II - another focal point for Hamlet's scorn.

• Hamlet and Polonius: Prior to the performance of 'The Mouse Trap', the Prince of Denmark publicly mocks Polonius on the stage in front of all his peers. Branagh uses this moment to illustrate the depth of antagonism that Hamlet holds for Polonius; note the way he delivers the line, "He's for a jig, or a bawdry - or so he sleeps". This disparagingly suggests that Polonius can only appreciate texts of low culture and that he is too stupid to appreciate great works of literature and theatre. This exchange also demonstrates that, even when acting 'mad', Hamlet still cannot resist displaying his sharp wit.

• Set Design: There's a lot of scope for discussing the relevance of Branagh's choice of sets for this film. The interior shots for the main court of Elsinore take place on a huge and extravagant set, complete with ornate throne and mirrored walls. The use of reflective surfaces almost becomes an extra character in the film, forcing the protagonist to literally face himself as he delivers his most famous self-examining soliloquy. Behind these mirrored walls are also hidden rooms from which Claudius and Polonius can spy; symbolically reinforcing the theme of intentions concealed by a glossy facade.

• Ophelia, Misogyny, and Appearance vs. Reality: To quote Hamlet as he berates Ophelia, "God gives you one face and you paint yourself another". On a surface level this line of dialogue fits into Shakespeare's discourse on appearances and reality - the idea that each of these characters are publicly portraying themselves in a way that dramatically contrasts with their private, inner selves. But if we look at this line a little deeper we can see that Hamlet is speaking syllogistically. Syllogism is a rhetorical technique in which the speaker draws a specific conclusion by using a general example; in this case Hamlet is speaking both about all women and Ophelia. The result is something quite misogynistic, with the implication being that Ophelia (and women in general) are inherently deceptive - with Hamlet interpreting their use of make-up as being symbolically dishonest.   

• Claudius: Derek Jacobi is fantastic as Claudius; note that moment of realisation when he is confronted by Hamlet's re-enactment of the old King's murder - Jacobi speaks the line, "Give me some light. Away" in a cold and slow manner, rather than in the expected state of panic. The effect is apt, indicating the new king's propensity for careful and cautious calculation. This is a fury that Claudius holds deep inside, and a feeling that he must nurse to the surface so that he can remain, as ever, in control. I also appreciated the fact that Branagh seems to always have Claudius sipping alcohol, which comes across as the Victorian equivalent of a fat cigar between the teeth - a corrupt figure enjoying the spoils of his power.  

What a great play.

What a great film!