Mr.AspiringActor presents Mel Gibson as Hamlet vs. Kenneth Branagh as Hamlet

[yallowrosa]

I don't like the version of Branagh

[eternalhalloween1]

This is the way I see it. Brannagh illed the film by trying to put toomuch emphasis on doing 'every line.' He lost the essence. Franco Zeffirelli used beautiful scenery and concentrated more on the essence. And the WHOLE CAST Gibson, Bates, Holm, Carter, Close, and Scofield became the characters. If DVD hadn't been invented, I'd still be wearing out VHS tapes of the Mel Gibson version. As an English Major, I think the Gibson version was a masterpiece. And Brannagh made a joke out of the story.

[bmanstar2112]

Mel Gibson 

[jg2904]

Nah... I enjoy Mel, but his Hamlet is pretty straight forward. Not much to it except, being yet another portrayal of Hamlet. Branagh's love of the material plus his little quirks make it something fresh and original.

[SophieOcean]

@jg2904 YOU HAVE NO TASTE AND NO SENSE OF BEAUTY

[MrAspiringactor]

@SophieOcean Hey now, it's just his opinion!

[jg2904]

@SophieOcean I stand by my first comment. Plus, Branagh's Hamlet is the full text, unlike the Gibson Hamlet which was heavily abbreviated in comparison. Branagh's was also shot in 70 mm format (the most recent film to do so, as I understand) and was accompanied by long tracking camera angles, vibrant costumes/sets, and brilliant performances from the cast (though Jack Lemmon and Robin Williams did seem a bit out of place). It was a beautiful film and really stands out among the others, methinks.

[jg2904]

@SophieOcean I'll give you this, I did think Ian Holm's Polonius was better than Richard Briers. Helena Bonham Carter also made a pretty stellar Ophelia, but something about the performances of Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Brian Blessed, Derek Jacobi, Charlton Heston, Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud, and Judi Dench are just *shivers*. Extra brownie points for Blessed, Crystal, Jacobi, and Heston. They were simply perfect.

[hawkhandsaw]

Yes, he does have a british accent, although if you listen closely you'll hear traces of his Belfast origins, because he moved to England at the age of nine and was educated in the british school system. He claims to have adopted an english accent to avoid being bullied. You are welcome.

[hawkhandsaw]

No, Mel Gibson is not a classically trained british actor. Well, neither is Branaugh-he's irish. Mel gibson IS a classically trained AUSTRALIAN actor. So, knowing that, along with his obvious talent and under the direction of someone like Zefferelli, it's not at all surprising to me that he is an excellent Hamlet.

[MrAspiringactor]

@hawkhandsaw Really? I didn't know Kenneth was Irish. I thought he was british considering he's in a lot of British movies and, at least in his Shakespeare movies, he has a british accent. Thanks for telling me that.

[jazzandmint]

Nicely done! I used to prefer the Branagh version, but now I honestly think he was too old for the role. Still, his commitment to all things Shakespeare is admirable. Mel Gibson, I agree, gave the more naturalistic performance, although his consistently wide eyes were distracting from time to time.

[amberace]

lol awesome review.

Good luck with the michael bay music project.

[MrAspiringactor]

@amberace Thank you.