Initially, I was quite encouraged by the shorter duration of this tale of the Prince of Denmark, but as it unfolded I began to realise that it was usually nearer the four hour mark because there is so much detail to the plot that actually matters - and that this overly condenses much of the nuanced characterisation out of the proceedings. To be fair to Mel Gibson, he actually turns in an half decent performance at the heart of this tale of duplicity and murder. His "Hamlet" is convinced that his uncle "Claudius" (Alan Bates) has done away with his father, the king, and then married his mother …
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