Hamlet (1996) ***

The best screen adaptation of "Hamlet", superior even to Laurence Olivier's 1948 version. Director Kenneth Branagh gives an excellent performance in the title role. Derek Jacobi as Claudius, Kate Winslet as Ophelia, Julie Christie as Gertrude, Charlton Heston as the Player King and Billy Crystal as a gravedigger, are also superb. Weak performances (Jack Lemmon as Marcellus and Robin Williams as Osric) are mercifully brief. It's an unedited, full-text version which reveals all aspects and all nuances of William Shakespeare's greatest play.