Franco Zeffirelli directs his third Shakespeare adaptation (after
Romeo and Juliet and
Otello) with this film version of the tragedy Hamlet. The titular prince of Denmark (
Mel Gibson), returns home to his family's castle of Elsinore after years of attending school in Germany to find out his father has died and his uncle Claudius (
Alan Bates) is the new king. To make matters worse, Claudius has married Hamlet's mother, Queen Gertrude (
Glenn Close), whom he has unusually strong feelings for. Hamlet is visited by his father's ghost (
Paul Scofield), who asks him to seek revenge for his murder. In order to find out who the real killer is, Hamlet stages a theatrical scene resembling his father's death. Claudius is upset by the production and leaves to arrange for Hamlet's murder. In the ensuing confusion, Hamlet accidentally kills Polonious (
Ian Holm) instead of Claudius; Hamlet's lover, Ophelia (
Helena Bonham Carter), goes mad and commits suicide; and eventually Hamlet and Claudius both meet their fate. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide