content: Somebody should be assigned to guard Franco Zefirrelli. That's right, guard him. Whenever Zefirrelli says, "Hey, I'm gonna make a movie out of Shakespeare!", he should be slapped in the head. Repeatedly. Maybe that'll dissuade him. From his ridiculous ROMEO AND JULIET to his terrible TAMING OF THE SHREW, and now with this nightmare, Zefirrelli's plan has been simple and threefold.A) Hire the worst actors you can find. The Ophelia in this production is good, and the Polonius isn't bad, but the rest of them should not be allowed anywhere near Shakespeare.B) Simplify. Cut out the heart of the story. Pare to the bare bones and then pare some more. If a nuance remains, keep choppin'.C) Make it ludicrous. What do you want? Hamlet chopping about with his sword in 1.5? Threatening Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Falling in love with his mother, perhaps? It's all here.Avoid at all costs.