The short form review of this movie is to say that it's a masterpiece.
The film has been compared to Hamlet multiple times. Anybody who knows me knows that I can quote Hamlet off the top of my head and that I read it once a year. The parallels to Hamlet can't be ignored; but, I would say that this film primarily took place between act 4 scene 4 and act 5 scene 1 of Hamlet.
The film is hyper focused on the drive for revenge from a character who was meant to be king only to be relegated to a life of slavery in order to kill the uncle who took his rightful place.
Still unlike Hamlet, the uncle has greater motivation than blind ambition. The queen isn't a fragile character who was just looking for status. The king wasn't an upstanding person when all was done.
This is a tale of revenge that pushes you to your limits just as it does its main character. It's a film that, in no uncertain terms, tells you that a thirst for revenge may cost you your heart even if you take another person's mind.
The film is shot gorgeously. Some people have said that they wish that it had been shot in Imax. I'm not one of those people. The grain brings life to the movie.
My only criticism is that I wish that Ethan Hawk and Willem Dafoe had more screentime; but, that's like getting a sip of Glenfiddich 50 and complaining that they didn't give me another round.
This is a film that sounded Shakespearean from the beginning and grabbed me from the very beginning. I recommend it.
10/10
I don't pass those ratings out capriciously.