Hamlet [Blu-ray]

Before watching this I had not heard of David Tennant, although he is a household name in England for playing Doctor Who.

Now, having watched this I must say I am hugely impressed. He does not act Hamlet. He is Hamlet. In fact he has a certain quirkiness that lends itself to Hamlet's feigned madness. Even though we know he is putting on an antic disposition, because he says so, yet we don't know if he has crossed the line from feigned madness to real madness. We do have good reason to wonder given the extremity of what happens.

If you're like me, as you watch this version the fresh insights come dripping fast. What struck me particularly were the parallels between Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes, all of whom have experienced the same event, the murder of the father. Hamlet responds by pretending madness but being passive and indecisive, considering suicide as in being and non being, Ophelia responds with real madness and actual suicide, and Laertes responds in a more active way by decisively challenging Hamlet to avenge the death of both his father and his sister.

The queen falls under the witchcraft and wits of Claudius gifts, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,-- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power to seduce our seeming virtuous queen. Apparently, this is a rather pointed reference to Archbishop W(h)itgift, who with his Machiavellian tactics seduced the ear of Queen Elizabeth. In any event this reference was removed from the original 1603 quarto, reappearing in the 1604 quarto, after Whitgift, and Elizabeth's death.

I loved this modernised version of Hamlet, with the original language, with the closed circuit tv's, reinforcing the idea that Hamlet was being constantly watchied by double dealing courtiers. Compared to Zeffirelli's version of Hamlet where Polonius is a wise old man, here he is a hard to pin down courtier, who carefully contrives to be non committal in his answers.

All the elements of the writer seem to work. I liked the speak the speech scene, Act 2, Scene2, where they spent 70 lines discussing the killing of Priam from the obscure play Dido by Marlowe. I loved the wit of the gravedigger scene. There is so much to love about this production. Ophelia goes impressively mad, I don't think I have seen this as well done before.

Patrick Stewart does a great job playing both Claudius, and the ghost of the late King Hamlet.

I highly recommend you do check out this version. Along with Zeffirrelli's version of Hamlet starring Mel Gibson, this is my favorite.

I think you will love it, and I hope this was helpful.

This rendition of Hamlet is definitely my favorite! The whole thing is set in a modern timeline, but with a regal environment--the characters wear suits and dresses, and the set is grand and solemn (even if the characters aren't). David Tennant offers a brilliant performance as Hamlet--creative, energetic, moving, and highly emotional--And he steals the stage from the first soliloquy (oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt!). Especially moving is the "to be or not to be" speech, which is given in a hushed, agonized voice, with the camera zoomed in tight to his face. In fact, there are many interesting things done with the cinematography, and not least is the close-circuit security cameras occasionally watching as a scene unfolds. It lends the whole film an almost claustrophobic feel (true to the filmmakers intentions), as if eyes are watching everywhere, and one can never be sure whether a character is acting or sincere, lying or speaking the truth. To further heighten this symbolism, the sets are replete with mirrors, and the further the film progresses, the more mirrors are broken, shattered, and cracked, reflecting back eerie representations of reality. Next to David Tennant, the supporting roles are done equally well, especially Patrick Stewart's performance of Claudius/the ghost. Oliver Ford Davies is genuinely funny as the pompous Polonius,and Mariah Gale goes brilliantly mad as Ophelia. I genuinely lost myself in this performance, and before I knew it 3 hours had passed and the film was over. I loved it so much ran out and bought myself a copy, and watched it again about a week later.

This highly creative production of one of the world's most famous plays truly succeeds in providing a good understanding of this very complex work.

The actors are well cast, extremely talented and well directed. In particular, David Tenant makes for a young, energetic and yet profound Hamlet. Mariah Gale is also stunning with realistic madness as Ophelia.

Many contemporary elements, including costumes, are introduced in the production. Far from artificial, they do not disturb the narrative but indeed clarify it. For instance, spying is done through video cameras rather than hiding behind curtains and Polonius is killed at a distance by gunshot rather than by sword through a drape.

This movie is highly recommended to all, including those unfamiliar with Shakespeare. Even, teen-agers should appreciate it!