Hamlet

 

 

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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.

"Hamlet" doesn't need any introduction -- the tortured Dane, the ghost, meditations on suicide and a climax full of death. But while many adaptations of Shakespeare's classic play feel stuffy and distant, this "Hamlet" has it all -- sleek elegant sets, powerful acting, and clever modern twists on the age-old stuff. And the best part is the brilliant performances by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart.

Prince Hamlet of Denmark (Tennant) is understandably upset when, only a short time after his father's death, his mother Gertrude (Penny Downie) marries his uncle Claudius (Stewart). But when Hamlet encounters the tormented ghost of his father (Stewart again), he learns that his dad was murdered by his uncle -- but he's plagued by indecision, since he's unsure if the spirit was truly his dad.

Hamlet's behavior becomes more bizarre and erratic -- he dumps his girlfriend Ophelia (Mariah Gale), arranges a play that mimics real life a little too closely, and generally acts like a loon (yodeling with a fake crown?). But when an argument with his mother ends in tragedy, Hamlet's fate is sealed as Claudius begins plotting to get rid of him too...

"Hamlet" is one of those plays that only really comes out two ways -- either you have a passionate, intense tragedy full of very human characters, or you have two boring hours of some whiny guy talking to himself. Having suffered through the latter in the past, it makes me appreciate a well-done performance all the more -- and this "Hamlet" is full of energy, vitality and wit.

A lot of that comes from Tennant, who is simply brilliant as Hamlet -- loads of energy, and a weird edge to his "madness" (example: freaking out Polonius by pulling a weird face). And he runs the entire emotional gamut here -- love, pain, puckish comedy, loathing, sorrow and shock, with the absolute peak being the hauntingly sad "to be or not to be" scene.

And Patrick Stewart is casually brilliant in his double role -- Claudius seems like a genial guy, but Stewart lets out little hints of his true nastiness; on the other hand, the ghost is all heavy intensity. Downie is excellent as Gertrude, and Gale is rather flat in her first few scenes, but after Ophelia goes mad she's amazing. Ripping off her clothes, leaping around, smacking Gertrude -- it's frighteningly good.

And the settings and costumes are similarly amazing. The entire play is done in a sleek, elegant modern style ("mad" Hamlet runs around in jeans), but the grandeur of a royal court is still there -- lots of elaborate formal clothes, and a looming, columned black palace-stage. There are some clever modern twists (Polonius spies through a one-way mirror and security cameras), and there are some truly brilliant bits of symbolism sprinkled through the story (Gertrude seeing the mad Ophelia in a shattered mirror).

This adaptation of "Hamlet" is a solid piece of work, with the smooth feeling of a classic play done by insanely talented people. Also: David Tennant is astounding.

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.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking!
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. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Pierre Gauthier

2.0 out of 5 stars Patrick Stewart really is old this time
"The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark" and not only the Prince but also his family. Not only his family but also his friends. Read more

Published 21 months ago by bernie

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