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Product Description
From Amazon.com
Perhaps the least important thing about this latest film version of Shakespeare's masterpiece is its setting in modern-day New York. Yes, such locales as the Guggenheim Museum are used wittily; answering machines and faxes are logically worked into the plot; and it was both inspired and entirely appropriate to make the prince of Denmark a moody, introspective filmmaker whose avant-garde collages provide the context for some of his famous monologues. All of which would be so much pleasantly humorous eye-candy if it didn't come hand in hand with a sympathy for and understanding of this remarkable cast of characters. For that, ultimately, is what makes Michael Almereyda's Hamlet such a delight to watch. Forget that the immortal rumination on suicide is placed in a Blockbuster Video aisle and notice instead how Ethan Hawke's own youthful, callow arrogance makes Hamlet's vacillations believable. And how the comical but infantilizing way Bill Murray's Polonius dotes upon his daughter Ophelia (Julia Stiles)--and her mute acceptance of his attentions--lead her to thoughts of a watery grave even before her bout of madness. And also notice how much Claudius truly does love Gertrude (when gazing at her, Kyle MacLachlan's face relaxes from its usual plasticity) and how Sam Shepard's ghost is less vengeful or tortured than stiffened by remorse. These are the shining moments of invention in Almereyda's bold updating of the play, and they are why this will be a film to watch and enjoy long after its setting has made it as much a period piece as Olivier's adaptation, with its broodingly lit castle, or Branagh's, with its gleaming 19th-century court. --Bruce Reid
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
One to Make You Think
Jan 2 2004
Format:DVD
If you have not studied and understand Shakespeare's usage of words, then this movie will be a terrible long bore filled with words you would have trouble pronouncing, let alone understanding. You may have understood some of the plot had the setting and the dialouge not been so different. 14th century Denmark and 21st century New York are two completly different worlds, with different words. If you found it horrible confusing, study Shakespeare's language and then give this movie another look.
Now if you understand Shakespeare, but have not read the play, you could follow the plot, and identify with some of the characters. Hamlet was played a bit meloncholy, but it fit. If you truely like dramas, then you can agree with me that when he put the gun to his head and said "To be or not to be," it was moving, at least I thought it was. Ophelia's sudden maddness seemed, well, sudden, but again, my boyfriend never shot my father either. The poloroid pictures perfectly captured the drowning with flowers, and yet kept it contemporary. The final scene brought tears to my eyes. I felt so much empathy for Hamlet, and while I knew it was a tragedy, I was completly shocked when he died.
Overall, this was one of the better modern-day Shakespearean plays I have seen.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Quite excellent
Jan 18 2004
Format:DVD
I'm not sure what movie many of these reviewers watched, but it obviously wasn't this one. The movie I saw was brilliant, with good acting, very fitting music, and good direction; an excellent _adaptation_ of Shakespeare's play.
Hawke was excellent as Hamlet. Julia Stiles was pretty unconvincing, as Ophelia, at first, but only got better as the movie progressed. Kyle Maclachlan is probably the most "Shakespearean" of the major actors, and he does not disappoint. Bill Murray is the weakest, but he fits in well.
All in all, the key to understanding this Hamlet is that it is a _movie._ It's not a play on tape, but a movie (or film, for pretentiphiles), and it takes advantage of all the capabilities of that versatile medium. It's also an adaption of the play, and a significant portion of important dialogue was cut, which is unfortunate. Nonetheless, the plot is intact and the film has a hard-hitting emotional impact.
Don't expect a traditional and stale Hamlet, and you won't be disappointed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I've seen at least 10 performances of Hamlet
Nov 1 2006
Format:DVD
Since I'm in my seventh decade and am a Shakespeare fan(atic), I've had plenty of time to catch a great many HAMLETS--at least 10 different versions on stage or film or TV, plus a wild clunky performance in my undergraduate second-year Shakespeare class, where we students ran around the classroom emoting from our textbooks, where the professor (who didn't need a book) was having so much fun he played both Hamlet and Laertes in the duel scene, bounced back and forth fencing with himself, stabbed himself to death, then became Horatio and Fortinbras, and gave his own solemn eulogy. That was the hands-on way Dr. Robertson taught all the plays, and made them unforgettable!
Of the professional performances I've seen, Olivier's 1948 film stands very high (I think everyone in my ninth grade class saw it at least twice) and so does Derek Jacobi's on PBS. The most fun was Anna Russell's hilarious mock-Verdi opera, HAMLETTO, or PROSCIUTTINO, with its Rosencrantz and Guildenstern patter-song. Russell's pastiche was more to my taste than Mel Gibson's interpretation. That one was a banal disaster, as I should have expected--a waste of time and money. My lifelong favorite has been the 1960s New York City stage production starring Richard Burton, who gave a new dimension to Hamlet's motivation. Oh, how I wish that one had been filmed.
There've been several modern-dress stage interpretations which I'd liked, so I was intrigued by the reports that this one was set in near-future New York City, not in Denmark (the country) but in Denmark (the corporation). The unusual casting also fascinated me, so I paid to see it in a theater instead of renting it. What an experience it turned out to be! If Amazon had a 4.5 rating, that's how I'd rate this HAMLET. I'm not sure which stellar quality I admired the most--the wise and clever use of modern technology, the New York scenes, Almereyda's outstanding direction, the roving, intrusive camera, possibly Julia Stiles' bewildered innocence. She was perfect and so were the two actors--hitherto unknown to me--who portrayed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as college-age slackers. The entire cast was superb.
Probably most of all I loved the freshness of Shakespeare's language--American-accented and in so different a milieu--demonstrating again the astonishingly timeless relevance that makes HAMLET a classic. I simply can't imagine why the detractors would not have loved this film. My advice to them: "Get a life." To all others: "Get the DVD!"
Of the professional performances I've seen, Olivier's 1948 film stands very high (I think everyone in my ninth grade class saw it at least twice) and so does Derek Jacobi's on PBS. The most fun was Anna Russell's hilarious mock-Verdi opera, HAMLETTO, or PROSCIUTTINO, with its Rosencrantz and Guildenstern patter-song. Russell's pastiche was more to my taste than Mel Gibson's interpretation. That one was a banal disaster, as I should have expected--a waste of time and money. My lifelong favorite has been the 1960s New York City stage production starring Richard Burton, who gave a new dimension to Hamlet's motivation. Oh, how I wish that one had been filmed.
There've been several modern-dress stage interpretations which I'd liked, so I was intrigued by the reports that this one was set in near-future New York City, not in Denmark (the country) but in Denmark (the corporation). The unusual casting also fascinated me, so I paid to see it in a theater instead of renting it. What an experience it turned out to be! If Amazon had a 4.5 rating, that's how I'd rate this HAMLET. I'm not sure which stellar quality I admired the most--the wise and clever use of modern technology, the New York scenes, Almereyda's outstanding direction, the roving, intrusive camera, possibly Julia Stiles' bewildered innocence. She was perfect and so were the two actors--hitherto unknown to me--who portrayed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as college-age slackers. The entire cast was superb.
Probably most of all I loved the freshness of Shakespeare's language--American-accented and in so different a milieu--demonstrating again the astonishingly timeless relevance that makes HAMLET a classic. I simply can't imagine why the detractors would not have loved this film. My advice to them: "Get a life." To all others: "Get the DVD!"
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Most recent customer reviews
A wonderfully creative and accessible 'Hamlet'
A terrific updating, using Shakespeare's language, but set in modern
corporate New York City. Beautifully shot, on a shockingly low budget
for it's look, with amazing use... Read more
corporate New York City. Beautifully shot, on a shockingly low budget
for it's look, with amazing use... Read more
Published 14 months ago by K. Gordon
Bad
There have been a number of brilliant adaptations of Shakespeare in the past few years which has updated and modernized the settings, but this isn't one of them. Read more
Published on July 11 2004 by Gus the Goldfish
Hamlet as a Rip-Off of Romeo and Juliet
I've seen most versions of Hamlet available on VHS or DVD, and this is absolutely the worst. One reveiwer here has pointed out that the cast's inability to handle the language is... Read more
Published on Jun 16 2004 by Christopher M. Adderley
"You come most carefully upon your hour."
This version is an interesting idea, at best. Instead of recieving letters, in this modern-day world they receive faxes. Read more
Published on Mar 11 2004 by D. Knouse
Terrible!
No doubt that Shakespeare has rolled in his grave 'cause of this film. It sickens me to see the bastardization of another great piece of literature by Shakespeare (the other is the... Read more
Published on Feb 27 2004
What the heck just hit me?
When I first began watching this movie it was a let down, I had been expecting so much more. I almost shut it off but my husband convinced me to keep watching and.... Read more
Published on Dec 16 2003
Play murdered by Hawke's untalented, one sided performance
Okay. when this movie started, it was promising. The setting of New York year 2000, Denmark as Giant Corporation, Elsinore a hotel... Read more
Published on Nov 8 2003 by Coldturkey
The archaic madman has finally become human
If you are a Shakespeare purist, you are going to hate this movie. There are no theatrical extremes or classical cliches. Read more
Published on Oct 22 2003 by Mathias
Horrid.
I think that many of the other reviewers have hit the nail on the head. So I won't bore you with the small points. Read more
Published on Sep 16 2003 by "norlak"
Yuck!
I like Shakespeare enough that I popped for the BBC DVD collection, and Hamlet and Henry V are my two favorite. Read more
Published on Aug 15 2003
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