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Latest BrainwaveHamlet BrainwaveI have loved William Shakespeare’s Hamlet since I was in high school, reading it for the first time. I knew I was on to something then and soon I figures out it was the most perfect piece of art ever produced.
One of the things I love about it is how adaptable it is. You can do millions of productions, each one different, each with their own interpretation, bias, angle, and each can be wonderful. I have listed below some of my favorite and not so favorite filmed takes on the Bard’s masterpiece.
William’s Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Dir. Kenneth Branagh
1996
This one is my favorite. First of all it’s got the entire play, full text so you aren’t dealing with cuts of your favorite scenes. Plus it’s shot in a beautiful palace which makes Ellsinore become a palpable character in the piece. Then there is the cast of all casts. Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Judi Dench, Richard Attenborough, Gerard Depardieu, Rosemary Harris, Charlton Heston, Jack Lemmon, Rufus Sewell, Robin Williams, Kate Winslet… the list goes on and on. Especially the Branagh regulars like the magnificent Richard Briers as a sinister Polonius (I always prefer him sinister) and the perfect Derek Jacobi who is a god among actors as Claudius. It’s the best performance of the part I have ever seen and still the only one which made me feel for him. Branagh makes Shakespeare’s write sound like conversation, the most beautiful conversation in the world.
Hamlet
Dir. Laurence Olivier
1948
This is the quintessential film Hamlet. It’s all moody and dark and depressing. Olivier is a master and, if it wasn’t for Branagh, I would say that no one can do the Bard on screen like Olivier. This film holds up, even if it suffers from a few clichés of its era. It’s tragically beautiful.
Hamlet
Dir. Franco Zeffirelli
1990
Mel Gibson is cast as the Danish hero in this adaptation that has its hits and misses. It’s not as perfect as Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet but it’s still strong more for Glenn Close and Helena Bonham Carter’s takes on the female leads. This film has a strong cast around Gibson, such as Ian Holm and Paul Scofield. Gibson holds his own, but it’s all a but over the top. Still, it’s worth checking out.
Hamlet
Dir. Michael Almereyda
2000
This is the modern Hamlet with Ethan Hawke as the heir to a multimedia fortune. I enjoy this take but there are some serious flaws. Bill Murray as Polonius seems out of place and never finds the right groove for the character. Kyle MacLachlan is deliciously evil as Claudius while Diane Venora is perfectly tragic as the drunken Gertrude. Julia Stiles is loveable and strong as Ophelia. The story becomes a bit melodramatic in the modern context but it still works.
The Lion King
Dir. Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff
1994
Loosely inspired by the story of Hamlet this is one of the most enjoyable takes on the story. Remember before you were sick of Hakuna Matata? Before this became an omnipresent multimedia smash? Once you get past that you remember why. This is powerful, entertaining film making of the highest caliber.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Dir. Tom Stoppard
1990
Stoppard’s riff on existence is hilarious and moving. This little game of “what if” is made more enjoyable by the wonderful leads, Gary Oldman and Tim Roth before they both became clichés. It opens up a whole new way to look at Hamlet and to think about the meaning of life.
Strange Brew
Dir.
1983
Who knew you could make a hilarious comedy about beer from the work of Shakespeare? Bob and Doug Mackenzie did.
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