"Hamlet" - The Oscar Project Part XXI

I have a long history with the theatre. Most of my teen years and my early twenties were spent either behind a curtain or on center stage. It even inspired me to take multiple theatre classes while in college. One of my favorite of these classes was my Shakespeare class. I had been introduced to Shakespeare in high school. It was there that I discovered my favorite play in “Hamlet.” Prior to watching the 1948 Oscar film I had seen three different versions of the play, twice on stage and the Kenneth Branagh 1996 film. I was excited to see a “Hamlet” that had won the Oscar for Best Picture and I knew that Laurence Olivier was a legend of the silver screen. Unfortunately I was let down.

For the most part the script follows what Shakespeare had originally penned. Cuts are made however to shorten the running length. The usual characters of Fortinbras, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were removed completely, that is a typical cut made and I can be okay with that. However they also cut all of the lines from the play within the play, this would be fine but they also have to cut the scene before then were Hamlet is giving the actors notes on how to read their lines. If they are not going to read any lines then why is he giving those notes? The biggest change that upsets me though is the opening lines read by Olivier where he equates Hamlet to simply being a movie about a man that can’t make up his mind. I’ve studied “Hamlet” and let me assure you that the script has a lot more to it than just someone that can’t make up his mind.

The set is what is considered standard now for “Hamlet” with the hallways and stair cases twisting to show the craziness that is present in his mind. The actual film work could use some work as the whole film feels to light without much use of contrast. On a whole the film feels very old. Not old due to the age of the script though. Just old as a movie, something I haven’t felt as much with some of the other films that I have watched.

If your going to take on Shakespeare and put it on film, it needs to have energy and this movie just didn’t have it. However, it’s still Shakespeare, but I can’t recommend that you watch this. If you want to see “Hamlet” go watch the Branagh movie. It’s complete and well done. I give “Hamlet” 2.5 out of 5 stars.