![]() ![]() Oftentimes, movie versions of Hamlet come across as little more than gussied up transfers of the play from stage to film. In general, however, this is one of the gloomiest versions of Hamlet to be found. Olivier attempts to lighten things a little by making Polonius (Felix Aylmer) more fatuous than is normally the case and by playing up the silliness of Osric (Peter Cushing). One potential negative of excising Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is that these two are responsible for a lion's share of the comedy. ![]() The result is a streamlined Hamlet, with an unwavering focus on the lead character's internal turmoil and his interaction with Claudius (Basil Sydney) and Gertrude (Eileen Herlie). He cuts about 40% of what's in the unabridged version, including all scenes featuring Fortinbras, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. The actor/filmmaker's decisions regarding the text have been the subject of much debate over the years. That's one area in which Olivier's 1948 version excels. ![]() Yet, of all these Hamlets, two stand out above the others: the 1948 Laurence Olivier version - the only Shakespeare film ever to win the Best Picture Oscar - and the 1996 Kenneth Branagh interpretation.Ĭonsidering that 90% of those seeing any production of Hamlet will know the story at the outset, the key to an adaptation's success is what the director does beyond the dialogue. Stars of the highest magnitude have played the role, sometimes transforming a movie into a vanity production. From the early silent era (1900) until today, versions of Hamlet have been sliced, diced, and re-worked into nearly every permutation possible. A glance at the IMDb listing for "Hamlet" turns up in excess of 70 entries, which is an indication of how popular a subject matter this most honored of Shakespeare's plays has been for cinematic adaptation. ![]()
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