Hamlet [VHS]

This was the first film I was taken to see, at the age of 5. I loved it then, and love it now.
Filmed in Denmark, it's a stylish work of art. The sets and cinematography are fabulous, and it boasts a superb score by Sir William Walton.

The magnificent Olivier gives us the most poetic and melancholy Hamlet on film...the way he uses his eyes in this performance is extraordinary, and very moving. Jean Simmons is a delicate and beautiful Ophelia, I like Eileen Hurlie's Gertrude, and Norman Woodland's graceful Horatio is outstanding.

Though the Zeffirelli/Gibson version is my favourite, and Branagh's ever so long uncut version stunning, this one shouldn't be missed...it's the classic of classics...riveting even for a child of 5 !

Olivier's film of Hamlet is not perfect, but it is unlikely to be excelled. No present-day director, of sufficient intellect or skill to match it, would want to try; and there is no living English-speaking actor with the physical presence, voice or mastery of Shakespeare's language to fill the role. Any apparently negative judgements here are made in the context of a standard so far unequalled. There is no point in discussing Olivier's cuts or re-arrangements of the text; his film is an entertainment, not an academic exercise, and anyone who is not a moron will be handsomely entertained. The pace is somewhat sedate, until the cathartic final bloodbath, but the ghost is gripping and effective enough from the start to engage the viewer with the action. There is a strongly Victorian, neo-Gothic feel to the magnificent staging and rich costumes, reinforced by deliberate emulation of Millais' 1852 painting of the drowning Ophelia. The costumes benefit from the black and white photography, avoiding the technicolour garishness which obtrudes in Olivier's later Richard III. Modern viewers may think Hamlet should show a rather more feverish and agitated distraction, but this is not a serious fault. What, then, are the major flaws? First, the introduction ("this is the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind"), which is completely unnecessary, off-putting, and almost silly. It should be removed. Second, although the acting of the supporting players (especially Eileen Herlie, and including Jean Simmons, whose touchingly fragile Ophelia has sometimes been disparaged) is generally excellent, Terence Morgan as Laertes is weak and mechanical, particularly in the early scenes. He cuts a spirited figure in the duel, but is otherwise unconvincing. Perhaps his woodenness is partly intentional, since he is suspected of being but "the painting of a sorrow, a face without a heart". Occasionally there is a sense that one or two other actors are also merely reciting the lines, without living them. The third, and most surprising failing, however, is in Olivier's delivery of "to be or not to be", the most famous soliloquy in English literature. This speech is a distillation of Hamlet's three preoccupations: the riddle of life and death, the legitimacy of revenge, and his perplexed sense of sexual frustration and disgust, which underpins the entire play. By treating the passage exclusively as a meditation on suicide, Olivier misses the opportunity of consolidating his fully justified Freudian interpretation of the drama, and virtually throws it away, symbolically dropping his bodkin into the troubled sea. But in spite of these criticisms I can't see any other actor/director bringing a fraction of the concentrated intelligence and stagecraft displayed in this production to the modern screen.

After seeing a ghost of his father King Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Hamlet (Olivier) goes into madness as he learns the truth of his father's death.

Based on William Shakespeare's tragedy, Laurence Olivier's (Sleuth) picture depicts the play expertly, filled with brilliant performances, direction and a chilling climax.

Olivier directs and stars for this picture, and was the first person to direct themselves towards an Oscar, a remarkable achievement in the Englishman's career, and described as one of his finest onscreen performances of all time.

Though Olivier looks slightly old to play the role of the young Prince, there is no question about his performance as he gets it absolutely spot on, with very dramatic motives, using the text to his knowledge, especially the use of prose and blank verse and to direct himself in such a drastic dynamic way whilst delivering this remarkable performance will never be praised enough.

His long and slow direction helps achieve the delicacy of the character, and of the dramatic turn of events in Denmark, and though Olivier shines throughout, the whole concept of madness and the play is the ultimate star of the show.

Shakespeare's controversial tragedy is brilliantly adapted and contains very strong drama, filled with strong ideologies of loyalty, truth and betrayal, but particularly madness.

When Hamlet hears of his Uncle's actions, we see the Prince act very strangely and are immediately guessing what is going through his mind, which we soon find out through the use of soliloquies, where we see the deepest desires and thoughts inside Hamlet's heart. All the famous quotes including "To be or not to be" and "The play's the thing" are the key moments and stand out come the end of the film, which takes a while to come.

Olivier gets every element in apart from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, which he received criticism for. Though brilliant, this is an exceptionally long and drawn out film, which may test your patience.

There are a few lapses but ultimately this is one of Shakespeare's finest adaptations and helped me a lot when studying for my English A level. Finely acted and superbly directed, Olivier has created a landmark in the drama genre and is one of the finest adaptations of all time.

8.5/10