I really didn't expect much after I saw the disastrous modern adaption of Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet in 1996. In fact, I've been hesitate to watch this Hamlet for a long time. Now I'm just so glad I didn't miss it. Of the 4 versions of Hamlet I've seen on film, this is by far the most accessible and inspiring one.
It revolves around this brilliant idea that the problems of Hamlet are universal and you don't need to be a stage guru to articulate them. The acting style suits the idea incredibly well with all the dialogs spoken in a natural and unaffected way. The scenes are carefully chosen so it's much tighter and easier to follow than the full-length play. My highest praise goes to the first half of the film for its pitch-perfect rhythm and intensity. The second half, however, seems a bit hasty and awkward at times, especially the grave scene and sword-fighting climax.
It helps when you have a great ensemble to do a proper Shakespeare film. Diane Venora, Sam Shepard, Kyle MacLachlan and Liev Schreiber are all veterans who have tackled Shakespeare on stage. As for the actor who plays the title role, I agree with the conventional wisdom that "there's no Hamlet, only the actor who plays it". So if you can enjoy Ethan Hawke as Hamlet, you'll pretty much like everything he does.
It revolves around this brilliant idea that the problems of Hamlet are universal and you don't need to be a stage guru to articulate them. The acting style suits the idea incredibly well with all the dialogs spoken in a natural and unaffected way. The scenes are carefully chosen so it's much tighter and easier to follow than the full-length play. My highest praise goes to the first half of the film for its pitch-perfect rhythm and intensity. The second half, however, seems a bit hasty and awkward at times, especially the grave scene and sword-fighting climax.
It helps when you have a great ensemble to do a proper Shakespeare film. Diane Venora, Sam Shepard, Kyle MacLachlan and Liev Schreiber are all veterans who have tackled Shakespeare on stage. As for the actor who plays the title role, I agree with the conventional wisdom that "there's no Hamlet, only the actor who plays it". So if you can enjoy Ethan Hawke as Hamlet, you'll pretty much like everything he does.