Year: 1948
Director: Laurence Olivier
Country: UK
Language: English
There are many great screen adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays, such as Henry V, Forbidden Planet and Chimes at Midnight. My next three reviews will regard film adaptations of the tragedy known as Hamlet. The first will be Kenneth Branagh's 1996 version, the second will consist of Mel Gibson's 1990 version and finally the third will be Sir Laurence Olivier's 1948 version. I first saw Olivier's version in Matt Meiers' English class a few years ago. My first impression was of pure admiration, I thought this is what Shakespearean adaptation should aspire to be. A couple years later I would buy the Criterion Collection edition so I could watch it whenever I felt like.
Hamlet is about the son of the king of Denmark, who is named Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) He is summoned home for his father's funeral and his mother's wedding to his uncle. In a supernatural occurrence, he discovers that his uncle, whom he doesn't like that much anyways, murdered his father. He must plot and then unplot against the uncle, while directing a play within a play in order to exact revenge.
Olivier's Hamlet appears to be the most authentic version of Shakespeare's tragedy that is available for home viewing. It is much bleaker that Gibson and Branagh's version and for good reason; This is a tragedy of a man who must murder. This is a story of ghosts & revenge. As the film itself claims "This is the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind" The tone of the film is sombre and gothic, though it needs to be to realistically capture the mood of the troubled Hamlet.
Olivier bring great depth to one of the most complex and perhaps fascinating characters Shakespeare has ever written about. He is subtle in acting yet demonstrates great understanding of the character's inner struggles that tug at his soul. Olivier as a director keeps the film at a nice slow pace, with great tracking shots of the gothic-like castle's staircases & corridors. He emphasizes a great deal on shadows and extreme close-ups. Great fans of the play might be disappointed that many scenes and minor characters are cut (such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) but perhaps the film's strength is that it chooses to focus only on Hamlet's main troubles.
In conclusion, I feel Olivier's Hamlet is not only the best adaptation of Hamlet, but I also feel that it is the best Shakespearean adaptation in existence. It is definitely in my top ten favourite films ever made. Everything about Olivier's film is bleak yet incredibly beautiful. Oliver's performance as the title character is truly unforgettable. Praise it! 5/5
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