I wouldn't say this is my favorite type of movie while beautifully written and performed, it's basically a story steeped in misery - a lengthy parade of one death after another, with large helpings of insanity along the way! Overall, however, I found watching HAMLET an interesting and enriching experience. My schedule dictated that I watched the film in sections over a few days it's not the ideal way to view a movie, but as it turned out, I think it worked well for me to take it in slowly, absorbing and thinking about one segment before moving on to the next. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Olivier), Best Costume Design, and Best Art Direction/Set Decoration.Īs a humorous aside, the stark, empty sets led me to wonder: What do these people have to do all day, other than pick up the occasional book or watch some traveling actors? Maybe I'd go mad in that environment too! I'm not sure any actress can make going crazy compelling viewing for scene after scene after scene! I especially enjoyed her spirited performance in the early scenes the later portion of the film got to be a bit tedious. Jean Simmons was approximately 18 when she played Ophelia her previous credits included David Lean's GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1946) and Powell and Pressburger's BLACK NARCISSUS (1947). The gloomy black and white cinematography was by Desmond Dickinson, and the musical score was composed by Sir William Walton. I liked the way the camera explored the castle, searching rooms for the characters the camera almost becomes a ghostly presence itself, peeking in this room and that, traveling up and down stairs, then pausing to watch a bit more of the story unfold. I especially appreciated the movie's eerie atmosphere, presenting HAMLET as a spooky ghost tale. According to Terrence Rafferty's essay in the DVD case, Olivier collaborated with Alan Dent to condense the play, and while there are a couple of notable omissions - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are nowhere to be seen! - what ended up on screen works very well. The movie is on the long side, clocking in at 2 hours and 35 minutes even so, it cuts quite a bit out of the original play. One of the recurring themes of the curriculum I used when homeschooling my children was how the Bible and Shakespeare have influenced our language, and that was brought home anew as I watched the film. My husband commented that this version of HAMLET is the clearest Shakespeare he's ever seen on film, and I think he's correct the words fall so naturally out of the actors' mouths that it takes the viewer almost no time at all to become acclimated to the language.Īnd what language! I couldn't help marveling at the wealth of familiar phrases: 'To thine own self be true,' 'Neither a borrower nor a lender be,' 'We shall not see his like again,' 'more in sorrow than in anger,' and on and on.

It had been quite a number of years since I last read the play, so watching the film was somewhat akin to meeting up with a vaguely familiar old friend. HAMLET has always been one of my favorite Shakespeare plays - in fact, I chose it as the subject for an essay in my AP English exam back in high school days - but curiously, I don't believe I'd ever seen it performed prior to watching this movie. HAMLET, directed by and starring Laurence Olivier, was the seventh film seen from my list of 10 Classics to watch in 2012. Joel and Frances McCrea Ranch Foundation.Southern CA Classic Film Theaters & Festivals Thrilling Days of Yesteryear (New Site).A Mythical Monkey Writes About the Movies.Tonight's Movie: The Falcon Out West (1944).Tonight's Movie: Bureau of Missing Persons (1933).Tonight's Movie: From Headquarters (1933).Miscellaneous Musings on Classic Films and Disney About Me Name: Laura Location: Orange County, CA, United States

Hamlet full movie 1948