Hamlet
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Movie Reviews of Hamlet
Movie Review: Impressive, Surprisingly
Summary: 5 Stars
I heard about this movie and thought it would be terrible. Ethan Hawke has never been my favorite actor, and I hated the way Baz Luhrmann cut Romeo and Juliet (the last big "MTV generation Shakespeare" adaptation). However, I was extremely pleased with this film. It's by far my favorite film adaptation of the play. While Branagh and Olivier (and even Mel Gibson) are all talented actors (to look at the major-release versions), what they fail to capture is the basic fact that Hamlet the character is really a slacker. He's a little immature, a little whiney. Ethan Hawke seems to understand this. Part of the reason behind Hamlet's tortuous soliloquies is to illustrate the fact that he's incapable of action and thus fails, whereas Fortinbras, decisive and bold, succeeds.
Hamlet himself aside, I loved the cleverness of this adaptation. The director seems to really enjoy the play. That's important. It's silly to wonder what Shakespeare would think of these films - it's enough that the texts remain both relevant and a source of inspiration to today's creative artists.
Movie Review: a very original and pivotal look at Shakespeare
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is perhaps the best version of Hamlet put to film. Less melodramatic than either Kenneth Branagh's or Lawrence Olivier's traditional versions of the play, Almereyda has created a film that uses Shakespeares text extremely effectively but at the same time this does not take away from the movie's visual quality. Cinematography and editing are perhaps the most important part in a film and the problem with bringing Shakespeare to film is that Shakespeare is about language not image. In terms of performances, Ethan Hawke offers a new interpretation of Shakespeare's most complex character. He portrays Hamlet as a confused adolescent and young filmaker, who is almost driven mad by what he sees in the world. He sees the world through the lens of his video cameras and Almereyda demonstrates this by adding a very dark and bleached look to the colors of the film. This review is really just a brief outline of what could really be a long essay about this film's art. In short, the film is a masterpiece and bridges the gap between literal imagery and visual imagery.
Movie Review: A Great and Imaginative Presentation
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best renditions of Hamlet I have seen. Setting it in modern times made the meaning of the play more relevant: this isn't about dead characters long ago, but about moral dilemmas and questions faced by those of the 21st century. I liked the way soliloquies were presented as the character's private thoughts rather than speeches for the audience. The background music also greatly added to the mood of the play. This movie is cast well, featuring Ethan Hawke, an actor who is actually close to the character's age in Shakespeare's tragedy (a refreshing change), and whose performance is magnificent. Sam Shepard's role as Hamlet's father is very captivating. The rest of the cast is excellent, as I was impressed by their ability to roll early modern English off their tongues as if it were modern English. The Shakespeare traditionalist may find the setting and editing of the play disturbing. However, those who believe that Shakespeare wrote a timeless work will find this movie appealing. I definitely recommend this movie!Movie Review: Quite excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not sure what movie many of these reviewers watched, but it obviously wasn't this one. The movie I saw was brilliant, with good acting, very fitting music, and good direction; an excellent _adaptation_ of Shakespeare's play. Hawke was excellent as Hamlet. Julia Stiles was pretty unconvincing, as Ophelia, at first, but only got better as the movie progressed. Kyle Maclachlan is probably the most "Shakespearean" of the major actors, and he does not disappoint. Bill Murray is the weakest, but he fits in well.
All in all, the key to understanding this Hamlet is that it is a _movie._ It's not a play on tape, but a movie (or film, for pretentiphiles), and it takes advantage of all the capabilities of that versatile medium. It's also an adaption of the play, and a significant portion of important dialogue was cut, which is unfortunate. Nonetheless, the plot is intact and the film has a hard-hitting emotional impact.
Don't expect a traditional and stale Hamlet, and you won't be disappointed.
Movie Review: absolutely brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
i cannot even begin to express how much i appreciated this movie. when i rented it, i watched it 3 times before reluctantly returning it to the video store. buying it was necessary, since it's rare that a movie moves me like this one did. hawke does hamlet such justice, and the pain he displays onscreen, is conveyed and experienced by the viewer. hamlet is shakespeare's most complicated character, and hawke does such a brilliant job, he to me, makes the most perfect hamlet. each scene is intricately composed, and contain superb acting. i could live without bill murray as polonius (since this really isn't a groundhog day part...), but all in all, it's a fantastic movie. the modernisation of hamlet needed care, and caution, but the director seemed to have no problem with it. i can't speak for anyone else, except myself. and other people who have seen the movie, thought of it as mediocre. but, from my point of view, an incredible movie, which i love. truly brilliant.