BBC | 2009 | 182 mins. | Not rated
This is a review written for those of you who don’t have access to Blu-ray, or are thinking about purchasing another copy in the standard DVD format. While the meat of my review remains the same, I have rewritten some of the audio, video and special feature sections to reflect the format changes.
Written between 1599 and 1601, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been adapted for the stage and screen countless times. The highest grossing adaptation of the tale to date (and most popular, in some quarters), is Disney’s Academy Award-winning animated feature The Lion King, which enacts a loose version of the plot among a pride of African lions.
I have seen several of the traditional retellings of Hamlet on celluloid, starring several actors of note in the leading role—Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Kenneth Branagh, and Mel Gibson—Olivier and Branagh, in that order, have always been the epitome of Hamlet for me. While I realize that productions by The Royal Shakespeare Company always feature some of the world’s finest actors, I just didn’t believe that Hamlet could be done any better.
To my surprise this version is the best one in years, and rivals Branagh’s 1996 version. I still remain steadfast in my belief that no one has reached the heights of Olivier in the role. The modernized-but-faithful telling of the Bard’s classic tale of betrayal and revenge was a critical smash when it premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and someone at the BBC was smart enough to realize that a filmed version of the show might be in a wise idea.
To be clear, this isn’t just a filmed version of the play. While we get a feel for what the stage looked like—black floor and unique costumes, the entire production was shot with a single camera, allowing for generous close-ups and a film-like aesthetic. The former star of Doctor Who, David Tennant, oozes charisma as Prince Hamlet, Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation), plays a very authoritative King Claudius, and the ghost of Hamlet’s father. Penny Downie plays Queen Gertrude, Oliver Ford Davies is memorable as Polonius, Peter de Jersey appears as Horatio, Mariah Gale chews scenery in the role of Ophelia, and Edward Bennett plays Laertes.
This filmed version was helmed by Gregory Doran, who also directed the play, and serves as Chief Associate Director of the RSC. Since Hamlet has been told so many times before, it’s not the plot that’s likely to draw viewers in. Instead, it’s the ‘little things’ that make Doran’s version a standout. For instance, when it came to the “To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy, the director decided to shoot the monologue almost entirely in extreme close-up, expecting Tennant to deliver the goods at such a pivotal moment. Lucky for us, and everyone else involved the actor does himself proud. Tennant appears to bare his soul, and leave everything out on the stage, in what is a truly remarkable performance. Patrick Stewart also does a wonderful job in his supporting role. His refined style and grace serves him well as the opposite of Tennant’s emotional prince.
As is often the case, the standard DVD version of Hamlet lacks some of the definition and clarity of its high definition counterpart. That being said, the widescreen transfer is fairly sharp and devoid of any real digital anomalies. The audio track dies its job, but trying to effectively capture a Shakespeare play is always a tough one. This features echoing voices in a castle, and lines sometimes get a bit muffled in the midst of it. Overall though, this transfer falls into the recommended category.
Like the Blu-ray, the standard DVD edition of Hamlet arrives with a solid set of special features that provides an extensive overview of both the stage and screen versions of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptation. First up is an informative audio commentary with RSC chief-associate director and filmmaker Greg Doran, director of photography Chris Seager, and co-producer Seth Grant. The trio not only dissect each choice and change they made while honing their latest version of Shakespeare’s famed tragedy, they devote ample time to discussing the performances, set and costume designs, blocking and framing, cuts and additions, and key aspects of their interpretation of several characters, events, and dramatic encounters. A lengthy,”Behind the Scenes” documentary (SD, 32 minutes) is also included. While some portions are a bit redundant (at least for those who’ve already plowed through the disc’s three-hour commentary), the doc’s countless cast and crew interviews, candid behind-the-scenes footage, and thought-provoking analysis of the Bard’s text and the RSC’s stage and screen adaptations make it well worth watching. Finally, a short promo for the RSC (SD, 3 minutes) rounds out the package.
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