My dad directed this version of Hamlet, and if you watch closely I make a brief appearance passing a message to Claudius. While short on production values the film does cover the major plot points and central character themes, focusing in particular on Hamlet and Claudius. It could be considered as a way of introducing young adults to Shakespeare or as interesting visualisation to someone who has recently read the play. The cast is generally pretty good with Blake himself from Blake's 7 playing Claudius and Will Houston in particular produces a great performance as Hamlet, despite the fact that he is slightly Ginger. The fight scene's are also notable, indeed I believe they were lifted directly from an RSC production in which some of the cast had performed, so their pretty good but unfortunately no matrix style wire-foo
4 Reviews
Not half bad
sarastro77 May 2009
As a collector of Shakespeare DVDs I am always thrilled to find a Hamlet DVD that I haven't seen before. I have had some disappointments with modern and extremely amateurish versions of Richard The Second (2001) and others, but this version of Hamlet starring William Houston was not awful. It does look fairly low-budget, but apart from a slightly grainy picture quality, it *is* a proper movie, with castles and out-door scenes, medieval ambiance, etc. This version was, to my mind, just a tad more worthwhile than both Nicol Williamson's stage version (1969), and both the 2000 films (Campbell Scott's and Michael Almereyda's), all of which I've rated a 4 or a 5.
Although this DVD lacks subtitles (I think it is scandalous to release any Shakespeare DVD without subtitles, but unfortunately it's often done), the actors here mostly manage to speak very clearly - of course, they *are* British, which, it seems, counts for quite a lot. The sound quality seems to decrease as the movie goes on, however, perhaps because of background noise (not excluding the music) in the plentiful out-door scenes.
The acting talent is rather uneven; Houston is adequate but not great as Hamlet (though he definitely has his moments - I like the scene where he actually lies in the dust, "seeking for his noble father", and I also thought the "I have of late, wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth" speech was well done), and this also goes for much of the cast, though some are better than others. The best performance clearly comes from David Powell-Davies as Polonius, whose take on the character is fresh and convincing. Horatio is quite good, too, with several admirable scenes. The relationship between Claudius and Gertrude is also appropriately lusty, which is an overlooked element in many productions. I don't think there's much acting emanating from Gareth Thomas, though; he is not the seductive satyr that Hamlet says he is. But then again, I've yet to see a Hamlet version with a properly handsome, seductive and thoroughly devious Claudius.
Overall the play included a surprisingly large amount of the 2nd Quarto text, opting rather to shorten speeches than to skip entire scenes. But a lot of speeches and passages were shortened almost to the point of omission. The only major part missing was the Fortinbras subplot, which is omitted in many productions. But I did in fact remain absorbed - if only intermittently impressed - with this Hamlet throughout its 114 minutes (no, not 220 as it says on the DVD sleeve), which in a somewhat amateurish production of a difficult play is quite a feat.
Amateurish call I it, because the editing, both of the text and the film scenes, left something to be desired. Strange cuts occur frequently, speeches are practically interrupted, and the director doesn't quite seem to have mastered the art of fade-outs and transitions. The scenes of violence are also not brilliantly choreographed. On the whole, this film comes short as regards the film-making craft, but is of normal theatrical standards as regards interpretation of the text. One is compelled to remark (and not for the first time) that people who do not know what they are doing should cut their film-making teeth on easier material than Shakespeare. Having said that, however, I am still positively surprised with this version, and may on occasion return to it for repeated viewings. Among the better Hamlet adaptations on film, however, it is not. While neither very good nor half bad, the result is somewhere in between.
I rate it a solid 6 out of 10 stars.
Although this DVD lacks subtitles (I think it is scandalous to release any Shakespeare DVD without subtitles, but unfortunately it's often done), the actors here mostly manage to speak very clearly - of course, they *are* British, which, it seems, counts for quite a lot. The sound quality seems to decrease as the movie goes on, however, perhaps because of background noise (not excluding the music) in the plentiful out-door scenes.
The acting talent is rather uneven; Houston is adequate but not great as Hamlet (though he definitely has his moments - I like the scene where he actually lies in the dust, "seeking for his noble father", and I also thought the "I have of late, wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth" speech was well done), and this also goes for much of the cast, though some are better than others. The best performance clearly comes from David Powell-Davies as Polonius, whose take on the character is fresh and convincing. Horatio is quite good, too, with several admirable scenes. The relationship between Claudius and Gertrude is also appropriately lusty, which is an overlooked element in many productions. I don't think there's much acting emanating from Gareth Thomas, though; he is not the seductive satyr that Hamlet says he is. But then again, I've yet to see a Hamlet version with a properly handsome, seductive and thoroughly devious Claudius.
Overall the play included a surprisingly large amount of the 2nd Quarto text, opting rather to shorten speeches than to skip entire scenes. But a lot of speeches and passages were shortened almost to the point of omission. The only major part missing was the Fortinbras subplot, which is omitted in many productions. But I did in fact remain absorbed - if only intermittently impressed - with this Hamlet throughout its 114 minutes (no, not 220 as it says on the DVD sleeve), which in a somewhat amateurish production of a difficult play is quite a feat.
Amateurish call I it, because the editing, both of the text and the film scenes, left something to be desired. Strange cuts occur frequently, speeches are practically interrupted, and the director doesn't quite seem to have mastered the art of fade-outs and transitions. The scenes of violence are also not brilliantly choreographed. On the whole, this film comes short as regards the film-making craft, but is of normal theatrical standards as regards interpretation of the text. One is compelled to remark (and not for the first time) that people who do not know what they are doing should cut their film-making teeth on easier material than Shakespeare. Having said that, however, I am still positively surprised with this version, and may on occasion return to it for repeated viewings. Among the better Hamlet adaptations on film, however, it is not. While neither very good nor half bad, the result is somewhere in between.
I rate it a solid 6 out of 10 stars.
A good cast in a decent attempt to film something pretty damn near unfilmable, on a shoestring.
mcjadt16 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This version of Hamlet bears all the marks of a very low budget production but has enough going for it to make it worth while.
It looks like a theatre production opened up and filmed. The cast range from competent to very good - a hint they are presenting a well rehearsed stage production - but some are incongruous. A very contemporary looking Osric, for example, or the youthful Polonius. On stage oddities such as there are less noticeable than on film. The production looks cheap, with the final duel between Hamlet and Laertes taking place in a small, drab room that doesn't reflect well on the majesty of the Danish royal house. A badly presented ghost doesn't help either.
The text has been edited heavily. The film bravely dumps the brilliant opening Shakespeare envisaged on the dark battlements of Elsinore. "To be or not to be" is shunted forwards to just before the entrance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This gives Hamlet's melancholy a more genuine feel - no question of him hamming it up for Claudius and Laertes - but it also means the audience has empathy with him, and less sympathy for his plight. We've only just met the guy, and he's telling us about how he wants to off himself. Don't you hate people like that? Fortinbras is gone entirely - the final catastrophe that befalls the Danish royal family leaves a power vacuum with no cynical warlordling ready to stride into it.
The film stutters at the start. The opening scenes are stages in Elizabethan buildings and look awkward and staged. Subsquent scenes are more effective, and the Elizabethan settings are discarded in favour of pleasingly medieval look. It's possible the director was trying for something similar to Olivier's Henry V in mind, which started with a facsimile of an Elizabethan staging of the play. It doesn't really work, and the opening scenes are ragged but it does pick up after that.
The main strength of the film is the cast. It looks like they have been playing the parts on stage and they are generally very good. Will Houston as Hamlet is very good, after a shaky start. Gareth Thomas is a sympathetic Claudius, and Lucy Cockram - after another dicey first scene - is good as Ophelia. David Powell Davies is too young for Polonius, but provides the character with a more dignity than he is usually allowed. He doesn't come across as pompous or foolish. This combination of a fairly likable Claudius and a wily Polonius makes our identification with Hamlet more provisional than is often the case, and this is good, for me at any rate.
The staging of the Mousetrap and the confrontation between Hamlet and Gertrude are very well done - the latter is superb. Houston imbues his lines with manic energy to make them more menacing than they are often read. This Hamlet's witty retorts seem to be teetering on the edge of madness. He carries this over onto the following scene, where he is quizzed about the fate of Polonius. Our sympathy here is actually with the hapless Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as they try to keep pace with the Prince, and it works very well. Hamlet's verbal sparring alienates us, as it should - he has, after all, just killed someone. That Houston manages to pull us back to him in the final scenes is a credit to a young actor who should shine in years to come.
All in, a brave attempt to film one of the difficult texts in the cannon. It is flawed, but the flaws relate more to the realities of film making. Its virtues, on the other hand, are most noticeable where they are most needed - the acting, the poetry, and the staging. There has been a glut of Hamlets recently. None have been perfect, including this one, but this is the one I like best.
It looks like a theatre production opened up and filmed. The cast range from competent to very good - a hint they are presenting a well rehearsed stage production - but some are incongruous. A very contemporary looking Osric, for example, or the youthful Polonius. On stage oddities such as there are less noticeable than on film. The production looks cheap, with the final duel between Hamlet and Laertes taking place in a small, drab room that doesn't reflect well on the majesty of the Danish royal house. A badly presented ghost doesn't help either.
The text has been edited heavily. The film bravely dumps the brilliant opening Shakespeare envisaged on the dark battlements of Elsinore. "To be or not to be" is shunted forwards to just before the entrance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This gives Hamlet's melancholy a more genuine feel - no question of him hamming it up for Claudius and Laertes - but it also means the audience has empathy with him, and less sympathy for his plight. We've only just met the guy, and he's telling us about how he wants to off himself. Don't you hate people like that? Fortinbras is gone entirely - the final catastrophe that befalls the Danish royal family leaves a power vacuum with no cynical warlordling ready to stride into it.
The film stutters at the start. The opening scenes are stages in Elizabethan buildings and look awkward and staged. Subsquent scenes are more effective, and the Elizabethan settings are discarded in favour of pleasingly medieval look. It's possible the director was trying for something similar to Olivier's Henry V in mind, which started with a facsimile of an Elizabethan staging of the play. It doesn't really work, and the opening scenes are ragged but it does pick up after that.
The main strength of the film is the cast. It looks like they have been playing the parts on stage and they are generally very good. Will Houston as Hamlet is very good, after a shaky start. Gareth Thomas is a sympathetic Claudius, and Lucy Cockram - after another dicey first scene - is good as Ophelia. David Powell Davies is too young for Polonius, but provides the character with a more dignity than he is usually allowed. He doesn't come across as pompous or foolish. This combination of a fairly likable Claudius and a wily Polonius makes our identification with Hamlet more provisional than is often the case, and this is good, for me at any rate.
The staging of the Mousetrap and the confrontation between Hamlet and Gertrude are very well done - the latter is superb. Houston imbues his lines with manic energy to make them more menacing than they are often read. This Hamlet's witty retorts seem to be teetering on the edge of madness. He carries this over onto the following scene, where he is quizzed about the fate of Polonius. Our sympathy here is actually with the hapless Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as they try to keep pace with the Prince, and it works very well. Hamlet's verbal sparring alienates us, as it should - he has, after all, just killed someone. That Houston manages to pull us back to him in the final scenes is a credit to a young actor who should shine in years to come.
All in, a brave attempt to film one of the difficult texts in the cannon. It is flawed, but the flaws relate more to the realities of film making. Its virtues, on the other hand, are most noticeable where they are most needed - the acting, the poetry, and the staging. There has been a glut of Hamlets recently. None have been perfect, including this one, but this is the one I like best.
Video killed the old king's ghost
cold_lazarou6 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
A solid, if not superlative, mounting of Shaky's greatest sees a largely unknown (to me, at least, i must admit) cast headed by Blake's 7 legend Gareth Thomas as a more sympathetic than usual King Claudius.
This is the fifth full-length production of The Dane that i have seen (after Olivier, Jacobi in the BBC version, Gibson for Zeffirelli, and of course Branagh's colossus), and although filmed on an obvious low budget - the film stock looked like digital video to me, perhaps indicating that cheaper technology means that we will see more productions in future that would otherwise go unfilmed - it certainly passes muster. The cast, as well as costumes and props, are apparently from an RSC production, and obviously are comfortably settled into their roles giving relaxed yet nuanced performances. William Houston as a credible and able Hamlet (i had to laugh despite myself at a previous poster giving him plaudits despite the 'handicap' of being ginger! Isn't that racist nowadays?:) ), especially good in his watchful observation and goading of Claudius in The Mousetrap scene.
Lucy Cockram i notice has no further IMDb credits to her name - a crying shame as far as i'm concerned, as she gives a very good performance as Ophelia, beautiful yet vulnerable, and heartbreaking in her scenes of madness towards the end. The only distraction, apart from the film stock, slight claustrophobic feel of the restricted locations and sets, bizarre video effects that badly vitiate the tension of the ghost scenes and hamper rather than accentuate Iain Cuthbertson's performance, and an Osric reminiscent of Graham Duff from "Ideal", was that Polonius strongly reminded me of the hilarious afterlife-denying professor Chaunticleer Guardsley from TV's "The Day Today". Checking the actor's IMDb credits however was fruitless in this quest. Perhaps like the prince himself i am mad.
This is the fifth full-length production of The Dane that i have seen (after Olivier, Jacobi in the BBC version, Gibson for Zeffirelli, and of course Branagh's colossus), and although filmed on an obvious low budget - the film stock looked like digital video to me, perhaps indicating that cheaper technology means that we will see more productions in future that would otherwise go unfilmed - it certainly passes muster. The cast, as well as costumes and props, are apparently from an RSC production, and obviously are comfortably settled into their roles giving relaxed yet nuanced performances. William Houston as a credible and able Hamlet (i had to laugh despite myself at a previous poster giving him plaudits despite the 'handicap' of being ginger! Isn't that racist nowadays?:) ), especially good in his watchful observation and goading of Claudius in The Mousetrap scene.
Lucy Cockram i notice has no further IMDb credits to her name - a crying shame as far as i'm concerned, as she gives a very good performance as Ophelia, beautiful yet vulnerable, and heartbreaking in her scenes of madness towards the end. The only distraction, apart from the film stock, slight claustrophobic feel of the restricted locations and sets, bizarre video effects that badly vitiate the tension of the ghost scenes and hamper rather than accentuate Iain Cuthbertson's performance, and an Osric reminiscent of Graham Duff from "Ideal", was that Polonius strongly reminded me of the hilarious afterlife-denying professor Chaunticleer Guardsley from TV's "The Day Today". Checking the actor's IMDb credits however was fruitless in this quest. Perhaps like the prince himself i am mad.
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