Hamlet (1948)

[Flack]

Shakespeare's Hamlet, written in (approximately) 1599, has been put to film at least a dozen times -- even more if you count films that took the story and redressed the characters, like China's The Banquet or Disney's The Lion King, and even more if you consider all the reboots that took the original story but moved the setting into modern times. Although the 1996 version starring Kenneth Branagh and Kate Winslet may be the most loyal of all film productions, its 4-hour runtime is enough to dissuade even the biggest of ol' Will's fans. The 1948 version, starring Laurence Olivier, trims just enough fat to squeeze the story into 2 1/2 hours and keep things moving the entire time.

For those of you who haven't read or watched Hamlet, if you've seen the Lion King, you already know the essentials of the plot. In the story, Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, has murdered the king (Hamlet's father), and assumed the roles of both the King of Denmark and the husband of his brother's wife, Queen Gertrude. Other important characters include the kind's chief council, Polonius, and his daughter, Ophelia. You may have heard of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Horatio.

If you think you're in for a long and boring evening, Hamlet opens with a visit from King Hamlet's ghost. After a few visits, the ghost of King Hamlet tells his son that he was murdered, and demands his death be avenged. The new king (Hamlet's uncle, Claudius) is already fed up with Hamlet's moping, but soon Hamlet comes up with a new plan to pretend he's insane. Claudius and Polonius spend a bunch of time trying to figure out what Hamlet is up to and even send his old friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him; Hamlet counters by befriending an acting troupe and putting on a play in which a guy is murdered exactly the same way the king was. In the middle of all of this, Hamlet is constantly messing with Ophelia, who as the new king's daughter is technically his cousin.

[Spoilers for this 400+ year old story ahead.]

After pulling a tricky-trick and having his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern executed, Hamlet attempts to avenge his father's death by killing the king, but accidentally murders Polonius instead. Polonius's daughter, Ophelia, drowns herself. Then Polonius's son (Laertes) arrives and agrees to help Claudius murder Hamlet by using a poison-tipped foil in a fencing match. If Hamlet manages to win the match, the king will serve Hamlet wine laced with poison. After discovering Ophelia's death, Hamlet accepts Laertes's challenge. At the match, Hamlet's mother (Queen Gertrude) makes a toast to Hamlet and accidentally drinks the poisoned wine. Laertes then stabs Hamlet with his poisoned foil, but then Hamlet gets the sword and stabs Laertes, who reveals the king's plan and then Hamlet stabs the king, too.

It's a Shakespearian Tragedy, or as I like to call it, the happiest story you'll read around these parts all week.

One of the best things about Hamlet is all the quotes that come directly from it, including:

- "Neither a borrower nor a lender be."
- "This above all: to thine own self be true."
- "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
- "That one may smile and smile and be a villain."
- "Brevity is the soul of wit."
- "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."
- "For in this sleep of death, what dreams may come."
- "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio."
- "Goodnight, sweet prince!"
...and perhaps the most famous Shakespeare quote of all time...
- "To be, or not to be, that is the question."

Laurence Olivier is at his apex here, with stunning performances by Jean Simmons as Ophelia, and even a few small roles by Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. A few characters like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern get the shaft in this version, but you still get the entire story, and what a story it is.

[AArdvark]

A great play! My boy was Claudius in his high school black box production. I was feeding him lines when he was learning his part at home. Luckily they didn't do the huge full play, five hours would be a bit much.

Have you seen the German MST3K version?

[AArdvark]

[Tdarcos]

...and perhaps the most famous Shakespeare quote of all time...
- "To be, or not to be, that is the question."

Every programmer already knows the answer:
$2B or not $2B = $FF
( or ) 43 or not 43 = -1

[Jizaboz]

I'm going to have to watch this.

Years ago I was at a GWAR concert where an older, grizzle-faced dude started talking to me at the bar. The slurred conversation seemed to be going well until at one point he said something really deep, but I was drunk and don't recall.

I was like "Wow man I never really thought about it like that."

Dude is like "You never? .. that's SHAKESPEARE, maaaan!" as he proceeded to walk away from me in disgust. From that day I decided perhaps I should read more Shakespeare and less horror and Tom Clancy.

[Flack]

You can consume more Shakespeare without consuming less horror and Tom Clancy.

I watched two movies yesterday: Hamlet, and Cocaine Bear.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I'm going to have to watch this.

Years ago I was at a GWAR concert where an older, grizzle-faced dude started talking to me at the bar. The slurred conversation seemed to be going well until at one point he said something really deep, but I was drunk and don't recall.

I was like "Wow man I never really thought about it like that."

Dude is like "You never? .. that's SHAKESPEARE, maaaan!" as he proceeded to walk away from me in disgust. From that day I decided perhaps I should read more Shakespeare and less horror and Tom Clancy.

He walked away in disgust at your pedestrian upbringing, happy to return to the artistic delights of a band featuring vocals by the Cookie Monster, with the other fellas famous for biting off the heads of live bats on stage.

[Jizaboz]

You can consume more Shakespeare without consuming less horror and Tom Clancy.

I watched two movies yesterday: Hamlet, and Cocaine Bear.

NICE

He walked away in disgust at your pedestrian upbringing, happy to return to the artistic delights of a band featuring vocals by the Cookie Monster, with the other fellas famous for biting off the heads of live bats on stage.

Hahaha that's not exactly the act but close enough.

[Mama Blue]

You can consume more Shakespeare without consuming less horror and Tom Clancy.

I watched two movies yesterday: Hamlet, and Cocaine Bear.

How was Coke Bear?

[pinback]

You can consume more Shakespeare without consuming less horror and Tom Clancy.

I watched two movies yesterday: Hamlet, and Cocaine Bear.

How was Coke Bear?

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