The life and works and many adaptations of said works of William Shakespeare.
What was the question again?
So I was thinking earlier today about Hamlet (as one does) and it put me in mind of this part of the BBC's "Shakespeare 400" celebrations, which I thoroughly recommend watching if you have not already seen because it is a) pretty funny and b) has some pretty big names onstage all at the same time.
Anyway, it made me want to ask you: what is the best performance of Hamlet you have ever seen? Is there any version you particularly hated?
And for the play itself, do you think the Prince of Denmark really does end up (edit: at any point throughout the course of the play) going mad...?




I hated the Ethan Hawke (modern setting, but original language) version. I don't know, it somehow made the play boring. Plus all the modern stuff like Blockbuster and the Ghost of Hamlet's Father disappearing into a Pepsi One machine felt ridiculous.
I remember enjoying Branagh's version, that's probably the one I would consider the best I've seen.
My favourite of all the performances I've seen is the BBC TV version with Derek Jacobi as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as the wicked uncle, though at such a distance of years I wouldn't be confident in saying it was the best.
I've always cordially disliked Lawrence Olivier's film version, although that's less about the performance and more about the fact that it starts with a title card literally telling you how you're supposed to feel about it. Shut up and let the audience work it out for themselves, dude. (It doesn't help, of course, that I disagree with the title card's content as well as its existence.)
Does Hamlet end up going mad? I would say no, he's probably at his most clear-headed at the end. In the middle, though, that's a different question.
Thank you so much for replying! I was happy to read your opinions.
I think my wording was poor with "end up": I meant "at some point throughout the play" rather than "at the end of the play itself" - you're right, and thank you for pointing it out.
Patrick Stewart is one of my favourite Shakespearean actors, although you're right that time and new versions alter our perceptions of these things. I completely understand your feelings on the Lawrence Olivier version... I don't know anybody who enjoys being told how to feel!
Do you have an opinion on Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, too?
I feel like I should apologize for nitpicking your wording. I have difficulty resisting the temptation to pick people up on their wording, even when it's reasonably clear what they meant; it's one of the reasons for my username.
I have many opinions about Kenneth Branagh's film, including that I think he's wrong about Hamlet and Ophelia having been sexually intimate and that he's completely missed the point of Fortinbras. (Also, I find the celebrity cameos really distracting, but I'm prepared to cut him some slack on the assumption that they were the only way he could get a green light to do the unabridged text.) And yet I still think of Olivier's version as the one I like least, for some reason. Maybe it's the being-told-what-to-feel thing, maybe it's that Branagh's version at least has a lot of energy, so it's always entertaining even when it's energetically barking up the wrong tree.
How about you? Are there any versions of Hamlet you feel strongly about?
Please don't apologise! Clarity is beneficial for everyone, particularly on the internet, and/or when there are people with more severe levels of autism around! Besides, I am appreciative of feedback in general, especially when it's worded nicely. :D
As for Hamlet... Hamlet himself irritated me when I read it as a teenager for school. I was very angry at him for his treatment of Ophelia and for my teacher's essential glossing-over of her situation. Olivier's Hamlet irritated me too, partly for the reason mentioned above, but partly also because of the narcissism of his Hamlet and the staged, melodramatic feeling of the whole film. I couldn't sympathise with Hamlet enough to care very much about anything that happened to him. And what about Fortinbras?! Where did he go?! So, for a while I just felt as though Hamlet was just bound to bother me in general and be my least favourite among Shakespeare's most-famous plays.
So in that, I am very fond of (and grateful to) Jacobi's Hamlet for changing my mind! I mean, he's fantastic in general and therefore also great as Claudius in the Branagh version too, I think. Better than Patrick Stewart's Claudius in the BBC production! Although as a fan of Sir Patrick's that feels somewhat blasphemous to say, lol. As Hamlet, I feel that Jacobi goes into the depths of the character far better than any other version I have yet seen. He's a stellar Shakespearean actor, which makes his doubt over the true authorship of Shakespeare's plays particularly peculiar! But I digress.
Of course, Branagh had the advantage of a far bigger budget and cinematically that gives him a significant advantage re: using means other than actors to set the atmosphere and so on. I think Branagh's sexualisation of the Hamlet-Ophelia relationship is part of the general symptom of "Hollywooditis" (sex sells, etc) and view it as an unfortunate blip to be shrugged off, as one generally (and sadly) must do with almost all modern movies. I liked Winslet's Ophelia, generally, at least.
I do get your point about big name cameos but I think that's going to be the case in any production of anything - I had a similar feeling while watching the Hollow Crown series too, for example, and that's more the fault of television and film companies recycling actors in lieu of seeking out new talent, but that's a different kettle of fish.
Like you, I felt uncomfortable with the treatment of young Fortinbras - my feeling is that Fortinbras should be the broom with which the debris can be swept away, whereas in the Branagh version I worry that he doesn't have the right sort of attitude (or significant believable respect for Hamlet) for that to happen. Overall, I'd say that Branagh's version is my second favourite, although cinematically it's naturally superior to the lower-budget BBC production.
Those are the only televised Hamlets I have seen. The staged performances have sadly been fairly forgettable. I was curious about Tennant's performance with the RSC, but had planned to see it with my father who sadly became ill and passed away, so we never did go and it sort of muted my desire to see the filmed version, although given how many years have passed I may give it a try someday soon! I wonder if Patrick Stewart's Claudius is much different from the BBC production with Derek Jacobi... I'd hope so, but still. Have you seen Tennant's Hamlet? I've heard it's quite "unique" which worries me a little, but...
About the staged, melodramatic feel of Olivier's film: yes, that. That's the other half of what I was trying to say about why I think I prefer the Branagh.
I saw the filmed version of the Tennant Hamlet a couple of years ago, but I don't seem to have retained any particular memories or opinions. My LJ informs me that I was very impressed by "an effective and nuanced performance as Gertrude" from Penny Downie, and that "Patrick Stewart is also very good, but I was kind of expecting that, since it's Patrick Stewart". (David Tennant less so, but then I've never been all that keen on David Tennant.)
I've also seen the version with Mel Gibson, but I don't remember it at all except for being pleased to see that Alan Bates and Ian Holm were still getting work, and that was before I had an LJ, so I don't have a memory refresher.
(Also before I had an LJ was the one live performance of Hamlet I've seen, a student production at a university that shall remain nameless. I remember it very well, but I think perhaps it would be kindest if I didn't go into detail.)