Product Description David Tennant and Patrick Stewart star in this critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s masterpiece from Britain’s renowned Royal Shakespeare Company. No recent stage production in Britain has attracted the excitement and nearly unanimous critical praise as this Hamlet. Tennant's interpretation was recognized as defining the role fora generation, and Stewart’s complex Claudius won the Olivier award, Britain’s highest stage honor. In this specially-shot screen version, filmed on location rather than in the theater, Tennant and Stewart reprise their roles. Dynamic, exciting and contemporary, it breathes newlife into Shakespeare's greatest play. .com It's to director Gregory Doran's incredible credit that his staging of that most familiar of English-language plays, Shakespeare's Hamlet, should be completely reinvigorated by a modern interpretation of the tragedy as a true psychological thriller. This Hamlet, filmed in 2009, presents the inner torment of the Danish prince Hamlet as a believable, relatable controlled explosion of emotions, each more unmanageable than the last. Besides the director, the casting is also brilliant, including the Scottish actor David Tennant (Doctor Who) as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as Hamlet's uncle Claudius and the ghost of Hamlet's father--who, Hamlet becomes convinced, was killed by Claudius. The direction is brisk, and the acting is first rate. Tennant plays a heartbreaking Hamlet, whose paranoia and weird inner reflections are given a modern spin by the lush, shiny mirrorlike surfaces in the palace, as well as by small but excellent details, like a closed-circuit camera system. And Stewart is menacing but completely collected as Claudius, and unnerving as his brother's ghost. Other strong performances are contributed by Penny Downie as Hamlet's mother, Gertrude; Mariah Gale as Ophelia (who's not quite up to par with the rest of the cast, until she goes mad; then boy does she ever go mad); and Oliver Ford Davies as Polonius. But it's Tennant as the mad prince who is riveting in Hamlet. His "To be or not to be, that is the question" soliloquy--perhaps the best-known speech in English theater--is delivered in a hushed, anguished, all-too-believable manner--occasionally addressing the camera, which is fixed close on Tennant's face. The DVD also includes a must-see documentary on making Hamlet, which includes great interviews with director Doran, cast members and the art directors, set designers and others who give this Hamlet a fresh, polished sheen--while keeping the ages-old tragedy of Shakespeare's words and the explosion of needless death close to the original. The impact is unforgettable; this Hamlet is a terrific achievement. --A.T. Hurley
C**S
A lengthy and difficult play to perform and done well
People will differ as to the performances and to the better production. This modern version with a more contemporary look is shorter and more intimate than the Hamlet of Kenneth Branaugh. I have both and have viewed both. The older version by Branaugh is nearly 4 hours to the 3 hours here and is quite good in its way, but it is too much to my taste for the material. It has a slow and deliberate tread with grand scenery and multiple cameo performances. Such large scale extras are to the taste of many and they are well done, but I find the celebrity appearance by Robin Williams in a minor role intrusive where the minor figure destined to replace Polonius is given too much importance. Similarly Billy Crystal does a good job with a role that is surprising, but recognizing him as such takes one away from Elsinore to the extent which is problematic and a sound performance less prominent to the point of such a focus is dsitracting from another minor role. Beyond this the flashback to a version of Yorik wastes time where it is already squandered aplenty. Gerard Depardieu does an adequate job as a soldier in no useful manner and Jack Lemmon, in a late role is good, but again perhaps more of a distraction for the same reason as aplies to Crystal. The similar figures in this production do not get in the way of the action and particularly the dialogue. The performance of David Tenant seems more personal, moody and generally adolescent and appears more consistent with the Prince Hamlet placed for the challenges of his role. The soliloquies are handled very well, at least equal to those of Branaugh and the spare scenery brings the focus more on the players and less on the background. The communication of the rot of court life is more easily noted.Hamlet, to my understanding is an indictment of courtly manners and the insecurity of the backbiting nature of courtier-ship and the hard situation for maintaing one's status and reputation at court in the midst of nearly constant intrigue. Hamlet fails, but his failure is built in to his quest from the outset. It is not his failure to act as many contend which is his fall, but that he has neither the training nor the ability to meet his need as he has no grand strategy by which to protect his standing at court and no meaningful allies by which to manage the attacks possible from all sides. Merely killing his uncle might suffice for the short term, but it leaves him with a mother dostracted and largely holding herself free from her now grown son and only Horatio from his schooling who has any interest in his future. He has neither an advisor he can trust or an idea of a policy by which he might proceed if Claudius meets his maker. He is virtually without any manageable future, but impelled to act in some fashion royal when his training for such an end is all but absent to him. One can hardly depend on good fortune to manage the various grasping hands of all those about you without the experience and the trusted cohorts.
L**R
"Tennant" is the new "Hamlet"
As a huge fan of Shakespeare's work, I was thrilled to catch the last half-hour of The Royal Shakespeare Company's most recent production of "Hamlet" on Great Performances. Also, as a huge fan of British sci-fi television phenomenon "Dr. Who", the sight of none other than David Tennant caused an exponential increase in my excitement. To top it all off, David Tennant was to act beside Patrick Stuart, and his artistically ingenious interpretation of Claudius.I decided almost immediately that I needed to own this theatrical masterpiece. So, naturally, I asked my mother to order it for me. (I am borrowing her account to write this, actually). After receiving my own copy of this version of "Hamlet" on DVD, I did not hesitate to begin watching it from the beginning. Although it took three hours and two minutes to actually watch it all the way through, it was worth it.This version of "Hamlet" is without a doubt the best interpretation I have ever seen. I have read William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" at least seven times, in its complete, unabridged form. However, the artistry and creativity with which this particular cast performed was utterly breathtaking. The flawless, witty, seamless delivery of classic lines gave me an unfamiliar feeling; this version of "Hamlet" almost made me feel as though I was watching a different play. The familiar quotes and story aside, I still internally shook with anticipation. I became so carried away in the brilliant acting, that I would hardly recognize my favorite play. That is not to say that one does not recognize "Hamlet" because of any change of script or detail from the original. The screenplay adhered almost exactly to William Shakespeare's intended version of this work. Considering the lack of changes in dialogue, the slight twist to the recognizable classic made for the perfect combination of poetic license and modesty.The faithfulness to the original play is remarkable, despite the few modern touches. The use of a gun, a switchblade, a hand-held video camera, and a security surveillance camera are the technologically advanced additions to this play. Although they are notable, they do not distract from the dialogue or the story unfolding. In fact, the surveillance cameras add the undetected, ominous impression of spying. In order to prevent spoilers, that is all I will say as far as the use of unconventional props. The set is comprised mostly of a black, mirrored room that is decorated accordingly for each scene. (This excludes the outdoor scenes, of course). This simple design is sophisticated and tasteful, and it gives the feeling of a traditional, theatrical setting.David Tennant deserves to be recognized in some way for his portrayal of Hamlet. As I previously stated, this story has such familiarity in the hearts of literature-junkies. Hamlet's character is one of the most contemplated characters in the history of modern English literature. Even after his journey, his true nature is unknown to the audience, and the characters surrounding him. Tennant is the quintessence of unpredictability as Hamlet. There are parts when he acts completely sane; normal, aside from the overwhelming grief. And, there are moments of a lovable, loopy sort of humorous madness. Then, of course, there are moments of raw fury. Of all the actors I have seen take on the role of Hamlet, David Tennant has been my favorite. His expressions, the emotions in his voice, the original and witty delivery of his dialogue, have redefined Hamlet's character. The next time I read "Hamlet", I will picture Tennant's delivery of Prince Hamlet's lines. Patrick Stuart also did a phenomenal job as the quintessence of evil, Hamlet's uncle Claudius. The cunning and malice with which he speaks, and the sophisticated delivery of his lines are uncannily chilling. Side-by-side, these two make the centerpiece for one of the greatest productions of "Hamlet" to date.I think it goes without saying that I definitely recommend this version of Hamlet. I recommend this particularly to those who wish to see a new, fresh, dramatically ingenious production of this classic. It is definitely worth the money, and worth your time to watch it.-Amelie Carter
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