X
- 1948
- Approved
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 34 m
- 1948
- Approved
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 34 m
Summary Prince Hamlet struggles over whether or not he should kill his uncle, whom he suspects has murdered his father, the former king.
Directed By: Laurence Olivier
Written By: William Shakespeare, Laurence Olivier
- 1948
- Approved
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 34 m
- 1948
- Approved
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 34 m
Hamlet
82
User Score
Available after 4 ratings
tbd
Summary Prince Hamlet struggles over whether or not he should kill his uncle, whom he suspects has murdered his father, the former king.
Directed By: Laurence Olivier
Written By: William Shakespeare, Laurence Olivier
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
82
70% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
82
70% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It's as impressive for the near-flawless performances of its deep cast of British film and theatrical stars (including Jean Simmons as Ophelia, Eileen Herlie as Gertrude and John Gielgud as the voice of Hamlet's father's ghost) as it is for its director's surprisingly rich and baroque visual style. [04 Aug 2006, p.C8]
The filmed Hamlet of Laurence Olivier gives absolute proof that these classics are magnificently suited to the screen.
Whatever the omissions, the mutilations, the mistakes, this is very likely the most exciting and most alive production of Hamlet you will ever see on the screen.
Olivier's classic and personalised version of the troubled Prince of Denmark is still highly atmospheric and intriguing.
Laurence Olivier's famous 1948 interpretation of Shakespeare's play suffers slightly from his pop-Freud approach to the character and from some excessively flashy, wrongheaded camera work—including the notorious moment when Hamlet begins the soliloquy and the camera begins to track back.
Despite winning several Oscars, Olivier's (condensed) version of Shakespeare's masterpiece makes for frustrating viewing: for all its 'cinematic' ambitions (the camera prowling pointlessly along the gloomy corridors of Elsinore), it's basically a stagy showcase for the mannered performance of the director in the lead role (though he's ably supported by a number of British theatrical stalwarts).
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Production Company
Two Cities Films
Release Date Sep 29, 1948
Duration 2 h 34 m
Rating Approved
Genres
Tagline The motion picture of all time...for all time! (Print ad for re-release 1954)
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 4 Wins & 7 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Venice Film Festival
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
