Franco Zeffirelli’s 1990 adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy about the young prince of Denmark who is plagued by indecision when he vows to avenge his father’s murder. Filmed on location around the UK, including Stonehaven in Scotland, the film boasts an impressive ensemble cast.
“Casting Mel Gibson was a choice, but a clever one. Zeffirelli aimed for a naturalistic Hamlet. He sought to peel back Shakespeare’s language to reveal raw emotion at the story’s core. Who better than a prime Mel Gibson?
“Critics largely agreed with this vision. Roger Ebert gave Zeffirelli’s Hamlet three-and-a-half stars. He praised Gibson’s performance as “strong” and “intelligent.” Caryn James from The New York Times noted Zeffirelli’s “naturalistic” direction and Gibson’s “visceral” portrayal. “Visceral” is key here. This was not your grandfather’s Hamlet in a powdered wig. This was a Hamlet who might throw a punch—possibly recently.
“Ultimately, the beauty of Hamlet on film lies in its protean nature. Each adaptation shows not only the director’s vision but also its cultural context. From Olivier’s post-war prince to Gibson’s visceral portrayal and beyond, each version offers a distinct lens for viewing Shakespeare’s tragedy.” —movieoutline.net
Dover Thrift Book
“In this quintessential Shakespeare tragedy, a young prince’s halting pursuit of revenge for the murder of his father unfolds in a series of highly charged confrontations that have held audiences spellbound for nearly four centuries. Those fateful exchanges, and the anguished soliloquies that precede and follow them, probe depths of human feeling rarely sounded in any art.
The title role of Hamlet, perhaps the most demanding in all of Western drama, has provided generations of leading actors their greatest challenge. Yet all the roles in this towering drama are superbly delineated, and each of the key scenes offers actors a rare opportunity to create theatrical magic.
As if further evidence of Shakespeare’s genius were needed, Hamlet is a unique pleasure to read as well as to see and hear performed. The full text of this extraordinary drama is reprinted here from an authoritative British edition complete with illuminating footnotes.
