Hamlet

This 1990 version of Hamlet, starring Kevin Kline in the title role, was filmed from an actual Broadway production. On one hand it means this is perhaps as close as you could get to the "authentic Shakespeare feel" in a movie. They are not taking advantage of gorgeous landscapes or thousands of extras. They are acting on a stage, live in front of an audience, bounded by its stage walls just as in Shakespeare's time. On the other hand, Kevin chose to move the setting forward into a much more modern time period. The actors are wearing suits and military uniforms, and seem to be in the 1940s.I'm generally not a fan of "adjusting Hamlet's time". I understand the desire to shake things up a bit, to not simply re-tell a tale that's been told thousands of times before. Still, it is jarring to see Hamlet's uncle looking almost like Captain Kirk in his ribbons. I admit I do like Ophelia's gentle dress, so there is some good in what they've done. The set tends towards the stark, concrete pillar look. I would have liked it to look more regal, more like a castle that had been lived in and loved for centuries.The thing that stands out most about this performance is the over-the-top emotions. Hamlet is wriggling around on the stage, tears streaming down his face. He's picking up Ophelia and flinging her around in circles. He's falling backwards off of platforms, being caught by others. Oddly, then there are other lines which I would have thought warranted such emotion - and they are given with barely a flicker of interest. It's a bit jarring.My boyfriend had problems because of Kline's very distinctive voice. We've seen him in so many other movies that my boyfriend almost expected Kline to break out of character sometimes and do a new accent. I didn't have this problem myself, but I could see how it might happen. Kline doesn't "submerge" himself well into this character. He seems like an antic Kline playing a part.That being said, I did feel new poignancy at several lines, where they really nailed a certain emotion. Still, somehow they trimmed out some of my favorite lines too. I do like that they kept in the Fortinbras storyline, even having him arrive at the end to sort of "end the loop" since Hamlet was born when Fortinbras' father was slain.Where in other versions there would be one or another of the "supporting cast" that stood out to me, in this one none of them did, which I felt was a shame. Horatio, one of my favorite characters, was very mild here, almost stilted to me. Ophelia seemed a bit too willful given her dutiful daughter dialogue. Both the mother and uncle were lacking in presence, especially the uncle who supposedly had talents of charisma. Even Laertes seemed a bit wooden to me.I'm not saying they were "stagey wooden" - I have certainly seem versions where it seemed like everyone was nervously reciting the words by rote as they marched from spot A to spot B. There were some good emotions shown on some lines. Still, in general the characters didn't seem "real" - they seemed parts being played.I definitely own this and would recommend other Hamlet fans have it in their library. However, it's not one I go back to for the pure pleasure of watching and enjoying it, of listening to the words roll.

As it says in my profile, I love almost everything Shakespearian. I saw this production on PBS's Great Performances, back in 1990, & I've been looking for it in some form ever since. So when I found it on DVD at Amazon.com I leaped at it.Hamlet (Kevin Kline) Prince of Denmark, returns home when his father is killed. There he learns that his ambitious uncle has married the widdowed Queen & claimed Hamlet's throne for himself. Haunted by his father's ghost & his own need for revenge, Hamlet's torment leads to the most inspired poetry in all of Shakespeare.I loved the modern dress & that there are some African-American cast members.The only problem I find with the DVD is that there are no real special features. They give you a filmography of the cast, but that's it.But the play is brilliant! Well worth the price!

This is my favorite film version of Hamlet so far. It is the only one I actually own. I love Kevin Kline's performance. His "To be or not to be" soliloquy is the best I've seen. I won't bother going into detail about all my complaints about the Olivier, Gibson, Branagh, and Hawke versions. Kline's version isn't flashy. It doesn't assume you are stupid or need to be constantly titillated. It doesn't put stuff in the play that isn't there just to be shocking. Is it the best performance of Hamlet ever to grace the stage? Probably not. But it is a very solid and entertaining version that fans of Shakespeare should definitely see.

This has become my favorite Hamlet. Shakespeare's huge achievement was in creating Hamlet as his most intellectual character demonstrating thought processes we have adopted and come to consider modern. Shakespeare's language is used more or less the same across many productions on film. Mr. Kline's Hamlet adds acting skill to the language to make the high level of activity of Hamlet's mind come alive. This is a production from the theater, and a theater with minimal staging at that. This accentuates the activity of the mind, the mind of Hamlet and of others, and works in bringing us what I consider the best experience of the play I have seen.

I saw this production when our local PBS station aired it over 17 years ago and I never forgot it. I was thrilled to find it on DVD. Costuming is understated, contemporary and the focus of Kevin Kline's minimal set designs is the lighting (mood) rather than overproduced dressings which are inconsequential here when the stength in this "HAMLET" are the actors; their hands, eyes, posture, movement, voice, inflections absorb and hold you with completeness. There is no distraction because it is obvious Kevin Kline decided that less was more in his interpretation and he knew exactly what he was talking about. It is Simple and SIMPLY the best!

If you like Hamlet, Kevin Kline provides a wonderful performance with unique depth in this stage production. However, if you just want to see a great rendition of the play that is entertaining and equally well done, watch the Mel Gibson/Franco Zefferilli movie.

Though I'm one who often perceives other reviews at this site to be injudiciously overated, I give 5 stars to this version of Shakespeare's most famous play without hesitation or reserve. Kevin Kline's direction is inspired by the emotion and wit of the words, and his acting performance is nothing short of the finest I've ever witnessed, and I've seen many. Please yourself, be a witness to excellence, buy it!

Sorry for the 2 stars, all it means is that the DVD was in the wrong system (PAL) which I could not play.And therefore I had to return it. The process and the refund went without a hitch.