Rent Hamlet (1948)

Olivier’s Fever Dream - Hamlet review by griggs

Olivier’s Hamlet isn’t concerned with ticking off Shakespeare line by line. It works instead through shadow and suggestion, with surreal touches slipping in almost unnoticed: dissolves like half-remembered dreams, corridors that stretch into infinity, Elsinore less a castle than a state of mind.

As Hamlet, Olivier broods convincingly, though his performance carries a sheen of self-display — you sense him playing Olivier as much as the prince. The supporting cast provide steadier notes, and the gothic sets and lighting give the film its brooding power.

This may not be the most complete or literal Hamlet, but as a moody, dream-soaked interpretation it lingers. Strange, stylish, and unsettling, it feels less like a faithful record of Shakespeare’s text than a fevered imagining of it — and that’s what makes it memorable.

Shakespeare Noir. - Hamlet review by Steve

Spellbinding adaptation of William Shakespeare's famous tragedy, which remains the best ever screen version. Yes, liberties are taken; this is edited to 150 minutes. It mainly leaves out the (edgy, paranoid) comedy. But no, not enough to make this accessible to anyone who doesn't already appreciate the plays.

But for everyone else, this is a thriller... and made by experts. Or at least an expert. Laurence Olivier's title performance dominates, naturally. Sure he's too old. Famously Eileen Herlie as Hamlet's mother was 11 years younger. But his Academy Award for best actor was richly deserved.

And he directs with clarity and style. This looks like gothic horror; the deep focus b&w photography presents an Elsinore of yawning darkness and expressionist perspectives. The abridgement leaves us with a narrative about identity as we journey deeper into the prince's state of anxiety, despair and insecurity.

This is Shakespeare noir. The support cast operates in Olivier's shadow but Jean Simmons- as Ophelia- was Oscar nominated. As was William Walton's score. It remains the sole wholly British production to win Best Picture. And, it's the only film ever with more famous lines than Casablanca (1942)!