Every Filmed Version of Hamlet Ranked According to Critics

Every Filmed Version of Hamlet Ranked, According to Critics

Hamlet has been adapted numerous times for the big and small screen, with some films better capturing Shakespeare’s famous tragedy better than others.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been a staple for theatre for centuries, and it’s often considered the Bard’s magnum opus thanks to the dialogue, compelling characters and tragic ending. Cinema has even taken a fancy to Hamlet, with movies like Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and The Lion King taking inspiration.

Along with these, there have been several direct adaptations. Despite telling the same story and using the same Shakespearean dialogue, filmmakers throughout the years have created their own interpretations of the tragedy. Here is a list of every filmed version of Hamlet ranked from worst to, best according to critics, based upon Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores.

8) Bruce Ramsay’s 2011 Hamlet – 16.5

The dialogue and plot of Hamlet should be good enough to engage with audiences, regardless of the cast and settings. However, Bruce Ramsay’s adaptation of the play, which takes place in 1940s, somehow manages to drop the ball in a huge way. Ramsay’s film has five reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and all are negative, giving it a whopping zero percent. It also doesn’t help that the notoriously lengthy play was condensed into 89 minutes. At least it has a score of 33 on Metacritic, averaging out the movie’s score to 16.5; however, Joe Neumaier of The New York Daily News describes it to be, “as airless as a tomb.”

7) Mel Gibson’s 1990 Hamlet – 64.5

While it’s odd to watch Mel Gibson play the Prince of Denmark, he was good casting for Hamlet at the time, following his memorable performances in Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. Director Franco Zeffirelli, best known for his film adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, does his version of Hamlet in a medieval setting that’s accurate to the play. Glenn Close gives one of the better portrayals of Gertrude onscreen as a caring mother who may have incestuous feelings about her son. The movie runs at 134 minutes and cuts out parts of the play’s complex themes, but critics still liked it, including Roger Ebert, who writes, “the style of Franco Zeffirelli’s Hamlet, with Mel Gibson in the title role, is robust and physical and — don’t take this the wrong way — upbeat.”

6) Ethan Hawke’s 2000 Hamlet – 64.5

After the success of Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet, modern retellings of Shakespeare’s plays became popular in the late ’90s and early 2000s. The modern day reimagining of Hamlet takes place in New York City, where Ethan Hawke’s prince is the son of a recently dead CEO. Hawke’s Hamlet is unique, portrayed as a film student who turns his famous soliloquies into short movies. Critics didn’t give it the same praise as the more ambitious adaptations, but the movie was well received. Ebert even writes, “I like the way the material has truly been ‘adapted’ to its modern setting without the language being adulterated.”

5) Campbell Scott’s 2001 Hamlet – 68.5

Campbell Scott’s three hour TV movie of Hamlet is an obscure and underrated adaptation. Even though Shakespeare stories often features British actors, this is a rare interpretation where all of the actors are American, and it takes place in the United States during the turn-of-the-century. Scott may not be a household name, but he gives a terrific performance as the Dane and delivers every soliloquy well enough for modern audiences to relate to Hamlet. Critics approve of Scott’s vision of the tragedy, including Ken Eisner of Variety, who claims, “Campbell Scott’s self-helmed Great Dane is more than ever a man for our time… the veteran thesp – who returns to the role after several legit runs – injects considerable humor and lots of edgy anger into his screen version.”

4) Laurence Olivier’s 1948 Hamlet – 88.5

Laurence Olivier is often considered the finest actor of his generation, and in 1948, the world was fortunate to witness him play the role he was born for. Olivier also directs himself, and his Hamlet remains the only direct-Shakespeare adaptation to win the Oscar for Best Picture and an Oscar for acting. What makes Olivier’s film stand out compared to others is the gothic atmosphere of the Denmark castle and the emphasis on Prince Hamlet’s alleged oedipal complex with his mother. Despite shortening the the movie to the point of cutting out several supporting characters, critics still praise it to this day. New York Times’ Bosley Crowther writes, “the matter is settled; the filmed Hamlet of Laurence Olivier gives absolute proof that these classics are magnificently suited to the screen.”

3) Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 Hamlet – 95

A big reason why Hamlet hasn’t been adapted for the screen that much is because a full, unedited performance could take over four hours. However, Kenneth Branagh took on the mammoth project of a Hamlet movie filmed in the play’s entirety, clocking in at 246 minutes. Set in the 19th century, Branagh’s Hamlet is filmed in the spirit of a David Lean epic, like Doctor Zhivago or Lawrence of Arabia. One of the highlight performances in this all-star cast is Kate Winslet as Ophelia, who captures the tragic heroine’s breakdown tremendously. Despite somehow not having a Metacritic score, critics certainly loved it, with James Berardinelli of ReelViews writing, “I have seen dozens of versions of this play (either on screen or on stage), and none have ever held me in such a grip of awe.”

2) Grigori Kozintsev 1964 Hamlet – 100

Although Grigori Kozintsev’s Hamlet is spoken entirely in Russian and does not have a score on Metacritic, it still has a perfect 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Made in Russia during the height of the Cold War, Kozintsev makes sure to include the complex Denmark politics of the play. The Denmark castle is a character itself, as plenty of scenes are shot through bars and gates, emphasizing how it’s a prison to Hamlet. Even in black-and-white, the widescreen cinematography is stunning with long shots of beautiful scenery. Reviewers continue to adore it as one of the more influential Shakespeare films, including Los Angeles Free Press critic Richard Whitehall, stating, “it is the fluency with which the poetry has been translated to the visual, the careful orchestration of speech and movement, [that] makes this an outstanding movie.”

1) David Tennant’s 2009 Hamlet – 100

Following his remarkable run as The Doctor on Doctor Who, David Tennant introduced Hamlet to a new generation of fans in this television film from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Teamed up with Shakespeare legend Patrick Stewart as Claudius, the highly charismatic Tennant displays the Dane’s wit, humor and madness that’s often overshadowed by his melancholy in other films. It doesn’t have the budget of it’s ambitious predecessors, but the use of a single-camera setup works well in this compelling TV movie. While the current-day reimagining of Hamlet doesn’t have a score on Metacritic, it still has all fresh reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, including one from Christel Loar, who writes, “the principal performances are nothing short of phenomenal, and the entire company should be praised for a momentous accomplishment in bringing it from stage to screen.”

Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/every-filmed-hamlet-ranked-according-critics/

• How The Batman Fixes Joker’s Villain Problem

• XMen Why Cassandra Nova Is Still Marvels Biggest Looming Threat

• Was John Wayne Seriously Almost Dirty Harry

• Halloween Kills Deleted Scene Involves the Original Michael Myers Actor

• D&D 10 Best Sorcerer Cantrips In 5e Ranked

• The 12 Best Nintendo DS Games (Updated 2021)

• Why Wizards Wear Harry Potter’s Deathly Hallows Symbol Is It Evil