Film Review: Hamlet (2000)

over 1 year ago

(source: tmdb.org

Trend of Shakespeare’s plays being adapted by setting them in different time periods can take very different forms. Some film makers might use places and times different than those in the works of Bard with specific purpose of making such an adaptation more spectacular. Kenneth Branagh did exactly that with his epic reworking of Hamlet in 1996. Four years later the very same play was adapted by Michael Almereyda into a film set in modern day period with an aim to make it more down-to-earth and easier to understand by contemporary audience.

The plot is set in 2000 New York City. The “King” and director of Denmark Corporation has died. His position was inherited by his brother Claudius (played by Kyle MacLachlan) who also didn’t wait long to marry brother’s widow Gertrude (played by Diane Venora). Claudius’ nephew Hamlet (played by Ethan Hawke), aspiring independent film maker, is deeply troubled with mother’s decision. When the apparition (played by Sam Sheppard) claiming to be his father’s ghost visits him, he is told that Claudius is responsible for father’s death. While trying to find whether ghost tells truth or not, Hamlet decides to feign madness and also uses his film making skills to pursue the matter. The test works, but now Claudius is convinced that Hamlet represents danger to his position. So, he decides to eliminate his nephew and, in order to do so, uses Ophelia (played by Julia Styles), young photographer with whom Hamlet has been in relationship.

Making his version of Hamlet in such a short time after Branagh’s was a mixed blessing for Almereyda. While Branagh with enormous budget and clout had the luxury of keeping Shakespeare’s text intact, Almereyda was more economical and had major cuts. That brought ire of Shakespeare purists and snobbish critics that would claim that Branagh had said everything that had to be said of Shakespeare’s work. The truth is that Branagh and Almereyda took the same source but used very different approaches, resulting in two very good but also very different films. While Branagh built his film on mixing grand Shakespearean theatre with Hollywood spectacle, Almereyda made his Hamlet in style of American low budget independent cinema. Almereyda’s film also seems more personal. In the protagonist, who is also an independent film maker, and his moral and existential dilemmas Almereyda probably found bits of himself and his struggles to get ahead in cruel and unforgiving world of American cinema industry.

What is crucial for success of Hamlet is Almereyda’s ingenuity in adapting centuries old play for modern setting. After discarding all the scenes that would have slowed down the plot or represented grotesque anachronism, Almereyda worked hard to make each and every scene within the context of modern world, and in doing so, he had more success than Bazz Luhrmann in Romeo + Juliet. That goes far beyond switching daggers and swords with revolvers and Uzis. In this film exteriors and background events are synchronised with the character’s dialogues. Characters use cell phones, video cameras, computers and answering machines, and one of the most famous Shakespearean monologues takes place in seemingly unexpected, but actually quite fitting location. Even production design is ingenious and makes corporate offices and apartments by New York’s elite look very much like the cold, depressive and claustrophobic halls of Elsinore.

Almereyda owes part of his success to an excellent cast. Ethan Hawke, who spent much of 1990s often appearing in thankless roles, is enthusiastically taking opportunity to master one of the most prestigious characters in history of scenic arts. Liev Schreiber, who was by that time known most for his Shakespearean roles in theatre, is also very good as Laertes. Kyle Maclachlan delivers very good Claudius and Diane Venora confirms her Shakespearean credentials established in Romeo + Juliet. Julia Styles plays very serious but effective role of Ophelia thus trying and succeeding to broaden her range from the roles in teen comedies. Her older colleague Bill Murray is also good in dramatic role. Almereyda’s Hamlet also features solid cinematography by John de Boorman and music soundtrack by Carter Burwell, which is solid, although not as “epic” as Patrick Doyle’s in Branagh’s version. This film represents one of rarely successful marriages of tradition and modernity and can enchant even the audiences that care little about Shakespeare or art cinema.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)