Hamlet: Enter Critic

On a recent vacation trip I happened into Baine's Books and Coffee in Appomattox, VA.  Among the selection of used books I found one entitled Hamlet:  Enter Critic, edited by Claire Sacks and Edgar Whan.  It is an old book, copyright 1960.  In the preface, the editors describe their rationale for the work.  It represents a "controlled selection of critical material" in a field with an enormous amount of spilt ink.  Seeing the names of some of the authors represented--Dickens, Eliot, Olivier, Poe--was enough for me to pick it up.  (The minimal cost was a factor as well.)

Occasional posts to the blog may come from this resource as well, especially as they reflect performances of Hamlet.

"Hamlet" Up Close

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) recently broadcast the 1969 production of Hamlet, directed by Tony Richardson.  Robert Osborne, in his introduction, discussed the version--filmed at The Round House, where the cast was performing the play live each evening.  The director wanted to keep a minimal set so that the viewer would concentrate on the words and the actors.

My first thought while watching it concerned the cinematography.  The film consists largely of close-ups of the actors delivering lines.  This certainly works to minimize the set.  It's difficult to tell how the set might look; there are not enough wide angle shots to see it!  There were occasions when the frame was so tight on the actor's face that movement caused part of it to move out of frame.  We are left with a shot of the actor's face from the nose down, for instance.

The screenplay plays fast and loose with the original script.  It is edited, as one might expect, in order to pare the play to a 2+ hour run time.  The editing seemed very drastic, though.  Additionally, there are major changes to the script.  The "To be" soliloquy is moved from III, i to II, ii.  Claudius' soliloquy in III, iii is moved to after IV, iii, well after Hamlet has met with Gertrude in her chamber.  Actually, the soliloquy seemed to be thrown in as an afterthought.  Hamlet's speech pondering killing Claudius while at prayer was omitted entirely.

Nicol Williamson plays the title role.  He was 33 years old at the time, older than the college age of Hamlet. As is usually the case, though, the viewer has to suspend disbelief in order to imagine a younger Hamlet.  Anthony Hopkins as Claudius is particularly slimy.  Peter Gale's portrayal of Osric was most amusing.

The climactic sword fight was quick and not as impressive as others that I have seen.  As with other versions I have seen, the poisoned pearl for the goblet came from Claudius' earring.  The death scenes, especially Gertrude and Claudius, are rather loud and emotive.

This production was an interesting adaptation of a stage version to the screen.  While it's not among my favorites, it is respectable.

For the IMDb entry, click here.

"Hamlet" by Disney

Well, not Hamlet, per se.  As has been discussed often, the Disney film The Lion King was influenced by Hamlet.  Several characters are notably similar. 

Simba as Hamlet
Mufasa as Hamlet's father
Scar as Claudius

The story is a familiar one.  The king is killed by his brother, who ascends subsequently to the throne.  The son returns to the kingdom to regain the throne.

It's no coincidence; the filmmakers admit that they followed the Hamlet storyline when crafting the film.  It's a loose correlation, but one that demonstrates the adaptability of Shakespeare's play.  It's close enough to merit mention in this blog.

(For interviews with the filmmakers, check out the "Film Journey" featurette on disc two of The Lion King Platinum Edition DVD.)

Hamlet at Geva

Hamlet came to Geva Theatre in Rochester, New York, in the spring of 2005.  What drew me to it was the fact that it was Hamlet.  Add to that the appearance of Kelli Fox (sister of Michael J.)...in the title role...and it made for a memorable night at the theatre.  Fortunately, I wrote a description of the performance later that evening, so I do not have to rely too much on my memory.

The play was fairly true to Shakespeare's original as I recall, with a few obvious changes noted below.  It was edited to make it a more reasonable length, but the editions were not glaring.  The set was well designed, done in faux marble and black and white checkered floor tile.  A portion of the stage had the ability to raise and lower to become a bed or a grave or a stage within a stage, and a steel catwalk above the floor was well used throughout.

The play opened with a scene not in the actual Shakespearean play.  Hamlet and his chums, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, were at Wittenberg, watching the players (whom we will see again) perform A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Hamlet learns of his father's death when Horatio interrupts the performance.  A strange way to begin the play, methought.

There was a peculiarity with the climactic sword fight between Laertes and Hamlet.  The poisoned pearl that Claudius cast into the goblet was his own earring...taken out of his ear.  The poisoned pearl was fatal to Gertrude when touching wine but not to Claudius when lodged in his ear?  Odd.

At the close of the play, the players make their return.  Fortinbras was not cast in this production.  At Hamlet's death, the players returned to the castle at that exact moment (fortuitously so) to hear Horatio tell Hamlet's tale.

Two acting performances stood out.  Kelli Fox's take on Hamlet was noteworthy, primarily because I could never warm up to an actress in that role.  She is a fine performer, but I could not suspend my disbelief long enough to become accustomed to her as Hamlet.  The other memorable performance was Jordan Charney as Polonius and also the gravedigger.  As a longtime fan of Law and Order, in which he played a recurring role, I enjoyed seeing Mr. Charney live and in person.

My summation of the play eight years ago was "a good solid effort, although not earth-shattering."  The passing of time notwithstanding, I still stand by that.  It was a well acted and well directed production, and a worthy addition to the collection.
 

A Brief Interlude

In reflecting on Hamlet, I recalled one of the first times I saw a portion of the play performed.  It was 1993, and I was a high school senior.  College visits brought me to Georgetown University.  One of the activities for prospective students and parents was a short course by Professor Michael Collins.  He taught English at the University.  (I have no idea whether he is still there.)  He spoke on Hamlet, specifically the role of Polonius.  The discussion centered on Polonius' parting advice to Laertes.  Although Polonius always has ulterior motives, what if the speech were sincere?  Perhaps it could be a father trying truly to give lasting advice to a son who is leaving.  That would certainly fit the moment that the prospective students and parents would be facing several months hence.  Then Prof. Collins performed the speech himself.  It was, as I recall, well done.  The fact that it stands out twenty years later must mean something.

Coming (Perhaps) to a Theatre Near You

The Acting Company has released its play selections for the 2013-2014 season.  They will be performing Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.  The schedule may be found at the link below.

http://theactingcompany.org/on-tour/

It will be interesting to see the two works performed concurrently--in some cases on consecutive days!

"Hamlet" in Wikipedia

Two Wikipedia pages discuss versions of Hamlet on stage and in film.

Hamlet in Performance:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet_in_performance

• This page cites major stage productions of the play.

Hamlet on Screen:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet_on_screen

• This page cites versions of Hamlet that have appeared in film.

I'll try not to repeat what appears in the Wikis but perhaps to add to or to reflect upon what is there from my own experience.