Hamlet

Rating:
Summary: Simply a Classic Despite Poor Video Quality
Review: This is simply one of the greatest performances of Hamlet ever presented on the Broadway stage, or any stage for that matter. Richard Burton is phenomenal with kudos to Hume Cronyn for his Polonius. Because of the brilliance of the performance and the historical importance of this recording, the poor video quality is forgivable. This film was beleived lost for many years, and it is a joy to see its re-release on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: A question for others who bought this DVD
Review: This is such a wonderful performance that I hate to complain, but during the graveyard scene my DVD breaks up into pixels, stutters stops and starts again, and is impossible to understand. If this is the case with all copies of this DVD, I'll live with it. If not, I'll return it for a better DVD. Info appreciated.

Rating:
Summary: The Music of the Language
Review: Who could resist listening to Richard Burton perform Hamlet? Shakespeare is about the poetry and the heart of poetry is the voice in which it is spoken. Burton's voice gives a life and passion to the role which is wonderful. Add to his the voices of John Gielgud as the ghost and Hume Cronyn as Polonius and what more could a person want?

How about seeing it? Granted, the film quality here is not up to the standards of a modern audience. First of all, this is a recording of an actual Broadway performance and not a true film so the lighting is bad and there aren't as many close-ups as one would expect in a movie. But the darkness and black and white filming actually give the show a moodiness appropriate to the story of Hamlet. Still, there are moments where facial expressions are difficult to make out because of distance and lighting; however, there are also moments of extreme beauty.

On the whole, whatever one might think of the filming, there are a number of good performances here. Burton is, of course, wonderful despite the fact that he leans a little more towards madness than I read into the character. Cronyn plays Polonius with an intelligence often missing in actors who see this character as an old fool. Linda Marsh makes a good attempt at Ophelia which may be the most difficult female character in the Shakespearean canon but it is not definitive. None of the characters was weak so the overall effect is wonderful.

The staging of this version is also worthy of noting. It is done on an almost bare stage with the actors in modern "street clothes." Many people dislike this kind of minimalist theatre but I enjoy it. It takes the focus away from the set and puts it on the actors, where it belongs. All too often in modern theatre (and film) the set overshadows the acting when it should just be there as a support.

Ultimately, people expecting a movie on the order of recent films by the likes of Mel Gibson and Kenneth Brannagh will be disappointed. People who enjoy going to live theatre, however, and who love to hear the beauty of Shakespeare's words will find this film a worthy addition to their collections.