By Lee Pfeiffer
Sony has released director Tony Richardson's 1969 film version of Hamlet as a burn-to-order DVD title. The film was quite controversial in its day because Richardson made a theatrical feature by shooting his stage production at London's Roundhouse Theatre. Consequently, sets are kept to a bare minimum and Richardson relies on intense close-ups of the actors to mask the fact that this is actually a stage production. Richardson, who adapted Shakespeare's great work as a screenplay, also came under fire for truncating certain elements of the story to fit a running time of two hours. (Laurence Olivier's Oscar-winning 1948 film version ran 155 minutes). Richardson also moved the sequences of a couple of scenes, an act that outraged purists. I'm ashamed to say that I'm not conversant enough with the original play to have noticed such manipulations and I consequently judged the experience purely on the basis of its entertainment level. For those who are not professional actors (or aspiring to be), the language of Shakespeare's time can pose obstacles for modern viewers in terms of following key plot points. Nevertheless, the basics of the story remain clear from the outset. Hamlet (Nicol Williamson), the young Danish prince, is visited by the ghost of his father, the recently-deceased king. The apparition (represented for budgetary reasons as simply a bright light that reduces the impact of the scene to that of standing in front of an open refrigerator) informs Hamlet that he was, in fact, murdered by his own brother Claudius (Anthony Hopkins), who then assumed the crown and appropriated his widow Gertrude (Judy Parifft) as his new bride. Outraged, Hamlet sets out to expose the deceit and fulfill his obsession for revenge. It is most illuminating, in watching Hamlet, how many countless phrases and witticisms from this play have remained part of popular culture throughout the centuries- perhaps the ultimate evidence of the Bard's works. People speak his words every day without even knowing they derive from this timeless work.
The joy of watching any Shakespearean production is the ability to relish top-flight actors at their best. In Hamlet, Nicol Williamson, who never reached leading man status in British cinema, offers a fine portrayal of one of literature's most enduring figures. He is filled with passion and compassion and his slow-building hatred for the King adds suspense right up until the final cat-and-mouse end game built around a fencing match held in the royal court. The final scene is filled with tragic ironies, all in the Shakespearean tradition. Williamson benefits from fine supporting performances by Anthony Hopkins (in one of his first film roles), Judy Parifitt as the Queen (although she is far too young for the role) and Gordon Jackson as Hamlet's ever-loyal friend Horatio. Marianne Faithfull is also excellent as Hamlet's would-be lover Ophelia. Richardson directs the claustrophobic production with admirable skill making this first color film version of the work a compelling experience. Most amusing, however, is the reproduction of the film poster that adorns the DVD sleeve. The movie was obviously inspired by the recent success of director Franco Zeffirelli's film version of Romeo and Juliet. Consequently, the shameless advertisement deceitfully presents a photo of Willliamson gazing lustfully at Faithfull's ample bosom. A tag line absurdly reads "From the author of Romeo and Juliet" as though it was the latest Sidney Sheldon bodice-ripper.
The DVD presentation looks great but this edition is sadly lacking any extras. It would have been interesting to have Shakespearean scholars discuss how the film was viewed in its day as well as in contemporary times.
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