Hamlet with Laurence Olivier: DVD Cover

    Hamlet Director: Laurence Olivier Cast: Laurence Olivier, Eileen Herlie, Basil Sydney, Jean Simmons

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    • DVD Release Date: 09/19/2000
    • Original Release: 1948
    • Rating: Not Rated
    • Sales Rank: 6,027

    Viewer Rating: (3 ratings)

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    • Overview
    • Editorial Reviews
    • Scenes
    • Customer Reviews
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    Scene Index

    Side #1 --
    0. Chapters
    1. Logos [:28]
    2. Opening titles [1:32]
    3. "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." [8:25]
    4. "Our sometime sister, now our queen" [6:51]
    5. "Frailty, thy name is woman!" [2:22]
    6. "To thine own self be true" [5:43]
    7. "Foul deeds will rise" [4:33]
    8. "I am thy father's spirit" [9:54]
    9. "Rest, rest perturbéd spirit!" [5:02]
    10. "More matter, with less art" [6:01]
    11. "You are a fishmonger" [2:58]
    12. "Get thee to a nunnery" [6:01]
    13. "To be or not to be" [6:24]
    14. "The play's the thing" [3:06]
    15. "Here's metal more attractive" [6:43]
    16. The Murder of Gonzago [6:25]
    17. "O bosom black as death!" [:16]
    18. "O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!" [5:21]
    19. "Assume a virtue if you have it not" [7:15]
    20. "A certain convocation of politic worms" [3:16]
    21. "When sorrows come..." [3:19]
    22. "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance" [6:05]
    23. "Alas, poor Yorick!" [8:00]
    24. "But my revenge will come" [8:26]
    25. "Rapier and dagger" [5:20]
    26. "I am justly killed with mine own treachery" [5:24]
    27. "Good night, sweet prince" [9:59]

    Scene Index

    Editorial Reviews

    Although criticized by Shakespeare devotees upon its release because of director, producer, and star Laurence Olivier's decision to excise large portions of the text, his cinematic version of Hamlet is widely considered the best out of several dozens (and counting). Hamlet (Olivier) is a medieval Danish prince who's still melancholy over the sudden death of his father and the quick, subsequent remarriage of his mother, Queen Gertrude (Eileen Herlie) to his uncle, Claudius (Basil Sydney). Informed by the ghost of his father that Claudius murdered him, Hamlet schemes to take revenge. Unsure how best to proceed, his delays and the horrible secret burdening him eventually lead to the violent snuffing out of several lives in both his family and that of courtier Polonius (Felix Aylmer), whose daughter Ophelia (Jean Simmons) is in love with Hamlet. Greatly influenced by the inventive camera work in Citizen Kane (1941) and by modern, psychological reinterpretations of Shakespeare's play, Olivier's masterpiece was the winner of four Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Actor (Olivier), Best Black and White Art Direction/Set Direction and Best Black and White Costume Design. Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

    Customer Reviews

    Hamletby Anonymous

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    March 07, 2005: Of course I am no filming or Shakespeare expert (though I read and see as much as I can) so I humbly offer my opinion as to the quality of this production: It's THE BEST ! ! ! ! Laurence Olivier is a brilliant Hamlet. His soliloquies will make you cry even if you're not accustomed to crying during movies. As for the rest of the cast, I have seen a better Laertes (and they cut out some of his more passionate lines) and I can IMAGINE a better Ophelia. I think, though, that Ophelia can be a diversely interpreted role and it was fine, though perhaps not striking, in this version. It is a movie, so don't expect a recorded version of the play. The fact that Fortinbras, for instance, was cut, frankly doesn't bother me because it kept the plot going at a good pace. What was done with the play artisticly was superb - for instance, in 'To be or not to be' Hamlet is situated atop a parapet, knife in hand - ! This is my favorite interpretation of my favorite play! Everyone should get ahold of it and see it somehow, please!

    Hamletby Anonymous

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    November 23, 2004: Laurence Olivier's excellent adaptation of 'The Tragedy Of A Man Who Could Not Make Up His Mind' is the definitve version of Shakespeare's classic work of murder and revenge. A haunting score and flawless camera work make this film version all the more compelling to watch. Olivier cut a lot of the text (most notably 'O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown', 'How all occasions do inform against me', etc.) and several minor characters (including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who end up dead at the end of the play), choosing to focus on the central portion of the play, which is Hamlet's dilemma to avenge his father's 'Foul and most unnautral murder.' Olivier earned Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor for this timeless rendition of the immortal Bard's enduring drama. Top notch performances by everyone. See THIS version before viewing any other film adaptation of this work. This version is Not Rated.


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