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Hamlet (2000)

Hamlet (2000)
Member Rating:  
William Shakespeare's classic tale is brought to the screen for the third time in ten years in this modernized interpretation. Writer/director Michael Almereyda updates the story to the present day, where Hamlet (Ethan Hawke) is a struggling filmmaker whose personal and familial trials are set against the machinations of a huge production firm called the Denmark Corporation. Joining Hamlet as he seeks revenge for the death of his father and the wedding of his mother to an enemy are Kyle MacLachlan as Claudius, Julia Stiles as Ophelia, Bill Murray as Polonius, Sam Shepard as the ghost of Hamlet's father, Diane Venora as Gertrude, Steve Zahn as Rosencrantz, and Dechen Thurman as Guildenstern. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, (more)
Director(s):
Michael Almereyda
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Hamlet

William Shakespeare's classic tale is brought to the screen for the third time in ten years in this modernized interpretation. Writer/director Michael Almereyda updates the story to the present day, where Hamlet (Ethan Hawke) is a struggling filmmaker whose personal and familial trials are set against the machinations of a huge production firm called the Denmark Corporation. Joining Hamlet as he seeks revenge for the death of his father and the wedding of his mother to an enemy are Kyle MacLachlan as Claudius, Julia Stiles as Ophelia, Bill Murray as Polonius, Sam Shepard as the ghost of Hamlet's father, Diane Venora as Gertrude, Steve Zahn as Rosencrantz, and Dechen Thurman as Guildenstern. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
113 mins

Complete Cast of Hamlet


Director(s):
Michael Almereyda
Writer(s):
Michael Almereyda
Producer(s):
Andrew Fierberg, Amy Hobby
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Violence, Questionable for Children)
Hamlet Awards:
  • 2000 - National Board of Review - Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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    Nicholas M.

    The main goal appeared to be to make this classic tragedy accessible to today's audience who just doesn't get Shakespeare. When Ethan Hawke (Hamlet) puts a handgun to his head and mutters the lines, "To be or not to be", over and over again, even the most inattentive high school student will know what Hawke means. However, if you are well educated in Shakespeare, you might want to think twice beforing viewing this modern adaptation. Hawke is well-carried during one-on-one exchanges with much better actors such as Sam Shepard (Ghost), Liev Schreiber (Laertes), and Karl Geary (Horatio). Bill Murray (Polonius) delivered most of his lines with unnaturalness and a faint understanding of the role. On the other hand, a hidden gem in the movie is Steve Zahn and Dechen Thurman as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (respectively), who both deliver their lines with ease and grace while appearing like the modern-day fools that the movie called for.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Lynda W.

    Much as it breaks my heart to give anything with Sam Shepard in it a low rating, I didn't find this to be a very engaging version of the play. The cast is utterly amazing and Bill Murray as Polonius is a stroke of brilliance. The modernization is an interesting idea, particularly given that the dialog remains strictly Shakespeare's. But something about the whole film didn't work for me. I appreciate the daring of the project and there is some clever "staging", for sure. However, there were too many moments that felt stilted and contrived. Though it's a good study piece, it struck me as cold, slow and missing something vital.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Joseph W.

    If you care for Shakespeare and can deal with the abstract, you will probably like this film. Roles slightly strangely cast. For some reason at some point I thought we were going to jump into Othello but it held still.

    Yes   |   No

     
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