Hamlet ***** (1948, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Eileen Herlie, Basil Sydney, Felix Aylmer, Stanley Holloway, John Laurie) – Classic Movie Review 3647

Laurence Olivier took the Oscars for both Best Picture and Best Actor for his intelligent, involving and marvellously cinematic 1948 film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragic play. And there were Oscars for Art Direction-Set Decoration and Costume Design too. It is the only film to win both the Academy Award and Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Award for Best Picture. It proved a brilliant and triumphant follow-up to his Henry V (1944) and for long has been judged the definitive film of Hamlet, despite niggles over drastic cuts in the text.

Perhaps the film’s main virtue is the splendid Old Vic-style acting from a superb ensemble cast headed by a blonde Olivier as Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (though overage for the character at aged 40). Outstanding also are Eileen Herlie (underaged at 28, as Hamlet’s mother Gertrude), Basil Sydney (Claudius), Jean Simmons (Ophelia), Felix Aylmer (Polonius, the Lord Chamberlain) and Stanley Holloway (the gravedigger), all giving the most engrossing performances.

But, yes, it’s also marvellously cinematic, and that is its other main virtue. As director, Olivier swoops majestically around the castle at Elsinore and cinematographer Desmond Dickinson’s black-and-white photography is beautifully crisp and clear, as well as atmospheric in the noir vein. Dickinson makes striking and stylish use of Citizen Kane-style deep focus photography. The production is also remarkable for its startling set designs with cavernous sets with winding stairwells and the film’s score by William Walton is his most celebrated after Henry V.

The text is expertly hacked from its four hours to 155 minutes, losing Rosencrantz and Guildernstern, and Fortinbras, and nearly half the dialogue. Olivier loses the political elements of the play in favour of an intensely psychological interpretation that is highly effective. However, Shakespearean purists may feel that Olivier makes too many alterations and excisions in his liberties with the text.

The four Oscars were for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best black-and-white Art Direction-Set Decoration (Roger K Furse and Carmen Dillon), and Best black-and-white Costume Design (Roger K Furse).

Peter Cushing plays Osric and Christopher Lee has an uncredited part as the proverbial ‘Spear carrier’ with no spoken lines. The two were of course to go on to be the UK’s premiere horror stars, separately and in partnership, and become great friends. It is the first of 24 films in which the two both appear.

Also in the cast are Norman Wooland as Horatio, Esmond Knight as Bernardo, Anthony Quayle as Marcellus, John Laurie as Francisco, Niall MacGinnis as the Sea Captain (invented for the film), Harcourt Williams as the First Player, Russell Thorndike as the Priest, Terence Morgan as Laertes, Patrick Troughton as the Player King and Tony Tarver as the Player Queen. (Laurie and Knight appear in all three of Olivier’s Shakespearean films.)

Future Q Desmond Llewelyn and and future Avenger Patrick Macnee are both extras. Olivier provides the voice of Hamlet’s ghost, recording the dialogue and playing it back at a reduced speed to give it a haunted spin.

After Christopher Lee died on June 7, 2015, Patrick Macnee became the last surviving cast member of the film. Macnee died only 18 days later.

The screenplay is by Alan Dent, it is produced by Laurence Olivier, the score is by William Walton and the production designs are by Roger Furse and Carmen Dillon.

Herlie reprised her role as Gertrude in Hamlet (1964), now still only seven years older than Richard Burton as her son Hamlet.

It was advertised as ‘The motion picture of all time…for all time!’ so no retiring humility there then!

It was the first English sound film version of Hamlet. Olivier became the first person ever to direct themselves to a best actor or actress Oscar. Roberto Benigni in Life Is Beautiful (1997) is the only other person to achieve this. Olivier is also the only actor to win an Oscar for a Shakespearean role. It was the first British or non-American film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Olivier said it was filmed in black and white for artistic reasons but later admitted the true reason was he ‘was in the middle of a furious row with Technicolor’.

Other famous Hamlets: 1964 with Richard Burton, 1964 with Innokenti Smoktunovsky, 1969 with Nicol Williamson, 1980 with Derek Jacobi, Hamlet (1990) with Mel Gibson, Hamlet (1996) with Kenneth Branagh, 2000 with Ethan Hawke, 2009 with David Tennant, and 2015 with Maxine Peake.

http://derekwinnert.com/life-is-beautiful-la-vita-e-bella-classic-film-review-415/

http://derekwinnert.com/hamlet-1990-mel-gibson-glenn-close-ian-holm-alan-bates-classic-movie-review-1294/

http://derekwinnert.com/hamlet-1996-kenneth-branagh-kate-winslet-julie-christie-classic-movie-review-1295/

http://derekwinnert.com/henry-v-classic-film-review-138/

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3647
Check out more reviews on derekwinnert.com