Hamlet (1969 film)
| Hamlet | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Tony Richardson |
| Written by | Tony Richardson |
| Based on | William Shakespeare (play) |
| Produced by | Hans Gottschalk Neil Hartley Leslie Linder Martin Ransohoff |
| Starring | Nicol Williamson Marianne Faithfull Anthony Hopkins Judy Parfitt |
| Cinematography | Gerry Fisher |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | Patrick Gowers |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 118 minutes |
| Country | United KIngdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $350,000[1] |
Hamlet is a 1969 British drama film adaptation of Shakespeare's play Hamlet, starring Nicol Williamson as Prince Hamlet.[2] It was directed by Tony Richardson and based on his own stage production at the Roundhouse theatre in London.[3] The film also stars Anthony Hopkins as King Claudius, Judy Parfitt as Queen Gertrude, Marianne Faithfull as Ophelia, Mark Dignam as Polonius, Gordon Jackson as Horatio, and Michael Pennington as Laertes.[4]
The film, a departure from big-budget Hollywood renditions of classics, was made with a small budget and a very minimalist set, consisting of Renaissance fixtures and costumes in a dark, shadowed space. A brick tunnel is used for the scenes on the battlements. The Ghost of Hamlet's father is represented only by a light shining on the observers. The film places much emphasis on the sexual aspects of the play, to the point of strongly implying an incestuous relationship between Laertes and Ophelia. Williamson was only one year younger than Parfitt, who played his mother, and was one year older than Hopkins, who played his uncle.
Cast[]
- Nicol Williamson as Hamlet
- Judy Parfitt as Gertrude
- Anthony Hopkins as Claudius
- Marianne Faithfull as Ophelia
- Mark Dignam as Polonius
- Michael Pennington as Laertes
- Gordon Jackson as Horatio
- Ben Aris as Rosencrantz
- Clive Graham as Guildenstern
- Peter Gale as Osric
- Roger Livesey as First Player / Gravedigger
- John J. Carney as Player King (as John Carney)
- Richard Everett as Player Queen
- Robin Chadwick as Francisco
- Ian Collier as Priest
- Michael Elphick as Captain
- David Griffith as Messenger (as Mark Griffith)
- Anjelica Huston as Court Lady
- Bill Jarvis as Courtier
- Roger Lloyd Pack as Reynaldo (as Roger Lloyd-Pack)
- John Railton as 1st Sailor
- John Trenaman as Barnardo
- Jennifer Tudor as Court lady
DVD[]
Hamlet was released to DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on 3 July 2012 via the Choice Collection DVD-on-demand setup from Amazon.
References[]
- ^ Alexander Walker, Hollywood, England, Stein and Day, 1974 p452
- ^ "Hamlet (1969)". BFI.
- ^ "Production of Hamlet | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ "Hamlet (1969) - Tony Richardson | Cast and Crew | AllMovie" – via www.allmovie.com.
External links[]
- Hamlet at IMDb
- Hamlet at Rotten Tomatoes
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- 1969 films
- 1970 films
- English-language films
- Films based on Hamlet
- British films
- Films directed by Tony Richardson
- Columbia Pictures films
- 1969 drama films
- British drama films
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