Hamlet (1964)
"Gamlet" (original title)

Director:

Grigori Kozintsev

Writers:

Grigori Kozintsev, Boris Pasternak,

Stars:

Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Mikhail Nazvanov, Elza Radzina

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy	...	Hamlet
Mikhail Nazvanov	...	King Claudius
Elza Radzina	...	Queen Gertrude (as Elsa Radzina-Szolkonis)
Yuri Tolubeyev	...	Polonius
Anastasiya Vertinskaya	...	Ophelia
Vadim Medvedev	...	Guildenstern
Vladimir Erenberg	...	Horatio
Stepan Oleksenko	...	Laertes
Igor Dmitriev	...	Rosencrantz
Grigori Gaj
Rein Aren	...	Second Player
A. Krevalid	...	Fortinbras
Yuri Berkun	...	Third Player
Ants Lauter	...	Priest
Viktor Kolpakov	...	Gravedigger

Storyline

---

Plot Keywords:

poisoning | fencing | sane or insane | revenge | funeral | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

24 June 1964 (Soviet Union)

Also Known As:

Hamlet

Filming Locations:

Keila-Joa village, Estonia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lenfilm Studio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It took six months to build a life-size imitation of a medieval castle for the film. The castle was built of logs and veneer, then painted and decorated to mimic the ambiance of the Shakespearian play. The main film set decoration was built in Keila-Joa village, Estonia, then part of the Soviet Union.

---

Connections

Version of Den tragiska historien om Hamlet - Prins av Danmark (1985)

User Reviews

pure gem

impressive. strange. monumental. subtle. wall of music, nuanced performances, Shakespeare play heart and Slav soul. it is an adaptation but in a strange manner. because out of words and images, out of Smoktunovski performance it is small light of mystery. that is its virtue. that sparkle like descending in heart of a world of shadows and ash. and the actors, the real actors, are Sostakovici music,the Russian language, the profound feeling front to a masterpiece. it is pure delight. with cinnamon flavor and salt taste. like an ice flower. or like looniest song.it is a dark large desert in night. and, in same measure, sand rope of existence like ladder to fundamental answer about art of unforgettable search of yourself. and Elisabethan costumes completed by Mikhail Nazvanov as Claudius - alter ego for a Henry VIII Philipp II of Spain or Anastasia Vertinskaya as Ophelia - prey of spider web - veil.