Hamlet

In the Asta Nielsen version of "Hamlet" from 1921 we do not have a prince Hamlet but a princess Hamlet. On first sight one expects this to have enormous consequences. Apart from the tension between ratio and madness there also is the tension between the sexes. Especially the relationships of Hamlet to the (male) Horatio and the (female) Ophelia are no longer the same as in the original Shakespeare play. In reality the "Hamlet" movie of 1921 is more conventional then one is inclined to think at first.

The part of Hamlet neatly fits in the image of Asta Nielsen, who often played strong-willed women that are not dominated by men. Everybody knows that Louise Brooks plays the Lulu character in the Pabst adaptation (1929) of Frank Wedekinds "Die Buchse der Pandora". Far fewer people know that Asta Nielsen plays the Lulu character in Leopold Jessners adaptation (1923) of "Erdgeist".

Asta Nielsen is also known for her more naturalistic way of acting. During the age of the silent cinema overly theatrical acting was still very much in vogue. In this "Hamlet" movie we only have to compare the acting of Asta Nielsen with that of Eduard von Winterstein, playing uncle Claudius.