Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, finds out that his uncle Claudius killed his father to obtain the throne, and plans revenge.
Director:
Franco Zeffirelli
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Mel Gibson | ... | Hamlet | |
| Glenn Close | ... | Gertrude | |
| Alan Bates | ... | Claudius | |
| Paul Scofield | ... | The Ghost | |
| Ian Holm | ... | Polonius | |
| Helena Bonham Carter | ... | Ophelia | |
| Stephen Dillane | ... | Horatio | |
| Nathaniel Parker | ... | Laertes | |
 |
Sean Murray | ... | Guildenstern |
| Michael Maloney | ... | Rosencrantz | |
| Trevor Peacock | ... | The Gravedigger | |
| John McEnery | ... | Osric | |
| Richard Warwick | ... | Bernardo | |
| Christien Anholt | ... | Marcellus | |
| Dave Duffy | ... | Francisco | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Hamlet returns to Denmark when his father, the King, dies. His mother Gertrude has already married Hamlet's uncle Claudius, the new King. They urge Hamlet to marry his beloved Ophelia. But soon the ghost of Hamlet's father appears and tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius and Gertrude. Hamlet must choose between passive acquiescence and the need for a vengeance which might lead to tragedy. Written by Reid Gagle
Plot Keywords:
gertrude character | ophelia character | horatio character | polonius character | claudius character |Taglines:
The extraordinary adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tale of vengeance and tragedy.Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
18 January 1991 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Amlet See more »Edit
Box Office
Gross USA:
$20,710,451Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Claudius: Hamlet! Think of us as of a father. For let the world take note: you are the most immediate to our throne. And with no less nobility of love than that which dearest father bears his son do I impart toward you.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
About Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" monologue, many critics have complained for decades about the line: "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and, by opposing, end them?" The complaint is that Hamlet is mixing metaphors: Fortune (Fate) does not actually shoot arrows at people, and you can't use your swords against the sea. The assumption seems to be that Shakespeare was too tired, or too lazy, to fit metaphorical causes with metaphorical effects. Shakespeare (and therefore Hamlet) were too smart to be that sloppy in their speech. Hamlet is complaining that these forces (fate and the ocean) are precisely too abstract, too formless, too monstrous, and too inhuman for a human to use weapons against - arrows against a vague idea such as Fortune, or swords and knives against an ocean. You can't fight on those levels. Hamlet was grieving, but he was never stupid. See more »Goofs
During the "confrontation" between Hamlet and Ophelia, the shadow of a camera can be seen on the floor behind Ophelia as Hamlet begins to circle her.. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Claudius: Hamlet! Think of us as of a father. For let the world take note: you are the most immediate to our throne. And with no less nobility of love than that which dearest father bears his son do I impart toward you.
See more »
Alternate Versions
One American print, which as of January 2016 appears on Paramount's Vault Channel on YouTube, features no credits overlaid during the first two minutes of the film as seen on most prints (aside from the title) and the same goes for the end titles, which leaves only a black screen with music, followed by the Paramount logo. It is unknown how or why there are essentially no credits at all on this print; it is most likely an accident that the distributor was unaware of. See more »Contribute to This Page
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Mel Gibson explained how Hamlet was shot out of sequence. He lamented the film cut the 4 hour play in half and how it is more suited to the stage. He confessed it only "seemed" like he played Hamlet. But it was his portrayal of the confused Dane which made me respect him as an actor. I cared nothing for Mad Max or his previous work. Hamlet is a beautiful film. The grays and browns of the middle ages contrast nicely with the colorful Glenn Close as Gertrude. Hamlet was directed by Franco Zefferelli who did Romeo and Juliet 22 years earlier. I found this remarkable. We are told the themes of Hamlet are revenge, madness and procrastination. Its overwhelming concern is death in all its forms: murder, suicide and natural causes. "To be or not to be." In the graveyard, Hamlet contemplates the skull of a court jester he knew as a child. Shakespeare's greatest play asks life's biggest questions. Why must we die? What is the point of life if we must die? Is there life after death? Heaven? Hell? Biblical thinking pervades the play. There was little science in either mideval Denmark or Elizabethan England. Mel Gibson brought an energy to his role not seen before. His facial expressions show his mental state. Helena Bonham Carter renders a distracted Ophelia.