Two minor characters from the play 'Hamlet' stumble around unaware of their scripted lives and unable to deviate from them.
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Title: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)
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3 wins & 2 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Gary Oldman | ... | Rosencrantz | |
| Tim Roth | ... | Guildenstern | |
| Richard Dreyfuss | ... | The Player | |
 |
Livio Badurina | ... | Tragedian |
|
|
Tomislav Maretic | ... | Tragedian |
|
|
Mare Mlacnik | ... | Tragedian |
|
|
Serge Soric | ... | Tragedian (as Srdjan Soric) |
|
|
Mladen Vasary | ... | Tragedian |
|
|
Zeljko Vukmirica | ... | Tragedian |
|
|
Branko Zavrsan | ... | Tragedian |
| Joanna Roth | ... | Ophelia | |
| Iain Glen | ... | Hamlet | |
| Donald Sumpter | ... | Claudius | |
| Joanna Miles | ... | Gertrude | |
|
|
Ljubo Zecevic | ... | Osric |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Showing events from the point of view of two minor characters from Hamlet, men who have no control over their destiny, this film examines fate and asks if we can ever really know what's going on? Are answers as important as the questions? Will Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (or Guildenstern and Rosencrantz) manage to discover the source of Hamlet's malaise as requested by the new king? Will the mysterious players who are strolling around the castle reveal the secrets they evidently know? And whose serve is it? Written by Mark Thompson <mrt@oasis.icl.co.uk>
Plot Keywords:
destiny | dialogue driven | title based on shakespeare | shakespeare's hamlet | based on play |Parents Guide:
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
8 February 1991 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Eles Morreram See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$24,004, 10 February 1991Gross USA:
$739,104Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$739,104Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are riding horses down a path - they pause]
Rosencrantz: [to Guildenstern] Umm, uh...
[Guildenstern rides away, and Rosencrantz follows. Rosencrantz spots a gold coin on the ground]
Rosencrantz: [to horse] Whoa - whoa, whoa.
[Gets off horse and starts flipping the coin]
Rosencrantz: Hmmm. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads.
[Guildenstern grabs the coin, checks both sides, then tosses it back to Rosencrantz]
Rosencrantz: ...
[...]
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Did You Know?
Goofs
Throughout the movie there are scenes where day suddenly changes to night and vice versa. This is a running gag of Tom Stoppard plays which often have "time jumps" written into the stage directions. See more »Quotes
[first lines][Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are riding horses down a path - they pause]
Rosencrantz: [to Guildenstern] Umm, uh...
[Guildenstern rides away, and Rosencrantz follows. Rosencrantz spots a gold coin on the ground]
Rosencrantz: [to horse] Whoa - whoa, whoa.
[Gets off horse and starts flipping the coin]
Rosencrantz: Hmmm. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads.
[Guildenstern grabs the coin, checks both sides, then tosses it back to Rosencrantz]
Rosencrantz: ...
[...]
See more »
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A wonderfully witty film masterfully transferred from a marvellous stage script to the screen.
The dialogue is constant and highly entertaining, the meshing of Stoppard's modern day speech of the original parts of the story and Shakespeare's original Hamlet practically seamless and masterfully worked.
Gary Oldman gives a superb performance as Guildernstern (or is it Rosencratz - and, at the end of the day, does it matter?) outstanding in a fabulous cast. All in all this film cannot be recommended highly enough.