Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Ethan Hawke | ... | Hamlet | |
Kyle MacLachlan | ... | Claudius | |
Diane Venora | ... | Gertrude | |
Sam Shepard | ... | Ghost | |
Bill Murray | ... | Polonius | |
Liev Schreiber | ... | Laertes | |
Julia Stiles | ... | Ophelia | |
Karl Geary | ... | Horatio | |
Paula Malcomson | ... | Marcella | |
Steve Zahn | ... | Rosencrantz | |
Dechen Thurman | ... | Guildenstern | |
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Rome Neal | ... | Barnardo |
Jeffrey Wright | ... | Gravedigger | |
Paul Bartel | ... | Osric | |
Casey Affleck | ... | Fortinbras |
New York, 2000. A specter in the guise of the newly-dead CEO of Denmark Corporation appears to Hamlet, tells of murder most foul, demands revenge, and identifies the killer as Claudius, the new head of Denmark, Hamlet's uncle and now step-father. Hamlet must determine if the ghost is truly his father, and if Claudius did the deed. To buy time, Hamlet feigns madness; to catch his uncle's conscience, he invites him to watch a film he's made that shows a tale of murder. Finally convinced of Claudius's guilt, Hamlet must avenge his father. Claudius now knows Hamlet is a threat and even uses Ophelia, Hamlet's love, in his own plots against the young man. Murder will out? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
New York, 2000, and Polonius telling his daughter Ophelia that Hamlet is
too princely for her, while Laertes goes on about her 'chaste treasure'?
Far better to have set it in the real Denmark, say 20 years or more ago.
Still, Maclachnan, Venora & Shepard acquit themselves well and Julia
Stiles is an extraordinarily moving Ophelia (and I've seen dozens). The
final duel is a mess and a muddle, but the presage of Ophelia's suicide
in the swimming pool is masterly. I've no idea how Hamlet, Rosencrantz &
Guildernstern got to England - did they use the QEII? - nor how Hamlet
escaped thence, though of course it would be dead easy these day. The
Baz Luhrmann 'Romeo & Juliet' worked for me, but not, alas, this: but as
a Shakespeare completist I had t