Hamlet (2000)

Modern-day New York City adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal story about Hamlet's plight to avenge his father's murder.

Director:

Michael Almereyda

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play), Michael Almereyda (screen adaptation)

Stars:

Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Venora

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

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
Rome Neal	...	Barnardo
Jeffrey Wright	...	Gravedigger
Paul Bartel	...	Osric
Casey Affleck	...	Fortinbras

Storyline

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?

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Plot Keywords:

murder | ghost | revenge | shakespeare play | guilt | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is Julia Stiles' third modern film adaptation of a Shakespearean play. She was Desi Brable (Desdemona) in "O" which was based on "The Moor of Venice" or by its more common title "Othello" and Kat Stratford (Katerina) in "Ten Things I Hate About You" which was based on "The Taming of the Shrew".

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Goofs

In the scene when Polonius gives parting advice to Laertes, the reflection of the microphone boom can be seen in the chromium décor of the room.

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Quotes

Hamlet: The play's the thing, with which I'll catch the conscience of the king.

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Connections

Version of Hamlet (1964)

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Soundtracks

Echoes of Ossian, Op. 1 in A Minor
Composed by Niels Wilhelm Gade
Courtesy of CPO by arrangement with Naxos of America, Inc.

User Reviews

Bravo!

Nearly four hundred years after his death, Shakespeare continues to be the best screenwriter in the English language. This beautiful, moody, stylish adaptation of his greatest play is no exception. Another wonderful thing about the Bard is how his drama seems to elevate any actor willing to take on the challenge. I especially enjoyed Bill Murray as Polonius: his performance was all the more delightful because of the necessity of restraining his comic genius here; he appears always on the edge of cracking a joke, and of course doesn't, adding even more tension to an already extremely taught production.

But what I loved most about this movie was how it departed from the usual staging conventions (medieval costume, stone castles) to get at the heart of what the play is really about: a kid coming home on a college break and discovering that his uncle has murdered his father and is having sex with his mother. Ethan Hawke does a fantastic job in the role, giving us the brooding, confused, lovesick, and ultimately self-destructive adolescent that Shakespeare intended.

If I were a high-school English teacher, this is the Hamlet that I would want to show my students.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hamlet

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$62,253, 14 May 2000

Gross USA:

$1,577,287

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,046,433

Company Credits

Production Co:

double A Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1