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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amlet 2000

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$62,253, 14 May 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,568,749, 13 August 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

double A Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene in which Claudius confronts Hamlet in the laundromat, he pushes Hamlet from machine 2 to machine 3. This correlates with Shakespeare's play, in which the confrontation begins in Act IV, scene 2 and continues on to scene 3.

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Goofs

In the fencing bout on the rooftop, Hamlet and Laertes are dressed in modern foil fencing gear (with electric vests) but use épées instead of foils.

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Quotes

Polonius: We are oft to blame in this, tis too much proved that with devotions pious we do sugar o'er the devil himself

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Connections

Version of Lletres catalanes (1974)

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Soundtracks

Greentone
Written by Chris Jeely
Performed by Accelera Deck
Published by Acceleradeck Music
Administered by Endorphin Records
Courtesy of Endorphin Records

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.