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

When Hamlet is in Blockbuster Video, saying his soliloquy, the film that is playing is The Crow: City of Angels (1996), the second installment of the Crow series; a series in which the protagonists are sent to avenge the dead and set things right.

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Goofs

When we first see Claudius speaking, his mouth is obviously saying something other than what we hear. It lasts for about five seconds.

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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

Featured in At the Movies: Battlefield Earth/The Big Kahuna/Hamlet/Michael Jordan to the Max/Center Stage (2000)

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Soundtracks

Symphony #1, Titan-Langsam Schleppend
Written by Gustav Mahler
Courtesy of Associated Production Music

User Reviews

It didn't work for me

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

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