the smedley log - suburban scrawl

Rating versions of Hamlet

As a sort of follow-up to the last post, here’s a list of the Hamlet versions I’ve seen on screen, ordered according to my taste.

1. A version from the late 1980s or early 1990s I saw on PBS, with Kevin Kline: best I can remember seeing. It’s probably recorded from a Shakespeare in the Park performance; I just wish I knew where to find it on video.
2. The 1948 version with Lawrence Olivier: flawed, but will always hold a high spot simply because I saw it first. (And, come on, it is Olivier)
3. The 2000 version with Ethan Hawke: done somewhat similarly to the DiCaprio/Danes Romeo and Juliet, but a better film (if you can get past the star factor).
4. The 1996 version with Kenneth Brannagh: pretty good – may have suffered from my expectations.
5. The 1990 version with Mel Gibson: seriously disappointing. I thought Gibson could have pulled it off at least a little bit.

A suggestion: before resorting to the Gibson version, might I suggest a spin-off instead?

I saw that Amazon has some used copies of the Kline video
http://www.amazon.ca/Hamlet-1990-K-Kline-Kevin-Kline/dp/B00005NG0C

thanks for dropping by with the link, mikaelah! I’ve been so wracked lately, the thought of actually searching for it online didn’t even occur to me.

glad to help