Hamlet (1948)

My Review

The Best Picture of 1948 is…..”Hamlet.” This is the film version of William Shakespeare’s 1603 play telling the story of Prince Hamlet of Denmark, who goes into a deep depression when his father’s ghost informs the young Hamlet that he was murdered by his Uncle Claudius. Director-screenwriter Laurence Olivier (“Henry V” 1944) did an excellent job at the helm of this motion picture, skillfully reducing the four hour play to a watchable two hours and 35 minutes. He pretty much stuck to Bill Shakespeare’s script in this marvelous adaptation, all the while employing good production values.

The cast includes Laurence Olivier as Hamlet, Jean Simmons, Anthony Quayle, Christopher Lee, Patrick Troughton, Peter Cushing, Basil Sidney, Eileen Herlie, Norman Wooland, Terence Morgan, and Felix Aylmer as Polonius. “Hamlet” was a big hit at the box office for producer Laurence Olivier, Two Cities Films, and Rank Film Distributors Ltd.

It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning four – Best Picture, Best Actor (Olivier), Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design. Non-winners include Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Simmons), and Best Musical Score (William Walton).

Two cast members from this picture later appeared in the “Star Wars” film franchise – Peter Cushing as Governor Tarkin in “Star Wars” (1977) and Christopher Lee as Count Dooku in “Attack of the Clones” (2002) and “Revenge of the Sith” (2005). Cushing and Lee were also close friends who appeared in 24 movies together from “Hamlet” (1948) to “House of the Long Shadows” (1983).

To rent the “Hamlet” DVD or watch “Hamlet” on a streaming channel, or not, that is the question. No argument here.