However, the scenes that work are brilliant, and despite the lack of emotional power, it is an entertaining and superbly made film that's just as worthwhile as its 90's successors (although it is marginally inferior to them, which is odd - the 40's version inferior to the 90's remakes!). Yes, some scenes are truly compelling, but on the whole, it misses the mark in that department. However, despite many great scenes, the movie never creates the emotions it needs to really make the blows come. Finally, the climactic fencing scenes are genuinely great easily the best fencing scenes in a version of Hamlet and possibly among the best in film history. William Walton's creepy music adds a lot. It creates extraordinary images and energy that make many scenes unforgettable - without calling too much attention to itself.

The camera moves and sweeps everywhere - but not just for the sake of moving and sweeping like many movies (coughMichaelBaycoughcough).

And right from that scene, it's obvious that the camera work is going to be awesome. UNIT OBJECTIVES - Hamlet Through viewing Laurence Olivier’s, Franco Zeffirelli’s, and Kenneth Branagh’s film versions of Shakespeares Hamlet, students will see how one director interprets the text of the play.

The atmosphere during the ghost scenes is absolutely suffocating and starts the film off well. However, other than some weak performances, Olivier does a superb job directing everything. The rest of the cast is either stiff or completely uninteresting. Stanley Holloway is good as the Gravedigger, but somehow he doesn't nail the part the way Billy Crystal did in the 1996 version. Norman Wooland is excellent as Horatio (which is a tough role to actually be memorable in). Simmons makes a good Ophelia, albeit not a great one. Sydney has his moments and does a decent job, but never really gets across who Claudius really is. Herlie is very good, managing to completely overcome that fact that she is really 13 years younger than Olivier. The rest of the cast, however, is a mixed bag. Olivier is superb as Hamlet - especially when delivering the soliloquies, several of which are genuinely powerful. Like the Zeffrilli/Gibson and Branaugh versions of Shakespeare's classic that followed, Olivier's adaptation is a mostly excellent film with several annoying flaws keeping it just out of reach of greatness. Most say the To be or not to be (Shakespeare, 3.1.57) is the most impactful speech in all Shakespeare’s plays. In the middle of all this is Hamlet's love Ophelia (Jean Simmons), who is completely confused - and hurt - by Hamlet's increasingly bizarre behavior. Comparison of Different Hamlet Movies Hamlet is often ranked on the top among with someone of William Shakespeares influential and powerful plays. Hamlet must also decide what to do about his mother, Gertrude (Eileen Herlie), who is now married (quite happily, it seems) to Claudius, and Claudius' chief adviser, Polonius (Felix Aymer). Hamlet (Laurence Olivier), son of the murdered king of Denmark, contemplates whether or not to take vengeance on the murderer and now king, Claudius (Basil Sydney), Hamlet's uncle.

Hamlet movie