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February 16, 2009
Oscar Challenge: Hamlet
Roll credits.
Me: Meh.
Nathan: It was kind of self-indulgent.
Me: Have you ever seen a Hamlet that wasn't?
Nathan: Good point.
Okay, so don't tell my grandmother, but I've never seen a production of Hamlet that I liked. It's so angsty and talky and all about ME ME ME and, Sweet Baby Jeebus, Hamlet can't relate to women. It just doesn't do anything for me generally, and Laurence Olivier didn't do anything to turn me into a Hamlet-lover.
Sure, sometimes in Hamlet there are cool and interesting supporting actors. This had a couple of really fun ones, notably the late great Eileen Herlie as Gertrude, who, was 28 years old when this movie was filmed. (Olivier was 41, you do the math.) Also fabulous was GRAND MOFF TARKIN as the flaming popinjay Osric.
Olivier was awesome, I guess. That "To be or not to be" business was pretty great, and DAMN, that man could fill out a pair of tights, but zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Seriously, don't tell my grandmother.
Comments
She would be very horrified. I can even picture the exact look on her face. You're not alone though. I've never even made it all the way through any version.
Posted by: selkiskin at February 17, 2009 10:32 AM
Have you seen Slings and Arrows? If not, do go rent the first season. It's an incredibly funny Canadian show about a Shakespeare company; in the first season, they're doing Hamlet (with an American action hero movie star as Hamlet).
Posted by: Margar at February 17, 2009 8:09 PM