Hamlet poster & wallpaper

Bill Murray, Diane Venora, Ethan Hawke

Modern day adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal story about Hamlet's plight to avenge his father's murder in New York City.

Flixster Users

49% liked it

8,619 ratings

Critics

56% liked it

84 critics

R, 1 hr. 53 min.

Directed by: Michael Almereyda

Release Date: May 12, 2000

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DVD Release Date: April 17, 2001

Stats: 531 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (531)

  • binky013
    February 2, 2009
    binky013
    This is not bad at all. Again, it's no Branagh, but I enjoyed it. I"m not sure if BIll Murray -- who is on my favorite actor list -- is delivering intentionally his Polonius lines the way he does, in that halting manner, as if not fully comprehending the words, or if he really ...( read more)is not doing a very good job. Even with that, this is well worth seeing.
  • DeppLover
    June 13, 2008
    DeppLover
    "Good night sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

    Hamlet is a modern Shakespeare play adaptation that I found to be both visually stunning, but also a compelling and engaging film. Complete with a stellar cast, this is a rare film that shouldn't m...( read more)e missed.

    I can't call myself a huge fan of some other films based on one of Shakespeare's plays, but Hamlet has proved as an exception. Director Michael Almereyda has done as Baz Luhrmann did for Romeo + Juliet, in that he has created a very contemporary vision for Hamlet, being set in the modern era. In this case, the film is set in New York City, in 2000. This version stays true to the original play and manages to fit everything effectively within less than two hours (the original play taking four hours to conclude). As expected, it centres around the character Hamlet, now played by Ethan Hawke. The plot could be considered complicated at times and hard to understand, but if you give this film the attention it needs then you will certainly appreciate it's story.

    The plot revolves around the experiences and emotions coming from Hamlet, and we get an insight into exactly what is happening at the time. It tells the tragic story of murder, compassion and betrayal, and is put together beautifully with strong acting performances, a stylish score and an enthralling take on Shakespeare's work. The score in particular perfectly matched the events at the time and showed contrast between different emotions and characters. The music reflected the tragic events and seemed even grim at times, with the actor's help, to maintain the intriguing scenes.

    Ethan Hawke still remains the youngest actor to have played Hamlet on film, and I think he did it exceptionally. He showed every emotion and seemed to put so much passion into the character; it's hard to imagine anyone to have played Hamlet better for this film. He certainly showed more of the character's darker side, which I found even more interesting to watch. Kyle MacLachlan as Claudius was more of a diverse choice, and yet he still managed to pull off the role very well. Julia Stiles' role was smaller than I would have imagined, but even for her very few scenes she gave a pretty decent performance. There were some other recognisable performances from versatile actors such as Bill Murray, but nothing of an incredibly high standard.
    Probably the only flaw of this film was the consistency of the acting standard. At times it is strong, powerful and very connecting.... but for some other scenes it had a standard below mediocre.

    Indie director Michael Almereyda has created a brilliant film that should be appreciated and treasured by all who see it. Unfortunately, I can't say that this film is for everyone, but those who don't mind its dialogue and the story by Shakespeare should find it to be an emotional and innovative film. I recommend this to anyone interested, for me it was definitely worth try.
  • wellmeetagain
    September 11, 2007
    wellmeetagain
    nice modern update on shakespeare's classic story of revenge.
  • ceWEBrity
    September 1, 2007
    ceWEBrity
    I never found this movie particularly interesting. I remember some of the awesome camera work, but the performances fall flat and the telling of the classic story lacks energy.
  • AgentLexi2132
    August 15, 2007
    AgentLexi2132
    Could of been better, shakespeare close eyes immediately, ethan hawke yuck!
  • jonrmcmahon
    November 24, 2009
    jonrmcmahon
    Moody film trailers and all-star cast lists do not a great Shakespeare adaptation make. While Michael Almereyda's present-day New York City interpretation isn't all bad, I expected more. Mild flashes of creative direction are outweighed by cheap production values and the awkwardl...( read more)y episodic progression of scenes almost synonymous with film adaptations of Shakespeare. One gets the sense this production was rushed. Where is the genuine drama?

    Its fatal misstep is in using Shakespeare's original dialogue almost exclusively. The settings, clothing and music are modern, and by contrast, the actors sound foolish straining to spout their long, poetic speeches in strobe-lit dance bars. 'To be or not to be' is delivered in a Blockbuster video store, and a laundromat sets the scene for an important confrontation between Claudius and Hamlet. Neither scene works. The dialogue comes off as a bad joke most of the time, and Ethan Hawke tries so hard to give a serious performance as Hamlet that he ends up playing the biggest fool. Bill Murray as Polonius seems to be the only one in on the joke, but his tongue-in-cheek smugness is annoying and out of place. Sam Shepard is good as the ghost and Kyle MacLachlan was born to play this seedy limo-riding version of Claudius, but their performances go to waste here. None of the actors get enough screen time since the film has been butchered to less than half the play's length.

    There are glimpses of honesty - the scene where Ophelia's death is announced was affective and the moment Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine gave me chills. Hamlet and Laertes's climactic fencing duel is appropriately suspenseful, its aftermath finally giving me the depth of feeling I had been craving, immediately after which the film ends abruptly.

    The producers deserve credit for attempting to bring 'Hamlet' to a modern audience. Yet in spite of their resources, this interpretation falls short of the original and probably won't win many new fans for old Bill Shakespeare.
  • ristrawn
    August 27, 2009
    ristrawn
    great story of betrayal & murder - who do you trust?
  • YouTookPossessionOfMyLife
    August 23, 2009
    YouTookPossessionOfMyLife
    i love hamlet, never have watched the movie
    i <3 ethan
  • brocksssssnyder
    August 7, 2009
    brocksssssnyder
    okay okay, the suicide speech in the action section of a blockbuster... pretty fucking clever.
  • LaurenceJMoquinJr
    August 4, 2009
    LaurenceJMoquinJr
    Ethan Hawke gives us the ultimate "Emo" Hamlet! Despite the familiarity of the story, it's still magnetic enough to let it's large and aptly cast stars make it work. Kudos to Bill Murray for continuing his off the path career choices.

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Critic Reviews

January 1, 2000
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Oddly enough it's the picture's visuals -- its mournful, glassy Manhattan high-rises; its limos and Town Cars with their mirrorlike flanks -- that make it feel most like Hamlet. full review

January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

In the end this noble experiment fails, not for its adventure but for its ultimate lack thereof. full review

View more Hamlet reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • itbegins2005
    March 17, 2008
    itbegins2005
    Good enough? GOOD ENOUGH?!?

    ... What a perfect description of this movie.
  • kafkavis
    October 7, 2007
    kafkavis
    it's good enough
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Hamlet Trivia

  • Which Disney movie was loosely based off of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" ?  Answer »
  • Which "Hamlet" movie featured Kate Winslet as "Ophelia"?  Answer »
  • In which film did a small town historian (Vincent Price) spin a quartet of horror tales about his hamlet?  Answer »
  • What movie did this quote come from? " To be, or not to be."  Answer »
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