|
|
Hamlet (1948) 7.9
Prince Hamlet struggles over whether or not he should kill his uncle, whom he suspects has murdered his father, the former king. Director:Laurence OlivierWriter:William Shakespeare (by) |
| 0Share... |
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Hamlet (1948)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Orphans of the Storm
(1921)
Drama
Director:
D.W. Griffith
Stars:
Lillian Gish,
Dorothy Gish,
Joseph Schildkraut
A Star Is Born
(1937)
Drama
Directors:
William A. Wellman,
Jack Conway
Stars:
Janet Gaynor,
Fredric March,
Adolphe Menjou
The Last Flight
(1931)
Drama
Director:
William Dieterle
Stars:
Richard Barthelmess,
David Manners,
Johnny Mack Brown
The Grapes of Wrath
(1940)
Drama
Director:
John Ford
Stars:
Henry Fonda,
Jane Darwell,
John Carradine
All About Eve
(1950)
Drama
Director:
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Stars:
Bette Davis,
Anne Baxter,
George Sanders
The Lost Weekend
(1945)
Drama
Director:
Billy Wilder
Stars:
Ray Milland,
Jane Wyman,
Phillip Terry
Queen Kelly
(1929)
Certificate: Passed
Drama
Directors:
Erich von Stroheim,
Richard Boleslawski, and 3 more credits »
Stars:
Gloria Swanson,
Walter Byron,
Seena Owen
Heroes for Sale
(1933)
Drama
|
War
Director:
William A. Wellman
Stars:
Loretta Young,
Richard Barthelmess,
Aline MacMahon
Beyond the Rocks
(1922)
Drama
Director:
Sam Wood
Stars:
Rudolph Valentino,
Gloria Swanson,
Edythe Chapman
Black Narcissus
(1947)
Drama
Directors:
Michael Powell,
Emeric Pressburger
Stars:
Deborah Kerr,
David Farrar,
Flora Robson
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
(1945)
Drama
Director:
Elia Kazan
Stars:
Dorothy McGuire,
Joan Blondell,
James Dunn
Downstairs
(1932)
Certificate: Passed
Drama
Director:
Monta Bell
Stars:
John Gilbert,
Virginia Bruce,
Paul Lukas
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| John Laurie | ... | ||
| Esmond Knight | ... | ||
| Anthony Quayle | ... | ||
|
|
Niall MacGinnis | ... | |
| Harcourt Williams | ... | ||
| Patrick Troughton | ... | ||
|
|
Tony Tarver | ... | |
| Peter Cushing | ... | ||
| Stanley Holloway | ... | ||
|
|
Russell Thorndike | ... | |
|
|
Basil Sydney | ... | |
| Eileen Herlie | ... | ||
| Laurence Olivier | ... | ||
|
|
Norman Wooland | ... | |
|
|
Felix Aylmer | ... | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
William Shakespeare's tale of tragedy of murder and revenge in the royal halls of medieval Denmark. Claudius, brother to the King, conniving with the Queen, poisons the monarch and seizes the throne, taking the widowed Gertrude for his bride. Hamlet, son of the murdered King, mournful of his father's death and mother's hasty marriage, is confronted by the ghost of the late King who reveals the manner of his murder. Seeking revenge, Hamlet recreates the monstrous deed in a play with the help of some traveling actors to torment the conscience of the evil Claudius. In a visit with his mother, Hamlet expresses his anger and disappointment concerning her swiftly untimed marriage. Thinking a concealed spy in his mother's chamber to be the lurking Claudius, he mistakenly kills the meddling counselor, Polonius, father of Ophelia and Laertes. Claudius, on the pretext that Hamlet will be endangered by his subjects for the murder of Polonius, sends the prince to England. Written by alfiehitchie
Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
12 August 1948 (Australia) See more »Also Known As:
Hamlet See more »Box Office
Budget:
£500,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Narrator: So oft it chances in particular men / That through some vicious mole of nature in them, / By the o'ergrowth of some complexion / Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason, / Or by some habit grown too much; that these men - / Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect, / Their virtues else - be they as pure as grace, / Shall in the general censure take corruption / From that particular fault... This is the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Initially, Laurence Olivier was not keen on producing "Hamlet". Although he wanted to repeat the success of The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France (1944), he found that the Danish play was the only really viable choice, as Orson Welles had just done Macbeth (1948) and was prepping Othello (1952). By casting himself in the lead, however, he was able to secure the necessary financing. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Narrator: So oft it chances in particular men / That through some vicious mole of nature in them, / By the o'ergrowth of some complexion / Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason, / Or by some habit grown too much; that these men - / Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect, / Their virtues else - be they as pure as grace, / Shall in the general censure take corruption / From that particular fault... This is the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind.
See more »
It stands to reason that Larry Olivier's version of Hamlet is one of the best, and even if he was a little old for the role (in his forties by this time) it really is the perfect role for him.
One or two things to note - the camera angles and shots are often stunning, from above, using angles and shadows, extreme close-ups, and so on. This gives the sometimes ponderous adaptation atmosphere and the black and white photography is gorgeous. Amongst the supporting cast Jean Simmons is a childish, doting Ophelia but this works well. Not working so well are the soliloquies largely within Hamlet's head (and therefore, voiceover). This seems a little gimmicky and only really makes sense with 'To be or not to be'.
That aside, this really is Larry's show and he is brilliant. Despite a few cuts it does the original play proud and is, like Welles' Macbeth and Othello, a truly cinematic reading.