Hamlet (2011 film)

Hamlet is a 2011 Canadian drama film written and directed by Bruce Ramsay in his directorial debut. It is a condensed retelling of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet set in 1940s England. Ramsay stars alongside Lara Gilchrist, Peter Wingfield, Gillian Barber, and Duncan Fraser. It premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival and was theatrically released in 2014.

Hamlet
Film poster
Directed by	Bruce Ramsay
Written by	Bruce Ramsay
Based on	Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Produced by	Bruce Ramsay Jacquie Gould John Cassini
Starring	Bruce Ramsay Lara Gilchrist Peter Wingfield Gillian Barber Duncan Fraser
Cinematography	Michael C. Blundell
Edited by	Lisa Robison Franco Pante
Music by	Schaun Tozer
Production company	Hamlet Productions
Distributed by	Breaking Glass Pictures
Release date	October 11, 2011 (2011-10-11) (VIFF)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	Canada
Language	English

Plot

In 1940s London, Hamlet attempts to resolve the murder of his father.

Cast

• Bruce Ramsay as Prince Hamlet
• Lara Gilchrist as Ophelia
• Peter Wingfield as King Claudius
• Gillian Barber Gertude
• Duncan Fraser as Polonius
• Haig Sutherland as Laertes
• Stephen Lobo as Horatio
• Russel Roberts as King Hamlet

Release

Hamlet premiered on October 11, 2011, at the Vancouver International Film Festival.^[1] It received a limited release in January 2014.^[2]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 0% of five surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 2/10.^[3] Joe Leydon of Variety wrote that the film "seldom rises above the level of a good try" but may intrigue fans and scholars with the decisions made in compressing the narrative to 90 minutes.^[4] Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times wrote, "While Mr. Ramsay accomplishes some kind of a trick in streamlining the play, his trimming of corners feels more like a taking away of the center."^[5] Annlee Ellingson of the Los Angeles Times negatively compared its creativity to Much Ado About Nothing and called it "a focused, if at times melodramatic, take on the play's beating heart".^[6]

References

1. "Spotlight on BC Filmmakers at VIFF 2011". Vancouver International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
2. "Bruce Ramsay's HAMLET Coming to Select Screens in January". BroadwayWorld.com. 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
3. "Hamlet (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
4. Leydon, Joe (2014-01-10). "Film Review: 'Hamlet'". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
5. Rapold, Nicolas (2014-01-09). "The Danish Prince and His Family Drama". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
6. Ellingson, Annlee (2014-01-16). "Review: 'Hamlet,' as postwar soap opera". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-10-03.

External links

• Hamlet at IMDb