Hamlet (The Criterion Collection)

Delivery Time: 7 to 15 Working Days Format: DVD

Five Oscars, including Best Actor and Picture, went to Laurence Olivier's turn as the Melancholy Dane. Stunning locations and black-and-white photography add to the timeless drama. Basil Sydney, Jean Simmons, Felix Aylmer, Norman Wooland head the impressive supporting cast; look quickly for Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. 153 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English.
In the opening scene of Hamlet (1948), Laurence Olivier's voice-over describes the play as "the tragedy of a man who couldn't make up his mind." But Olivier's screen adaptation is considerably more thoughtful and complex than this thesis would suggest. Drawing on his experience playing the prince on stage at Elsinore in 1937, the legendary thespian provides the film with the patina of greatness and shows how the constitution of the formerly cheerful prince weakens increasingly under the burden of his own thoughts and inability to accept his mother's hasty marriage to uncle Claudius (Basil Sydney). As Ophelia, Jean Simmons captures the character's early spirit better than her gradual disintegration. Purists may bemoan the loss of Fortinbras, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern, but these choices allow Olivier to focus more squarely on Hamlet's plight. The winner of four Oscars^® (Best Picture, Actor, Art Direction, and Costumes), this is a Hamlet for the ages. The rest is silence. --Kevin Mulhall