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Hamlet (2009) (BBC)

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,949 ratings
IMDb8.1/10.0

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Additional DVD options Edition Discs
Price
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DVD
May 4, 2010
Standard Edition
1
$45.38 $9.60
DVD
$49.88
Watch Instantly with Rent Buy
Genre Drama
Format Color, Subtitled, Multiple Formats, Widescreen, NTSC
Contributor Various
Language English
Number Of Discs 1

Product Description

Product Description

David Tennant and Patrick Stewart star in this critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s masterpiece from Britain’s renowned Royal Shakespeare Company. No recent stage production in Britain has attracted the excitement and nearly unanimous critical praise as this Hamlet. Tennant's interpretation was recognized as defining the role fora generation, and Stewart’s complex Claudius won the Olivier award, Britain’s highest stage honor. In this specially-shot screen version, filmed on location rather than in the theater, Tennant and Stewart reprise their roles. Dynamic, exciting and contemporary, it breathes newlife into Shakespeare's greatest play.

Amazon.com

It's to director Gregory Doran's incredible credit that his staging of that most familiar of English-language plays, Shakespeare's Hamlet, should be completely reinvigorated by a modern interpretation of the tragedy as a true psychological thriller. This Hamlet, filmed in 2009, presents the inner torment of the Danish prince Hamlet as a believable, relatable controlled explosion of emotions, each more unmanageable than the last. Besides the director, the casting is also brilliant, including the Scottish actor David Tennant (Doctor Who) as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as Hamlet's uncle Claudius and the ghost of Hamlet's father--who, Hamlet becomes convinced, was killed by Claudius. The direction is brisk, and the acting is first rate. Tennant plays a heartbreaking Hamlet, whose paranoia and weird inner reflections are given a modern spin by the lush, shiny mirrorlike surfaces in the palace, as well as by small but excellent details, like a closed-circuit camera system. And Stewart is menacing but completely collected as Claudius, and unnerving as his brother's ghost. Other strong performances are contributed by Penny Downie as Hamlet's mother, Gertrude; Mariah Gale as Ophelia (who's not quite up to par with the rest of the cast, until she goes mad; then boy does she ever go mad); and Oliver Ford Davies as Polonius. But it's Tennant as the mad prince who is riveting in Hamlet. His "To be or not to be, that is the question" soliloquy--perhaps the best-known speech in English theater--is delivered in a hushed, anguished, all-too-believable manner--occasionally addressing the camera, which is fixed close on Tennant's face. The DVD also includes a must-see documentary on making Hamlet, which includes great interviews with director Doran, cast members and the art directors, set designers and others who give this Hamlet a fresh, polished sheen--while keeping the ages-old tragedy of Shakespeare's words and the explosion of needless death close to the original. The impact is unforgettable; this Hamlet is a terrific achievement. --A.T. Hurley

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 0.8 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ GPHM401
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Various
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Subtitled, Multiple Formats, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 3 hours and 2 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ May 4, 2010
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Various
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ BBC Home Entertainment
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0038RSJ0U
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,949 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,949 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2010
7 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2024

Top reviews from other countries

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CA
5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous production
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2024
Jennifer
5.0 out of 5 stars David Tennant as Hamlet
Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2021
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars David Tennant = l'un des meilleurs Hamlet
Reviewed in France on December 29, 2022
Bren
4.0 out of 5 stars Vale la pena
Reviewed in Mexico on August 8, 2018
Orinoco Womble
5.0 out of 5 stars Gran Pelicula
Reviewed in Spain on April 18, 2018
2 people found this helpful
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