While I am a great fan of Olivier's, I strongly believe there were certain roles that were out of his range, Hamlet topping the list. The omission of the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (childhood friends of Hamlet who are ultimately killed because they were too loyal to Claudius, and not to the Prince) is unfortunate as they bring so much contrast and subtle texture to the play. Substantial cuts were made to the text (forgivable if you realize he needed to cut a 4-hour play into at least 2 hours. But there are many disappointing choices made. It starts with a close shot of the duo but slowly backs away, as if it wants to separate itself, and the audience, from the bloody deeds being discussed. Another arresting scene is when Laertes and Claudius are planning the murder of Hamlet. Olivier uses sound and voice to create the disorientation that Hamlet and others feel when in the presence of the supernatural for a great creepy effect. The setting, lighting, and cinematography are wondrous setting the somber and Gothic tone.Some notable scenes for me include the sequence where the Ghost appears. He occasionally uses dizzying camerawork to show Hamlet's inner turmoil, a trick that could never have worked on stage.
(Trivia: Olivier's direction was also nominated losing to John Huston for "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" in 1948).Olivier's take on Shakespeare's story of madness and murder most foul is unmistakably cinematic - he takes full advantage of the medium, avoiding the trap of merely filming a play as some Shakespeare adaptations do, with monologues delivered as internal thoughts heard in hushed voiceovers. Apparently, the Academy agreed rewarding it with Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Costume Design and among others. Can Hamlet do what it takes to truly avenge his father's death?Olivier and his much-celebrated interpretation of HAMLET are considered by many to be the best of all Shakespeare film adaptations - it certainly bears the indelible stamp of its director/star's personality. The remainder of the story primarily revolves around the Prince's struggle to stop thinking and start doing (exemplified by the famous "To be, or not to be" speech. The ghost explains that Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, murdered him in his sleep and tells Hamlet to avenge his death. Soon an apparition who is the spirit of his father, the dead king, visits Hamlet. It doesn't help that her new husband is the dead king's brother, Claudius. I'll say up front that this version is not my favorite interpretation, but I won't deny that it certainly set the standard back in its day.For those unfamiliar with the play, Hamlet's father, the king of Denmark, has recently passed away and he resents the speed with which his mother, Queen Gertrude, remarried. HAMLET in particular has been adapted roughly 43 times in film. Claudius, on the pretext that Hamlet will be endangered by his subjects for the murder of Polonius, sends the Prince to England."Consider this: Shakespearean films more than other films are dependent upon the director's translation of the text. 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. In a visit with his mother, Hamlet expresses his anger and disappointment concerning her swiftly untimed marriage. Seeking revenge, Hamlet re-creates the monstrous deed in a play with the help of some travelling actors to torment the conscience of the evil Claudius. 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. Claudius, brother to the King, conniving with the Queen, poisons the monarch and seizes the throne, taking the widowed Gertrude for his bride. William Shakespeare's tale of tragedy of murder and revenge in the royal halls of medieval Denmark.