Hamlet at Elsinore (1964)

Directed by

Philip Saville

Genre

drama film

Country

United Kingdom, Denmark

Runtime

2h 50m

Rating

7.8 of 10 from 4 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A television adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet filmed at the actual Elsinore Castle in Denmark. Christopher Plummer plays the Danish prince who feigns madness to investigate his father's death.

classicstagedformalintimatedramaticweightycontemplativegloomymeasured

What happens

Hamlet at Elsinore is a 1964 television adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet (ca. 1600) directed by Philip Saville, and produced by BBC TV in association with Danmarks Radio. Canadian actor Christopher Plummer took the lead role as Hamlet, having played the role previously with the Stratford Festival. Plummer earned an Emmy Award nomination for his performance. Also starring are British actors Robert Shaw as Claudius, theatrical manager Alec Clunes as Polonius, June Tobin as Gertrude, London-born stage/screen actress Jo Maxwell-Muller as Ophelia, and, in his only Shakespearean performance, Michael Caine as Horatio. In supporting roles are character actor and comedian Roy Kinnear as the Gravedigger, actor/playwright Steven Berkoff as Lucianus and Canadian actor Donald Sutherland as Fortinbras. The music was composed by English pianist Richard Rodney Bennett. Hamlet at Elsinore was acclaimed, both for its performances and, for being shot entirely at Helsingør in the castle in which the play is set. It is the only version of the play to have been shot at Elsinore Castle that included sound. It was the longest version of the play telecast in one evening up to that time, running nearly three hours. A 1947 telecast of the play had split it up into two ninety-minute halves over two weeks. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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