The film largely follows the plot of the original play, albeit omitting certain dialogue and minor characters to fit the average length of a feature film. This version also makes no modern day adaptations.
Zeffirelli announced production of the film in April 1989 at a press conference in Los Angeles. Mel Gibson was at that same press conference, where it was announced that he would play Hamlet. Zeffirelli had set out to make a Shakespearian adaptation that would be accessible and appealing to younger viewers, and casting Gibson was considered an intent to lure said audience into seeing it.[3] Glenn Close was another obvious choice, having had recent box-office success with such Hollywood thrillers as Jagged Edge and Fatal Attraction.
Financing was provided on loan from a Dutch bank by Carolco Pictures, Barry Spikings' Nelson Entertainment, and Sovereign Pictures for approximately $16 million. Filming was set to begin on 23 April 1990, with an 11-week shooting schedule.[3]
Gibson, who had grown up idolizing one of his costars, legendary Shakespearean actor Paul Scofield, compared the experience of performing Shakespeare alongside him to being, "thrown into the ring with Mike Tyson".[4]
Norma Moriceau was the project's initial costume designer, but quit for unknown reasons, to be replaced by Maurizio Millenotti. Tailors from Shepperton assembled the costumes.[3]
The film attracted little attention from major Hollywood studios, until post-production, when companies such as Warner Bros., Paramount, and Orion expressed interest in purchasing the film. Nelson Entertainment, which held the North American distribution rights, licensed theatrical exhibition to Warner as part of an incentive to lure Gibson into making Lethal Weapon 3. Despite Nelson owning a home video arm, they sold the video rights to Warner as well. Warner Bros. attempted to attract high schools with study guides and vouchers for students. An hour-long educational video titled Mel Gibson Goes Back to School was released in conjunction with the film, showing the actor lecturing Hamlet to a group of high-school students in Los Angeles.[3]
Adaptation and interpretation
Film scholar Deborah Cartmell has suggested that Zeffirelli's Shakespeare films are appealing because they are "sensual rather than cerebral", an approach by which he aims to make Shakespeare "even more popular".[6] To this end, he cast Gibson – then famous for the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon films – in the title role. Cartmell also notes that the text is drastically cut, but with the effect of enhancing the roles of the women.
J. Lawrence Guntner has suggested that Zeffirelli's cinematography borrows heavily from the action film genre that made Gibson famous, noting that its average shot length is less than six seconds.[7] In casting Gibson, the director has been said to have made the star's reputation part of the performance, encouraging the audience "to see the Gibson that they have come to expect from his other films".[8] Indeed, Zeffirelli cast Gibson after watching the scene in Lethal Weapon in which Gibson's character, Martin Riggs, contemplates suicide.[9] The fight between Hamlet and Laertes is an example of using Gibson's experience in action movies; Gibson depicts Hamlet as an experienced swordsman.
Reception
Critical response
Initial reviews for Zeffirelli's Hamlet were mixed.[3]Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, calling Mel Gibson's portrayal of the Danish Prince "a strong, intelligent performance."[10] Caryn James of The New York Times praised Zeffirelli's "naturalistic, emotionally-charged" direction and also commended Gibson's "visceral" performance, describing it as "strong, intelligent and safely beyond ridicule."[9]Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film a negative review, calling Gibson's performance "an earnest but pedestrian reading."[11] Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times called Gibson's Hamlet an "Oedipal wreck" and stated that either Kenneth Branagh or Daniel Day-Lewis would have been preferable to play Hamlet than Gibson.[12] A later editorial in the same paper would refer to Gibson's performance as "the most unaffected and lucid Hamlet in memory."[3]
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 76% based on reviews from 37 critics. The site's consensus was, "It may lack some of the depth and complexity of the play, but Mel Gibson and Franco Zeffirelli make a surprisingly successful team."[13] On Metacritic the film has a score of 53% based on reviews from 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[14] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A on scale of A to F.[15]
Box office
The film grossed $20.7 million in the United States and Canada and $1.6 million in the United Kingdom.[16][17]
^"Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 23.
^ abcdefg"Detail view of Movies Page – HAMLET (1990)". afi.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
^"Paul Scofield's career highlights". The Daily Telegraph. London. 20 March 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
^Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Hamlet Film Focus".
^Cartmell, Deborah (2007). "Zeffirelli and Shakespeare". In Jackson, Russell (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Second ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 216. ISBN978-0521866002.
^Guntner, J. Lawrence (2007). "Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear on film". In Jackson, Russell (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Second ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 121. ISBN978-0521866002.
^Quigley, Daniel (Winter 1993). "Double Exposure". Shakespeare Bulletin. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press: 38–9.
^ abJames, Caryn (19 December 1990). "Review/Film; From Mad Max to a Prince Possessed". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
available via the University of Birmingham's Virtual Manuscript Room.
August 23, 2023
hamlet, 1990, film, hamlet, 1990, drama, film, based, shakespearean, tragedy, same, name, directed, franco, zeffirelli, starring, gibson, eponymous, character, film, also, features, glenn, close, alan, bates, paul, scofield, holm, helena, bonham, carter, steph. Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based on the Shakespearean tragedy of the same name directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Mel Gibson as the eponymous character The film also features Glenn Close Alan Bates Paul Scofield Ian Holm Helena Bonham Carter Stephen Dillane and Nathaniel Parker An international co production between the United States the United Kingdom and Italy the film was the first produced by Icon Productions a company co founded by Gibson HamletTheatrical release posterDirected byFranco ZeffirelliWritten byFranco ZeffirelliChristopher De VoreBased onHamletby William ShakespeareProduced byBruce DaveyDyson LovellStarringMel Gibson Glenn Close Alan Bates Paul Scofield Ian Holm Helena Bonham CarterCinematographyDavid WatkinEdited byRichard MardenMusic byEnnio MorriconeProductioncompaniesNelson EntertainmentIcon ProductionsDistributed byWarner Bros North America Guild Film Distribution United Kingdom 1 Carolco International United Kingdom France and Italy Release dates19 December 1990 1990 12 19 limited 18 January 1991 1991 01 18 wide Running time134 minutes 1 CountriesUnited StatesUnited KingdomItalyLanguageEnglishBudget 12 6 million 2 Box office 22 3 million US UK Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Adaptation and interpretation 5 Reception 5 1 Critical response 5 2 Box office 5 3 Accolades 6 References 7 External linksPlot EditThe film largely follows the plot of the original play albeit omitting certain dialogue and minor characters to fit the average length of a feature film This version also makes no modern day adaptations Cast EditMel Gibson as Prince Hamlet Glenn Close as Queen Gertrude Alan Bates as King Claudius Paul Scofield as the ghost of King Hamlet Ian Holm as Polonius Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia Stephen Dillane as Horatio Nathaniel Parker as Laertes Michael Maloney and Sean Murray as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Trevor Peacock as the Gravedigger Pete Postlethwaite as the Player King Christopher Fairbank as the Player Queen John McEnery as Osric Richard Warwick as Bernardo Christien Anholt as MarcellusProduction EditZeffirelli announced production of the film in April 1989 at a press conference in Los Angeles Mel Gibson was at that same press conference where it was announced that he would play Hamlet Zeffirelli had set out to make a Shakespearian adaptation that would be accessible and appealing to younger viewers and casting Gibson was considered an intent to lure said audience into seeing it 3 Glenn Close was another obvious choice having had recent box office success with such Hollywood thrillers as Jagged Edge and Fatal Attraction Financing was provided on loan from a Dutch bank by Carolco Pictures Barry Spikings Nelson Entertainment and Sovereign Pictures for approximately 16 million Filming was set to begin on 23 April 1990 with an 11 week shooting schedule 3 Gibson who had grown up idolizing one of his costars legendary Shakespearean actor Paul Scofield compared the experience of performing Shakespeare alongside him to being thrown into the ring with Mike Tyson 4 Dunnottar Castle Stonehaven and Blackness Castle were used as locations in the film Dover Castle provided the main location for Elsinore Castle the home of Hamlet and his family 5 Interiors were filmed at Shepperton Studios in London 3 Norma Moriceau was the project s initial costume designer but quit for unknown reasons to be replaced by Maurizio Millenotti Tailors from Shepperton assembled the costumes 3 The film attracted little attention from major Hollywood studios until post production when companies such as Warner Bros Paramount and Orion expressed interest in purchasing the film Nelson Entertainment which held the North American distribution rights licensed theatrical exhibition to Warner as part of an incentive to lure Gibson into making Lethal Weapon 3 Despite Nelson owning a home video arm they sold the video rights to Warner as well Warner Bros attempted to attract high schools with study guides and vouchers for students An hour long educational video titled Mel Gibson Goes Back to School was released in conjunction with the film showing the actor lecturing Hamlet to a group of high school students in Los Angeles 3 Adaptation and interpretation EditFilm scholar Deborah Cartmell has suggested that Zeffirelli s Shakespeare films are appealing because they are sensual rather than cerebral an approach by which he aims to make Shakespeare even more popular 6 To this end he cast Gibson then famous for the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon films in the title role Cartmell also notes that the text is drastically cut but with the effect of enhancing the roles of the women J Lawrence Guntner has suggested that Zeffirelli s cinematography borrows heavily from the action film genre that made Gibson famous noting that its average shot length is less than six seconds 7 In casting Gibson the director has been said to have made the star s reputation part of the performance encouraging the audience to see the Gibson that they have come to expect from his other films 8 Indeed Zeffirelli cast Gibson after watching the scene in Lethal Weapon in which Gibson s character Martin Riggs contemplates suicide 9 The fight between Hamlet and Laertes is an example of using Gibson s experience in action movies Gibson depicts Hamlet as an experienced swordsman Reception EditCritical response Edit Initial reviews for Zeffirelli s Hamlet were mixed 3 Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film three and a half out of four stars calling Mel Gibson s portrayal of the Danish Prince a strong intelligent performance 10 Caryn James of The New York Times praised Zeffirelli s naturalistic emotionally charged direction and also commended Gibson s visceral performance describing it as strong intelligent and safely beyond ridicule 9 Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film a negative review calling Gibson s performance an earnest but pedestrian reading 11 Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times called Gibson s Hamlet an Oedipal wreck and stated that either Kenneth Branagh or Daniel Day Lewis would have been preferable to play Hamlet than Gibson 12 A later editorial in the same paper would refer to Gibson s performance as the most unaffected and lucid Hamlet in memory 3 On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 76 based on reviews from 37 critics The site s consensus was It may lack some of the depth and complexity of the play but Mel Gibson and Franco Zeffirelli make a surprisingly successful team 13 On Metacritic the film has a score of 53 based on reviews from 18 critics indicating mixed or average reviews 14 Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A on scale of A to F 15 Box office Edit The film grossed 20 7 million in the United States and Canada and 1 6 million in the United Kingdom 16 17 Accolades Edit The film was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction Dante Ferretti Francesca Lo Schiavo and Best Costume Design Maurizio Millenotti 18 Sir Alan Bates received a BAFTA nomination as Best Supporting Actor for playing Claudius 19 References Edit a b HAMLET PG British Board of Film Classification 1 July 1991 Retrieved 27 July 2013 Back to the Future The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s An Information Briefing PDF British Film Institute 2005 p 23 a b c d e f g Detail view of Movies Page HAMLET 1990 afi com Retrieved 20 September 2020 Paul Scofield s career highlights The Daily Telegraph London 20 March 2008 Retrieved 16 July 2010 Kent Film Office Kent Film Office Hamlet Film Focus Cartmell Deborah 2007 Zeffirelli and Shakespeare In Jackson Russell ed The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film Second ed Cambridge England Cambridge University Press p 216 ISBN 978 0521866002 Guntner J Lawrence 2007 Hamlet Macbeth and King Lear on film In Jackson Russell ed The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film Second ed Cambridge England Cambridge University Press p 121 ISBN 978 0521866002 Quigley Daniel Winter 1993 Double Exposure Shakespeare Bulletin Baltimore Maryland Johns Hopkins University Press 38 9 a b James Caryn 19 December 1990 Review Film From Mad Max to a Prince Possessed The New York Times New York City Retrieved 22 October 2019 Ebert Roger 18 January 1991 Hamlet 1990 Chicago Sun Times Chicago Illinois Sun Times Media Group Retrieved 1 May 2020 Travers Peter 18 January 1991 Hamlet Rolling Stone New York City Wenner Media LLC Retrieved 31 May 2012 Wilmington Michael 18 January 1991 MOVIE REVIEW Gibson as Hamlet Has Little to Add Los Angeles Times Retrieved 10 March 2020 Hamlet 1990 Rotten Tomatoes San Francisco California Fandango Media Retrieved 31 May 2020 Hamlet Metacritic Retrieved 10 October 2020 HAMLET 1991 A CinemaScore Archived from the original on 20 December 2018 Hamlet 1990 Box Office Mojo Retrieved 29 May 2017 Bard influence Screen International 3 September 1993 p 16 The 63rd Academy Awards 1991 Nominees and Winners Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Retrieved 2 August 2011 1992 Film Actor in a Supporting Role BAFTA Awards Retrieved 20 September 2016 External links EditHamlet at IMDb Shooting script available via the University of Birmingham s Virtual Manuscript Room Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hamlet 1990 film amp oldid 1143060771, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
