Nicol Williamson takes the lead role in this star-studded 1969 version of William Shakespeare’s tragedy. Prince Hamlet (Williamson) mourns his father’s death and his mother’s (Judy Parfitt’s) marriage to Claudius (Sir Anthony Hopkins). When the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears to him and tells him that Claudius has poisoned him, Hamlet swears revenge.Read More »
From IMDB
The opening moments in any production of Hamlet are critical because the audience, assuming they know the play fairly well, will already be asking the ‘How are they going to do…’ question. It’s the ghost. Hamlet senior. What is he going to look like? In a film, it’s an even bigger challenge, because some people watching might expect a special effect. The approach here is a shot of bright light across the young Dane’s face and his voice echoing through the frame. The style of the film is already crystallised. It’s not about the surroundings or set dressing. It’s about the emotion of the piece, the words. In this key moment we are looking in his eyes as he hear’s his fathers words, and that’s a device used throughout the piece.Read More »