A very interesting review, dioscureantwins!
I'm really curious now to see it myself next week. What you're mentioning about moving scenes about and chopping up scenes... well, I almost would have been surprised if it would have been different. I think it's been ages that I saw a theatre production which didn't do it (I'm speaking of theatre in Germany here). It seems that nowawdays most dramatic advisers seem to feel the strong need to leave their very on mark on a play, so they change or even include new text, move scenes around, that kind of stuff. I usually don't like this at all, because more often than not I don't see that it's making a whole lot of sense. I already read about this in two reviews in German newspapers, so I'd say... I'm prepared now.
It's a good thing though that Benedict seems to give a stellar performance, no matter what.
 

Last edited by SolarSystem (September 16, 2015 4:10 am)

This is a very interesting review - and very different:

http://www.creativecontentdigital.com/hamlet.html

SusiGo wrote:

This is a very interesting review - and very different:

http://www.creativecontentdigital.com/hamlet.html

Brilliant!  I agree with every word.  And not just on Benedict's behalf, I've seen this sort of snobbery many times.

Speaking of Moulin Rouge, I happen to really like Baz Lurhman's take on Romeo and Juliet.  It was original and exciting.  And yes, because of Leonardo DeCaprio it had great apeal to a younger audiance.  When I went to see it the entire row behind me was teenage girls who were there because of Leo.  But instead of being annoyed, I was happy!  These teenagers were sitting there enthralled by Shakespeare!  If enjoying this movie lead to even one of them seeking out more Shakespeare it's worth it.

Shakespeare did writre for the masses.  He liked high drama, vilence and fart jokes.  I also think he would love to see the many intesting ways his wonderful words have been inturpreted over the ages.
 

Yitzock wrote:

Interesting review.  I only hope I am not disappointed in the end when I see it myself.  Maybe it's good to have mixed reviews beforehand, because then I will be prepared for negatives and won't have this hoisted up to a standard that it cannot hope to meet.  And maybe I'll enjoy it just fine because of that.

Still, the low points in reviews are making me anxious, perhaps a little needlessly.  But I do not blame the people giving critcism, not in the least.

Believe me, BC doesn't disappoint, not one little bit. He shines! The worst you'll feel, like me, is anger on his behalf.

nakahara wrote:

SusiGo wrote:

This is a very interesting review - and very different:

http://www.creativecontentdigital.com/hamlet.html

Lovely, absolutely lovely.

It´s true in pointing out that the theatre-critics in the UK is rather an elitist issue and the theatre critics at work there probably frown at any "invasions from the outside world" into their own comfortable little circle of aquaintances.
 

That's a problem with critics everywhere I think. I've learned to ignore them and follow my own taste a long time. But I'm very, very sorry to say that every harsh word aimed at both the director and set designer in this instance was fully justified.

BC however, was marvellous!!!

Was thrilled to be able to see a performance last week.   Agreed, some direction choices, uneven chemistry, and the large set may have made a sense of intimacy challenging--  but BC's performance more than compensated.   Such a fluid, physical force,  I so enjoyed watching him move,  and listening to that voice.   The minor cuts made the pace of this Hamlet work really well.  Ciaran Hinds was particularly good.

When Hamlet speaks his final line in the play "The rest is silence",  I remember feeling saddened, not for the loss of the character at first, but because in my head I was thinking " oh, sad,  that's the last line I'll ever hear that Voice speak in person..."- just didn't want it to end.    Nice finish, though,  when BC made a curtain call speech on behalf of donation request for plight of Syrian refugees.  Beautifully handled.   Lovely evening.  I'll never forget his hands, and the voice-- the great theater and crowd.   I look forward to NT live on Oct 15th ( got my tix!)...... Can't help but think the intimacy/ character chemistry issues may be well served by filming angles/ close-ups...

For anyone else lucky enough to be going to these performances, enjoy!!!☺

Added note: I've seen it three times now from three different parts of the theatre.

Now that I have seen it twice I would like to add my impressions as well:

- I love the set. I love the cinematic scope of it, the choice of colours, the fact that the same set is used as a palace, a graveyard, a beach somewhere in Denmark. How it is a show of power and death, represented by the dead animals and the weapons displayed on the walls. A place where knowledge (books) and playfulness (the rocking horse) are squeezed into a corner under the stairs. How the colours fade to black and white in some scenes, reminding me of pictures of destroyed cities in WWW2. 

- In the banquet scene at the beginning Hamlet is the only one wearing black amongs a flood of white. Being the outcast, the black sheep spoiling the feast for the others. In the end he is the only one wearing white while all others are in black or dark blue, having accepted his fate and probably being the only one who is at peace with himself. 

- I really liked the cinematic flow, how the scenes merged into one another, thereby creating a feeling of watching a film unfold. 

- I have no problems with the changes made by the director, espcially since there has been some discussion among Shakespearean scholars about the placement of the "To be or not to be" soliloquy. 

- Some minor points about the casting - I think Karl Johnson was excellent as gravedigger, really funny. But I wonder if it was a wise choice to have him play the Ghost as well. Is there a tradition of this? Is it part of the interpretation? Not sure about that. And he seemed quite old as a husband to Gertrude and not the strong presence praised by Hamlet but then he is a ghost. Interesting way to show Horatio with rucksack and tattooed arms but there could have been a bit more warmth between him and Hamlet. But these are, as I said, minor objections. 

- My favourite scenes (not in the right order): The whole first scene with Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern including "what piece of work is a man". The haunting moment when Ophelia walks into the dark and Gertrude discovering the camera. The end of act one. "To be or not to be". Hamlet's scene about being played like an instrument. And there are surely more. 

- And then, Benedict. What can I say what has not been said before? His presence is magnetic, he is athletic, mercurial and very still in the next moment. His voice going all the way from sad whisper to frantic bellowing. His wonderful funny moments and when you can see him laughing, not as Hamlet but as Benedict having fun with the words. And for the record, he looks really, really good, beautiful hair, well-trained, and yes, he has lost weight but this is a very demanding part and he seems to be in top shape. An amazing experience I will not forget. 


 

Last edited by SusiGo (September 25, 2015 9:02 am)

SusiGo wrote:

Now that I have seen it twice I would like to add my impressions as well:

- I love the set. I love the cinematic scope of it, the choice of colours, the fact that the same set is used as a palace, a graveyard, a beach somewhere in Denmark. How it is a show of power and death, represented by the dead animals and the weapons displayed on the walls. A place where knowledge (books) and playfulness (the rocking horse) are squeezed into a corner under the stairs. How the colours fade to black and white in some scenes, reminding me of pictures of destroyed cities in WWW2. 

- In the banquet scene at the beginning Hamlet is the only one wearing black amongs a flood of white. Being the outcast, the black sheep spoiling the feast for the others. In the end he is the only one wearing white while all others are in black or dark blue, having accepted his fate and probably being the only one who is at peace with himself. 

- I really liked the cinematic flow, how the scenes merged into one another, thereby creating a feeling of watching a film unfold. 

- I have no problems with the changes made by the director, espcially since there has been some discussion among Shakespearean scholars about the placement of the "To be or not to be" soliloquy. 

- Some minor points about the casting - I think Karl Johnson was excellent as gravedigger, really funny. But I wonder if it was a wise choice to have him play the Ghost as well. Is there a tradition of this? Is it part of the interpretation? Not sure about that. And he seemed quite old as a husband to Gertrude and not the strong presence praised by Hamlet but then he is a ghost. Interesting way to show Horatio with rucksack and tattooed arms but there could have been a bit more warmth between him and Hamlet. But these are, as I said, minor objections. 

- My favourite scenes (not in the right order): The whole first scene with Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern including "what piece of work is a man". The haunting moment when Ophelia walks into the dark and Gertrude discovering the camera. The end of act one. "To be or not to be". Hamlet's scene about being played like an instrument. And there are surely more. 

- And then, Benedict. What can I say what has not been said before? His presence is magnetic, he is athletic, mercurial and very still in the next moment. His voice going all the way from sad whisper to frantic bellowing. His wonderful funny moments and when you can see him laughing, not as Hamlet but as Benedict having fun with the words. And for the record, he looks really, really good, beautiful hair, well-trained, and yes, he has lost weight but this is a very demanding part and he seems to be in top shape. An amazing experience I will not forget. 


 

I agree with everything!

Hamlet trailer!