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In this Russian version of Shakespeare’s play the Prince of Denmark is no vacillating dreamer but, like everything else in the film, muscular and volatile. A radical adaptation of Shakespeare, this version of Hamlet upset the purists with its bold interpretation of the play. Hamlet delivers one of theatre’s most famous soliloquies - ‘To be or not to be’ - with his back to the camera. The images, enriched by the dramatic Shostakovitch music, are bold, sweeping and powerful. Filmed in location in Estonia, the majestic castle is symbolic of Hamlet’s torture, trapped in the quagmire of his quest to avenge his father’s death. In Russian with English subtitles. Also available in 16mm.
Credits: Director, writer, Grigorii Kozintsev ; photography, Jonas Gritsyus ; music, Dmitrii Shostakovitch ; editing, Ye Makhankova.
Cast: Anastasia Vertinskay, Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Mikhail Nazvanov, Elza Radzina, Yuri Tolubeyev, Vadim Medvedev.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
F000034
Language
Russian
Subject categories
Adaptations → Film adaptations
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Monarchy
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Mothers and sons
Feature films → Feature films - Soviet Union
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Insanity
Literature → Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 - Film and video adaptations
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
35mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)