Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

HotToastyRag Kids today might only associate Christopher Plummer with The Sound of Music or Up, but he's actually quite an accomplished actor! In my book, anyone who can take on Shakespeare must know their stuff; Chris has played in Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, The Tempest, Henry V, Twelfth Night, The Winter's Tale, Henry IV Part 1, Much Ado About Nothing, King John, Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. Knowing all that, it seems rather silly he won his Oscar for Beginners, doesn't it? In any case, he starred in Hamlet at Elsinore as the confused, perpetually upset Danish prince. Robert Shaw costarred as Hamlet's uncle, June Tobin as the queen, Jo Maxwell Muller as Ophelia, and Michael Caine as Horatio. If you particularly like this Shakespearian tragedy, or are a Christopher Plummer fan, this is a good one to watch. I think everyone has their favorite version, and my heart lies with Richard Burton, but if you liked Laurence Olivier's interpretation you'll probably like Chris's as well. He's very clearly lost in his head, and his emotions are raw, accessible with only the slightest provocation. He's off in a dream world in one moment, then the next, he sees his friends and is so genuinely delighted to see them, he's forgotten anything at all was wrong a moment ago. When he's rude and insulting, the audience can see it's because he's so wounded inside, he can't take any more and lashing out at others is his release. However, there's one exception: during the famous "Get thee to a nunnery" monologue, he's particularly cruel to Ophelia, the most deliberately mean delivery of any I've seen. When you watch Jo collapse in tears after Chris exits, you just might shed a tear alongside her.Since I'm not a Shakespeare aficionado, I require an abundance of energy from actors to help me understand what it is they're saying, hence my partiality to Richard Burton. But, if you are a little more well-versed than I am, you should definitely give Christopher Plummer's version a try. It's a different interpretation, but still very good.

David Laird Scott Just finished watching this film/taping of Hamlet (DVD available from Netflix) and found it to be quite interesting on many levels. Of course, Christopher Plummer is a great Hamlet, but I was not as hot on Michael Caine. Really enjoyed Robert Shaw's Claudius and Jo Maxwell Muller (apparently deceased in 2010) as Ophelia. This version focuses the plot by cutting and editing (such as Laertes' overt challenge to Claudius on his return from Paris), but enough of the play is left for an enjoyable visit. All around the performers handled the verse with great clarity and that is very welcome. I have appeared in four productions of Hamlet, and teach it as part of my curriculum at a community college in Los Angeles and so am very familiar with it.

joeras It is out of a long memory I write this review and the score of ten is biased as my late Father was the recording engineer. How dearly I would love to have a copy of this. If somebody has this on tape from a TV screening, check the credits for Palle K Rasmussen. He was in charge of "Dubbing" - the audio side - of DR, the Danish equivalent of the BBC. As the BBC did the video side my Dad was boss of the audio side. The old Elsinore Castle, known as Kronborg by the locals, was not electrified and the BBC paid several thousand pounds to have it done. There is a beach in front of the castle looking across the Sound to Sweden, and as a kid went fishing there (I live in Australia). Now my sister lives in the outskirts of Elsinore and works in the bank near the shadow of the castle. Also Joern Utzon, the designer of the Opera House here in Sydney, lived nearby but passed away just recently. If you ever go there, do go to the castle and see the famous 200 feet long great Knights Hall where the final scene of the duel and Hamlet's death was filmed, the very place Shakespeare had in mind. Walk through the grottoes as well and see the sleeping Holger the Dane. It is well worth it. As for Plummer's performance, it is a very sensitive and reflective one. Quite authentic in its own way. Now can anybody help with a copy... ?

rolf mogensen This is an outstanding Hamlet-performance, I saw the movie back in 1964 or 65 on danish television and have never forgotten it. I have hunted it for some years and came pretty close by emailing danish television's drama department where they in a kind and friendly way informed me that it was to be transmitted on danish television in "the nearest future" - so they recommended that I kept an eye on the danish program schedules. This was 4 years ago - but I never saw it announced nor did I see it shown on danish television as they had "promised". But this ought to mean that they most certainly possess a copy. The big question is: How do we make them put the film on TV or make a commercial DVD that we can buy? Anybody have any ideas? Complementary: Now is 2007 22 December (happy x-mas). I have (with some difficulties) had contact with the danish television archive. They now say, that they can not find a copy of "Hamlet of Elsinore" in their archives. Unfortunately, I prefer not to believe that, I believe there is a lack of will or competence involved. I have had threads going in Denmark, that confirms that a certain amount of curiousness is going on - but nobody knows anything. Or do not want to. What is going on? Who owns the rights? If not danish television, then it has to be BBC. How do we make BBC open up? As said by the common press, both danish and BBC-press have opened their archives. How does these pretty words affect us? I have tried to make TCM interested, but have got no answer. Don't anybody care - except Mr Plummer himself, who wishes us to have this gem? This is a treasure of mankind! Give it to mankind, then!