Soviet version of Hamlet (1964); BBC 4, 1st May

[Stanley Stewart]

Pleased to note that the Shakespeare commemoration season continues with a rare BBC 4 screening of the Soviet version of Hamlet,(1964), directed by Grigori Kozintsev, at an invigorating pace, in an adaptation by Boris Pasternak, which fluently tells the tale in a monochrome setting of howling winds and ominous skies in 2hrs 25 mins,
(22.45-01.10hrs),1st May. I recall several visits to the Academy Cinema, Oxford Street, W1, to see the film during its extended season. The title role strikingly played by a star performer, Innokenti Smoktunovsky, with the prose and poetry smoothly rolling from his lips as the viewer registers the English subtitles with the additional attraction of DSCH's accompanying score. My recorder already set!

[aeolium]

Thanks for that alert, SS. I saw that film at school in about 1970 and found it very atmospheric, especially the music (though I hadn't heard anything else by Shostakovitch at the time). I never liked the Olivier film so this made an interesting change. It'll be good to see it again after nearly half a century.

[gurnemanz]

Recommended. Coincidentally, I mentioned the DVD in this recent post and might have saved myself a couple of quid if I'd known it was coming up.

[Ferretfancy]

One great feature of the film is the uncomfortable fact that whatever Hamlet's situation it is always played out against a crowded background. He is never really alone, I suppose this would really have been the case in a dark ages court. Some have suggested that the claustrophobia mirrored that of the Soviet Union.
Whatever the interpretation it's a superb film.

[DracoM]

I remember being utterly gripped by this astonishingly brave film.