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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help
We don't have a record of John Geilgud's Hamlet (though it was called "definitive" in its day) or of Sarah Bernhardt's. It might be more useful to compare Olivier's, Burton's (which was directed by Geilgud, and for which Geilgud supplied the voice of the Ghost), Mel Gibson's and Kenneth Branagh's. And whatsisname, sorry, the name escapes me, marvellous English actor who did the Chorus for Branagh's Henry V, starred in the series I, Claudius, has a role in Branagh's Hamlet and did Hamlet himself for the BBC with Patrick Stewart as Claudius -- you know who I mean. (There's also a wonderful film version produced in the 1960's in Leningrad, in Russian -- translated by Boris Pasternak -- with English subtitles by Shakespeare.)I'm familiar with the Burton (I used to have a set of LPs of it) and the Olivier; saw the Gibson once, and enjoyed it; haven't seen the Branagh yet. But from what I know of Branagh, and even of Geilgud and of Sarah Bernhardt, I would say that what's interesting about all these Hamlets is how LITTLE they have in common.
Burton and Olivier, certainly, are Hamlets from two different planets -- and yet they are both strong, believable Hamlets. Geilgud's and Burton's must have been even more different -- and yet they both found enough in the character, and in each other's approaches, that they were happy to work together on it as director and actor.
I think that because this is such a rich and complex character, each actor can find enough aspects of Hamlet that he (or she) shares. Thus actors as different as (again) Kenneth Branagh and Mel Gibson can both find enough to connect with, to deliver credible portrayals of the same character from very different angles. Sorry, but you can't do that with Sir Toby Belch.
Posted by John Lazarus on March 27, 1997 at 00:11:25
In Reply to "Famous Actors Playing Hamlet: Anything in common?" posted by Sherry on March 26, 1997 at 14:49:51
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help