Got my copy of the David Tennant "Hamlet" DVD yesterday, and of course, spent the evening watching it. Here are my thoughts as I wrote them down:
1)Interesting - they don't show the Ghost, at first.
2)Is that Picard as the Ghost, too?
3)That's definitely Picard as Claudius. Interesting notion, to have him play both brothers.
4)So now I've seen Picard and the Master as Claudius.
5)Wow, Tennant looks about 17 when we first see him.
6)Picard's playing Claudius kind of mellow, here.
7)Some interesting little bits of business in the "leaving scene" between Ophelia, Laertes and Polonius.
8)I can never hear the "undiscovered country" bit without thinking of the Sixth Doctor and the Valeyard.
9)The Player King is the Marshal from "The Armageddon Factor"! I knew there was a Doctor Who actor in this picture!
10)I like the idea of the spy cameras - everyone's being watched all the time - even Claudius, apparently.
11)I like how Claudius shrugs just before he takes the poisoned cup - that was a nice touch.
12)Ah, poor old Fortinbras - his scene at the end is always one of the ones they cut.
I'll have to watch it a few dozen more times to get a real sense of it, but overall I'd have to say that it was pretty good. Tennant is not my new favorite Hamlet, but he's certainly acceptable in the part. Stewart was good, though he did seem a bit "subdued" in parts. The rest of the cast was quite good, though I thought the guy who played Polonius was a bit too "wacky old guy" for my tastes.
As I say, I'm sure my opinion of it will develop and evolve once I've watched it a few zillion more times, but even on one viewing, I'd say it's well worth a look.
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I'm generally in agreement with you. Tennant was good in (Cliche Alert!) a tough part. Hamlet is so hard to play without crossing the line over into too, too melancholy or too, too angry or too, too manic or whatever. Tennant crossed the line a few times for me, but (a) everybody does and (b) he was really spot on in other parts, and he was never not interestng to watch.
I didn't mind Stewart being a little subdued. I loved the little shrug before he drained the goblet. But I did get pretty tired of his walking over and taking Gertrude by both hands every frickin' scene. That's a bit of repetitive staging that might not have been so apparent if they were (as I assume) shooting out of sequence, but somebody should have caught it in the editing room.
One place where we differ -- This was my favorite Polonius ever. I always appreciate it when a performer adds some nuance or bit of business to a scene, or even a line, that makes me go "Ahhhhh." I've always seen Polonius as a pompous and tedious old bore. I loved the notion of him as easily distracted and possibly just a teensy bit senile.
Good catch on the Player King. I knew I knew him from somewhere, but I couldn't place him.
Hamlet: I' faith, Horatio, I do not want to go.
(He regenerates.)
Hamlet: Legs! Verily, still do I have legs!
I think the world of Tennant and Stewart as actors but this is going to have to be blessed impressive to beat Branagh's Hamlet as my favorite version.
The dialogue can be a little tricky - I keep a copy of one of those books where they give the original of the play on one side of the page and a "modern translation" on the other. It's come in handy with stuff like "Who would fardels bear" and so on.
Re-watching this, I feel like Tennant's overacting.