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List Price: $24.99 | | Label: Image Entertainment
Salesrank: 45804
Released: September 18, 2001 |
| Our Price: $17.00 |
| Used Price: $9.10 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
With a daring and depth few of his American contemporaries seem prepared to match, Kevin Kline stars in and directs Hamlet for the New York Shakespeare Festival. Now with the felicitous addition of Kirk Browning as co-director, he has brought his indelible Hamlet to television where, as The New York Times stated, "It is eloquent, moving and at times thrilling. The shrewdly edited version uses tight close-ups and captures small crowd scenes without a sense of confinement. The teleplay flows with commendable grace from beginning to end, all urged on by Kline's intelligent interpretation."
Description of Hamlet / Kline, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive):
Kevin Kline directs and stars in this first-rate production of Shakespeare's most famous play. Originally produced by Joseph Papp for the New York Shakespeare Festival, this version was adapted by Kline and television director Kirk Browning for PBS. While one occasionally longs for the live audience reaction, the television production does offer the advantage of seeing Hamlet with close-ups. The design is beautiful, with sets full of dark, gloomy halls and characters in elegant modern dress. Kline's interpretation of Hamlet is an enjoyably accessible one; he never lets melancholy obscure Hamlet's wit. Veteran stage actress Dana Ivey is an excellent Gertrude, pliable without ever straying over into idiocy. This production is equally enjoyable as an introduction to Hamlet or as a fresh interpretation for those long familiar with the tale. --Ali Davis
Hamlet / Kline, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive) Reviews:
Hamlet redux 
2009-05-18 - If you like Hamlet, Kevin Kline provides a wonderful performance with unique depth in this stage production. However, if you just want to see a great rendition of the play that is entertaining and equally well done, watch the Mel Gibson/Franco Zefferilli movie.
Worth Including in your Library
2008-12-08 - This 1990 version of Hamlet, starring Kevin Kline in the title role, was filmed from an actual Broadway production. On one hand it means this is perhaps as close as you could get to the "authentic Shakespeare feel" in a movie. They are not taking advantage of gorgeous landscapes or thousands of extras. They are acting on a stage, live in front of an audience, bounded by its stage walls just as in Shakespeare's time. On the other hand, Kevin chose to move the setting forward into a much more modern time period. The actors are wearing suits and military uniforms, and seem to be in the 1940s.
I'm generally not a fan of "adjusting Hamlet's time". I understand the desire to shake things up a bit, to not simply re-tell a tale that's been told thousands of times before. Still, it is jarring to see Hamlet's uncle looking almost like Captain Kirk in his ribbons. I admit I do like Ophelia's gentle dress, so there is some good in what they've done. The set tends towards the stark, concrete pillar look. I would have liked it to look more regal, more like a castle that had been lived in and loved for centuries.
The thing that stands out most about this performance is the over-the-top emotions. Hamlet is wriggling around on the stage, tears streaming down his face. He's picking up Ophelia and flinging her around in circles. He's falling backwards off of platforms, being caught by others. Oddly, then there are other lines which I would have thought warranted such emotion - and they are given with barely a flicker of interest. It's a bit jarring.
My boyfriend had problems because of Kline's very distinctive voice. We've seen him in so many other movies that my boyfriend almost expected Kline to break out of character sometimes and do a new accent. I didn't have this problem myself, but I could see how it might happen. Kline doesn't "submerge" himself well into this character. He seems like an antic Kline playing a part.
That being said, I did feel new poignancy at several lines, where they really nailed a certain emotion. Still, somehow they trimmed out some of my favorite lines too. I do like that they kept in the Fortinbras storyline, even having him arrive at the end to sort of "end the loop" since Hamlet was born when Fortinbras' father was slain.
Where in other versions there would be one or another of the "supporting cast" that stood out to me, in this one none of them did, which I felt was a shame. Horatio, one of my favorite characters, was very mild here, almost stilted to me. Ophelia seemed a bit too willful given her dutiful daughter dialogue. Both the mother and uncle were lacking in presence, especially the uncle who supposedly had talents of charisma. Even Laertes seemed a bit wooden to me.
I'm not saying they were "stagey wooden" - I have certainly seem versions where it seemed like everyone was nervously reciting the words by rote as they marched from spot A to spot B. There were some good emotions shown on some lines. Still, in general the characters didn't seem "real" - they seemed parts being played.
I definitely own this and would recommend other Hamlet fans have it in their library. However, it's not one I go back to for the pure pleasure of watching and enjoying it, of listening to the words roll.
Simply the Best 
2008-09-14 - I saw this production when our local PBS station aired it over 17 years ago and I never forgot it. I was thrilled to find it on DVD. Costuming is understated, contemporary and the focus of Kevin Kline's minimal set designs is the lighting (mood) rather than overproduced dressings which are inconsequential here when the stength in this "HAMLET" are the actors; their hands, eyes, posture, movement, voice, inflections absorb and hold you with completeness. There is no distraction because it is obvious Kevin Kline decided that less was more in his interpretation and he knew exactly what he was talking about. It is Simple and SIMPLY the best!
Kline is famous but not the best 
2007-03-28 - The production is well organized and well filmed and generally well acted, but I find Kline's Hamlet slow & indulgent, technically tearful but ultimately unconnected. Get your hands on Derek Jacobi's for some real excitement.
I've Waited For This For Over 10 Years
2006-08-06 - As it says in my profile, I love almost everything Shakespearian. I saw this production on PBS's Great Performances, back in 1990, & I've been looking for it in some form ever since. So when I found it on DVD at Amazon.com I leaped at it.
Hamlet (Kevin Kline) Prince of Denmark, returns home when his father is killed. There he learns that his ambitious uncle has married the widdowed Queen & claimed Hamlet's throne for himself. Haunted by his father's ghost & his own need for revenge, Hamlet's torment leads to the most inspired poetry in all of Shakespeare.
I loved the modern dress & that there are some African-American cast members.
The only problem I find with the DVD is that there are no real special features. They give you a filmography of the cast, but that's it.
But the play is brilliant! Well worth the price!
