Hamlet (1991)

Time for Gibson to direct his anti Semitic version, "To be Jews or not be Jews," and "Get ye to a nunnery, bitch!"

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It reminds me of a toilet paper on the trees
- Paula

I went to a Hamlet play a few weeks ago, it was broadcasted live from England to a movie theatre where I live. It had this kind of modern, comedy side to it, but that made it absolutely horrible! There were guys holding guns to Hamlet's head, but when Hamlet drew a knife they all jumped out of his way... And the whole thing was just really weird... couldn't really manage to find out in what scene or act they were, and I even brought the book with me...

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I'd never given much thought to how I would die... But dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go

Surely it'd be "Get thee to a nunnery, sugartits!"

Indeed but garish set design/cinematography does not have to be the new thing you bring to the table.

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You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never. (The Red Shoes, 1948)

Sure, very true. But with most other new things, I think you run a greater risk of being accused of messing with a classic. If you want to tell a "modern" version of the story, you probably lose a lot of purists, and any other changes would involve the story itself, so a different aesthetic take seems like the easiest way to tell the old story in a fairly new way without upsetting anyone too much. Except for people who hate garish set design.

Anyway, I'm just interested in it from a structural standpoint. Perhaps "inevitable" is too strong a word, but I do think constantly retold stories are likely to end up with some versions that have fairly outrageously decked-out set and costume sensibilities given enough time.

There have been plenty of modern updates of Shakespeare, it's done with modern dress on the stage with as much regularity as doing it "straight", and of course this has been done in film too, including Hamlet which was modernized in 2000 by Michael Almereyda starring Ethan Hawke. I rather like it, definitely more than the Zeffirelli and Gibson version.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Ethan Hawke's Hamlet was really good. I prefer it over Luhrman's Romeo & Juliet.
It had loads of interesting ideas, especially replacing the play with a film that Hamlet puts together.

I really do.. & I really like Luhrman's R+J.
But I just love the fact that the 2000 Hamlet movie's modernization includes more than just an urban setting with cars, guns, etc.. Especially the thing I mentioned above about the film that Hamlet puts together instead of a play.

Ohh wait.. I think you meant that R+J was bad?... Now am confused.