#ive also been shown/watched a number of theatrical clips but lord knows the names are lost on me

[im-still-watching-anime]

Ok you can't just say that and then NOT give us your hamlet adaptation tier list???? 👀👀

*cracks knuckles* well i’m no expert but….

seriously, i’m no expert i’m not big on movies HOWEVER i will rank the ones i have seen for you which, admittedly, is not many and certainly lacks a few key adaptations a lot of people swear by. i apologize in advance for probably way over-answering your question and also infodumping about Hamlet on all the people following me for mediocre anime content. with that in mind, here they are from best to worst (i didn’t think there was enough to warrant an acutal tier list also i was lazy):

1) Kenneth Branagh’s full-text Hamlet (1996)

Is explanation needed here? it’s stunning, it’s lovely, it’s four beautiful hours of faithful text recreation. You can seduce me in one easy step by sitting through this entire monster of a film with me. Not to say it doesn’t have its flaws because it certainly does but seriously it’s a no-brainer for me that this one is number one. I’m a sucker for faithful Shakespeare adaptations and this bad boy is all over that.

Best aspect: Branagh’s performance as Hamlet is just *chef’s kiss* his performance of the soliloquies lives rent free inside my brain

Worst aspect: Kate Winslet’s Ophelia is…..certainly there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Ophelia depiction I’ve really liked but this one bothers me a lot especially aside Branagh’s Hamlet.

2) Tom Stoppard’s ‘Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead’ (1990)

I’ve got a lot of fondness for this one! It’s funny, genre aware, meta-comedic. Gives Monty Python vibes and is based off one of my favorite Hamlet theories. Even with all that, it ALSO inspires a lot of good analysis of Hamlet. I think it’s a great example of how Shakespearean type word play retains its appeal. Wrote a pretty bomb paper about it last semester. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the play to read.

Best aspect: I LOVE seeing how they place the original play in the backgrounds. Very fun.

Worst aspect: I hate to admit this but the build up to the play within the play in the original texts is one of my least favorite parts so having that extended wasn’t my cup of tea, even with the symbolism and omnipotence that came along with the players.

3) Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet (1948)

Ohh there’s love in this one, it’s palpable. I firmly believe that if you want a good grasp on Hamlet without having to read any of the texts or watch Branagh’s 4-hour version - this bad boy is your best option. It’s very faithful and aesthetically?? This one is stunning. I love that Olivier kept it black and white (yes, technicolor was available) and the architecture of the castle is really cool. It’s very careful with what it cut and what it rearranged and I respect it for that.

Best aspect: The. GHOST. What can I say I’m a sucker for a good ghost depiction and Olivier NAILS it. And the ambiguity of the ghost’s appearance during the closet scene? *chefs kiss* i LOVE this ghost yall

Worst aspect: I thought a long time about this but I’m gonna go with overall line delivery. A lot of I-am-reading-Shakespeare type delivery in this one which I really dislike - essentially just very stiff and emotionless. ***Negative points for the Oedipal Reading I want to gut Freud like a pig.

4) Gade’s Silent Hamlet (1920)

Woman Hamlet? GOOD. Love triangle? BAD. VERY BAD. I like how it also based itself a bit on the pre-Shakespeare Hamlet story. Also Hamlet without any words is just kind of cool to watch. Felt a bit gross to watch though when you read about the theory it was playing on - Vining I think is the authors name if you’re looking to read about how fragile masculinity is. Final scene is a little funny because Laertes just sort of backs away and is never seen again?? Like I don’t think he even dies lol

Best aspect: I LIKE silent Hamlet. I can’t get nitpicky or mad about dialogue changes. It’s a really cool medium for Shakespeare I think.

Worst aspect: I’ll say it again: love triangle BAD. The idea of Horatio being in love with Ophelia weirds me the hell out. Also, and I KNOW it’s from 1920, but the way they managed to make such a homoerotic premise THAT straight is insane. Lot of people claim Romeo and Juliet as the most misinterpreted romance but tbh I think Hamlet and Ophelia could give them a run for their money.

Me bashing every film on this list aside from #2 with a bat: Hamlet isn’t a love story HAMLET ISNT A LOVE STORY

5) Almereyda’s Hamlet (2000)

I am in physical pain. I am being tortured. The answer is not to be because GOOD LORD. Don’t watch this. I’m begging you to save yourself. Please. I didn’t even know it was possible to make ME hate every character in Hamlet but god here we are. Truly a perfect example of taking the worst of something. Modern Hamlet with butchered original dialogue GOD. Watch this if you want to drive yourself temporarily insane. The ending scene killed me. I still haven’t recovered. Yeah this is the one from the post.

Best aspect: the soundtrack was okay.

Worst aspect: idk all of it. This isn’t the worst aspect but one of the more annoying ones was shifting Marcellus (extremely minor character) to a girl just to be Horatio’s girlfriend and then giving her no additional role or dialogue?? She was LITERALLY just a prop to show how Mega Het™️ Hortatio and Hamlet are. Demons. The whole movie is full of demons sent to attack me specifically. ***Negative points for the Oedipal Reading but GOD i think that’s somehow the least of our concerns