Gamlet = Hamlet

In this Russian version of Shakespeare’s play the Prince of Denmark is no vacillating dreamer but, like everything else in the film, muscular and volatile. A radical adaptation of Shakespeare, this version of Hamlet upset the purists with its bold interpretation of the play. Hamlet delivers one of theatre’s most famous soliloquies - ‘To be or not to be’ - with his back to the camera. The images, enriched by the dramatic Shostakovitch music, are bold, sweeping and powerful. Filmed in location in Estonia, the majestic castle is symbolic of Hamlet’s torture, trapped in the quagmire of his quest to avenge his father’s death. In Russian with English subtitles. Also available in 16mm.