Editing Hamlet (2000 film)

{{short description|2000 film by Michael Almereyda}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
|name           = Hamlet
|image          = Hamlet-Poster.jpg
|caption        = Theatrical release poster
|director       = [[Michael Almereyda]]
|producer       = Andrew Fierberg<br>[[Amy Hobby]]
|screenplay     = Michael Almereyda
|based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Hamlet]]''|[[William Shakespeare]]}}
|starring       = {{plainlist|
*[[Ethan Hawke]]
*[[Kyle MacLachlan]]
*[[Diane Venora]]
*[[Liev Schreiber]]
*[[Julia Stiles]]
*[[Bill Murray]]
*[[Karl Geary]]
*[[Steve Zahn]]
*[[Sam Shepard]]}}
|music          = [[Carter Burwell]]
|cinematography = [[John de Borman]]
|editing        = [[Kristina Boden]]
|studio         = double A Films
|distributor    = [[Miramax|Miramax Films]]
|released       = {{Film date|2000|1|24|[[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]|2000|5|12|United States}}
|runtime        = 112 minutes
|country        = United States
|language       = English
|gross          = $2 million<ref>{{cite web|title=Hamlet (2000) - Box Office Mojo|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hamlet2000.htm|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|accessdate=March 12, 2021}}</ref>
}}
'''''Hamlet''''', also known as '''''Hamlet 2000''''', is a 2000 American [[drama film]] written and directed by [[Michael Almereyda]], set in contemporary [[New York City]], and based on the [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] [[Hamlet|play of the same name]]. [[Ethan Hawke]] plays [[Prince Hamlet|Hamlet]] as a film student, [[Kyle MacLachlan]] co-stars as [[King Claudius|Uncle Claudius]], with [[Diane Venora]] as [[Gertrude (Hamlet)|Gertrude]], [[Liev Schreiber]] as [[Laertes (Hamlet)|Laertes]], [[Julia Stiles]] as [[Ophelia (character)|Ophelia]], [[Steve Zahn]] as [[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern|Rosencrantz]], [[Bill Murray]] as [[Polonius]], and [[Sam Shepard]] as [[Ghost (Hamlet)|Hamlet's father]].

In this version of ''Hamlet'', Claudius is the [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] or "king" of the Denmark Corporation, having taken over the firm by killing his brother, Hamlet's father.

This adaptation keeps the Shakespearean dialogue but presents a modern setting, with technology such as [[video camera]]s, [[Instant camera#Cameras and film|Polaroid cameras]], and [[Covert listening device|surveillance bugs]]. For example, the [[ghost]] of Hamlet's murdered father first appears on [[Closed-circuit television|closed-circuit TV]].

==Adaptations==
*[[Kronborg Castle|Elsinore Castle]], the seat of power of [[Denmark]]'s crown in the play, is re-imagined as Hotel Elsinore, the headquarters of Denmark Corporation.
*Prior to delivering the "[[To be, or not to be]]" monologue, Hamlet is seen watching a video of famed [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] teacher [[Thích Nhất Hạnh]] explaining the principle "To be is to be with others; to be is to inter-be" a basic teaching of Hanh's "[[Order of Interbeing]]".
*The "Mousetrap" play takes the form of a [[video art]] montage, edited by Hamlet himself.
*Instead of a Tapestry, Polonius hides in Gertrude's closet, then Hamlet shoots him through the door. 
*The character of [[Characters in Hamlet#Barnardo, Francisco and Marcellus|Marcellus]], one of the soldiers, is re-imagined as Marcella, Horatio's girlfriend.
*The [[Characters in Hamlet#A Captain|Captain]] in [[Fortinbras]]' army is replaced by a [[flight attendant]] on Hamlet's flight to England.
*Instead of carrying around actual flowers, Ophelia carries [[Instant camera#Cameras and film|polaroid]] photographs of various flowers. In the film, Ophelia is an amateur photographer.
*Fortinbras' conquests are not military but corporate takeovers with the aid of his "armies" of lawyers.
*As opposed to drowning in a brook, Ophelia is found to have drowned in a fountain in front of the Hotel Elsinore, surrounded by mementos of her relationship with Hamlet.
*The Ghost of King Hamlet appears in Horatio's apartment, sitting in his bedroom as Marcella sleeps before Hamlet and Horatio enter it.
*The first intervention of [[Characters in Hamlet#Osric|Osric]] is re-imagined as a fax machine in Hamlet and Horatio's apartment, delivering Laertes' message right before the duel. However, Osric does appear during the duel between Hamlet and Laertes.
*Though Hamlet and Laertes still fence, Laertes does not kill Hamlet with a poisoned rapier (or here, foil). Instead, he shoots Hamlet with a pistol, then is shot himself. Hamlet then uses the same pistol to shoot and kill Claudius.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
*[[Ethan Hawke]] as [[Prince Hamlet|Hamlet]]
*[[Kyle MacLachlan]] as [[King Claudius|Claudius]]
*[[Diane Venora]] as [[Gertrude (Hamlet)|Gertrude]]
*[[Sam Shepard]] as [[Ghost (Hamlet)|Ghost]]
*[[Liev Schreiber]] as [[Laertes (Hamlet)|Laertes]]
*[[Julia Stiles]] as [[Ophelia]]
*[[Bill Murray]] as [[Polonius]]
*[[Karl Geary]] as [[Horatio (character)|Horatio]]
*[[Paula Malcomson]] as [[Characters in Hamlet#Marcellus, Barnardo and Francisco|Marcella]]
*[[Steve Zahn]] as [[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern|Rosencrantz]]
*Dechen Thurman as [[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern|Guildenstern]]
*Rome Neal as [[Characters in Hamlet#Marcellus, Barnardo and Francisco|Barnardo]]
*[[Jeffrey Wright]] as [[The Gravediggers|Gravedigger]]
*[[Paul Bartel]] as [[Characters in Hamlet#Osric|Osric]]
*[[Casey Affleck]] as [[Fortinbras]]
*[[Robert Thurman]] as [[Characters in Hamlet#A Priest.2C or Doctor of Divinity|Priest]]
*[[Tim Blake Nelson]] as Flight captain
*[[Larry Fessenden]] as Kissing Man
{{div col end}}

==Reception==
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|59|5.8|97|consensus=Stiff performances fail to produce any tension onscreen.|ref=yes|access-date=December 8, 2022}} [[Metacritic]] assigned the film a weighted average score of 70/100, based on 32 reviews from mainstream critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/hamlet-2000|title=Hamlet Reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|accessdate=March 12, 2021}}</ref>

Film critic [[Elvis Mitchell]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' lauded it as a "vital and sharply intelligent film,"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/film/051200hamlet-film-review.html|title='Hamlet': A Simpler Melancholy in a Different Denmark|work=[[The New York Times]]|last=Mitchell|first=Elvis|date=May 12, 2000|accessdate=March 12, 2021}}</ref> while ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reviewer deemed it as a "darkly interesting distraction but not much more."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/hamlethowe.htm|title='Hamlet': A Melancholy Dude|accessdate=March 12, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last=Howe|first=Desson|date=May 19, 2000}}</ref> The reaction to Hawke's performance as the title role is also mixed. The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' described him as a "superb Prince of Denmark - youthful, sensitive, passionate but with a mature grasp of the workings of human nature."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie000511-93,0,770144.story|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826115451/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie000511-93,0,770144.story|archivedate=August 26, 2007|title=Hamlet - Movie Review|last=Thomas|first=Kevin|accessdate=February 13, 2011|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine, however, thought Hawke's performance was only "middling."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/3173/|title=Get Thee to Moomba|last=Rainer|first=Peter|date=May 22, 2000|accessdate=March 12, 2021|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]}}</ref>

In March 2025, ''[[The New York Times]]'' listed ''Hamlet'' as among "The Movies We've Loved Since 2000."<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 17, 2025 |title=The Movies We've Loved Since 2000 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/best-movies-since-2000.html |access-date=April 10, 2025 |website=[[The New York Times]] }}</ref>

==See also==
*''[[Romeo + Juliet]]'' - another contemporary-set [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] film adaptation, which also features [[Diane Venora]].
*''[[10 Things I Hate About You]]'' and ''[[O (2001 film)|O]]'' - contemporary adaptations of ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' and ''[[Othello]]'', respectively, both also featuring [[Julia Stiles]].
*''[[Scotland, PA]]'' - a contemporary adaptation of ''[[Macbeth]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0171359}}
*{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/hamlet-11-1200460158/|last=Harvey|first=Dennis|title=Hamlet|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 30, 2000}}

{{Hamlet}}
{{Michael Almereyda}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamlet (2000 Film)}}
[[Category:2000 drama films]]
[[Category:2000 films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Camcorder films]]
[[Category:Films based on Hamlet]]
[[Category:Films directed by Michael Almereyda]]
[[Category:Miramax films]]
[[Category:Modern adaptations of works by William Shakespeare]]
[[Category:Films scored by Carter Burwell]]
[[Category:Fiction about fratricide]]
[[Category:American films based on plays]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:English-language drama films]]