1948-12-07 — Page 9

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1948:

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Laurence Olivier presents

HAMLET AS A FILM

This

By RICHARD SIDNEY

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dressed to all who have not yet seen HAMLET as a film. Our suggestion is that you go and are the ilm and take away from your seeing as much as you can. Don't be misled by being told that it will be too difficult for you: that there is little laughter; that it is not in technicolour. Take our word for it that it is a superb film; one that will in- creme the spiritual stature of all who see it; a film that should be seen many, many times if one is to get its full value. "A man who can do what Laurence Olivier is doing for Shakespeare-and for those who treasure or will yet learn to treasure Shakrapeare --is certainly among the more valuable men of his time."

LANGUAGE NOT TOO DIFFICULT

It has been said that we cannot understand Shakespeare's languages. Perhaps we cannot un- derstand it all; but we can understand most of it. and those who only know English (or whose native Janguage English is) are apt greatly to exaggerate the difficulties of others in this matter. With superb acting and filming all the words do not matter; we can follow the druma even if we only apprehend the meaning of half the words. So, do not be put off by the fear that Shakespeare's language is too dif- ficult for you and that therefore you should not go to this splendid Alm,

A SPECTACULAR DUEL

THINGS TO LOOK AT

What methods have been used to bring this great tragedy to the screen? All the resources of the cleverest photographers ably directed by screen actors and scholars and in particular of course, by Sir Laurence Olivier himself.

There is a sense of brooding darkness running through the film, and it is sheer genius that rejected colour and insisted on the film being shot in black and white.

Mist spreads over the play, too. Continually are you looking out to sea, and the sea spray breaks over you. The Ghost is conceived through mist. There are endless heights and depths and wondrous vistas.

It would be worth going to Hamlet and seeing it all as a silent picture for the sheer beauty of its photography,

SOME GREAT MOMENTS

How can one select from a traffic of the stage lasting almost three hours? Shall we mention the bed-chamber scene between Hamlet and his mother? Has this scene ever been played so dramatically and forcibly? And what of the play within the play? Will that not appeal to all of us who know something of silent miming? Best of all, perhaps, for sheer comedy, is Laertes's farewell to his father and sister. While Polonius tells his son not to a borrower be Ophelia is attempting to pick Laertes's pocket!

Let me conclude by quoting from TIME. "With this admirable filming of one of the most difficult of plays, the whole of Shakespeare's dramatic poetry is thrown wide open to good moviemakers."

BAGE-OLD PANISH CASTLE

'REBUILT IN ENGLAND.

No more splendid setting for a film has been seen in a Bri- tish studio since Henry V than the Council, Chamber in Oilvier's - film of Hamlet.

GALA PREMIERE

TO-NIGHT

AT 9.30 P.M.

HAMLET"

Lekin Volmer

at the

QUEEN'S

THEATRE

The Tragedy of HAMLET

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

CAST OF CHARACTERS

EILEEN HERLIE BASIL SYDNEY

LAURENCE OLIVIER NORMAN WOOLAND FELIX AYLMER

TERENCE MORGAN JEAN SIMMONS

by William Shakespeare

$999

Gertrude, The Queen Claudius, The King

Hamlet, Prince Of Denmark

Horatio, His Friend

Polonius, Lord Chamberlain ... Laertes, His Son Ophelia, His Daughter

THE STORY

Hamlet's father, the King of Denmark, has died suddenly. and his throne has been taken by the dead King's brother Claudius who, with unseemly haste, at once marries Gertrude, the dead King's widow. Hamlet suspects that his father was murdered by Claudius and Gertrude, and his suspicion is strengthened by news that his father's ghost has been seen haunung the Castle of Elsinore. One midnight, on the castle battlements, the ghost reveals that he was indeed murdered. and makes Hamlet swear to avenge him.

This news so affects Hamlet that the murderers begin to fear him. So Hamlet arranges for a troupe of travelling actors to stage a reconstruction of the murder, hoping that Claudius will break down and incriminate himself. The idea succeeds, but Hamlet still cannot bring himself to kill Claudius.

All this while Hamlet has been troubled by his love for Opheila, the young daughter of old Polonfus: but Hamlet is so overwrought by his desire for revenge that Ophelia is never sure whether her love for Hamlet is returned.

While bitterly accusing his mother of her part in the mur der, Hamlet discovers and kills a figure hidden behind the Lapestry. He believes the figure to be. Claudius-but it is Polonius.

Claudius at once takes this opportunity to ship Hamlet off to England, intending to have him killed there. But Hamlet learns of the plot, escapes and returns to Elsinore. His first experience on reaching the Castle is to stumble on preparations for a funeral, the funeral of Ophelia, who-distraught by Ham- lot's apparent indifference and by the death of her father-lost her mind and drowned herselt.

At the graveside he is challenged by Ophelia's brother Laeries who has sworn to take revenge on Hamlet.

Claudius suggests that the revenge be taken in a fencing- bout: Laertes is to be given a poisoned foll with which to fight Hamlet. If this fails Harmlet is to be given poisoned wine.

But this apparently simple plot goes terribly wrong. The poisoned foil, after scratching Hamlet, passes into Hamlet's hands and with it Laertes is killed. Queen Gertrude, knowing nothing of the poisoned wine, drinks it herself and dies. Ham- let, mortally wounded, just has strength enough left to kill Claudius before he too dies on the throne.

So ends the tragedy of Hamlet-the tragedy of a man of thought, who failed as a man of action.

64

The Yona

WORLD PREMIERE HELD IN LONDON

ABOVE: At the World Pre- miere of "Hamlet", Her Majesty looks on while "Toots," Mar- garet Lockwood's daughter, presents a bouquet to Princess Margaret. Beside her Princess Elizabeth admires the lovely carnations she has just accepted from John Mills' daughter "Bunch" (in the foreground).

Simmons RIGHT: Jean

is presented to Her Majesty by Mr. John Davis (centre);, Managing Director of the Arthur Rank Organisation.

J.

Sir Laurence Olivier's new 500,000 verslon of "Hamlet" will be long re-. membered as one of the finest Shakespearean Alm yet made.

On May 8th Their Majesties the King and Queen, the Princesses and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the World Premiere of "Ham- let" at the Odeon Theatre, Before the performance several of those who took part in the Allm were pre- sented to their Majestics.

THE VENICE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

•

Held on September 5th 1948

AWARDED

'HAMLET"

The BEST FILM OF 1948

The BEST ACTRESS (Jean Simmons) The BEST PHOTOGRAPHY (Desmond

Dickinson)

How "HAMLET" was put on the screen

camera

belief that despite alimination,, take in the tremendous num- the bold use of the the artistic integrity of the ber of incidents, often in scenes crane, Olivier moves the action play remains.

which have a large number about the crusted walls and of players, the lighting of the ancient apartments of Elsinore. While the design of the pro-film has been arranged so that with a speed which, considor- duction is unusual, the keynote the camera has an -unusual ing, the size and difficulties of of grandeur and spaciousness

combines to give an overall depth of focus in order that the the castle, with its huge pillars, cffect of sombre beauty. Asmallest detail of the settings its seemingly endless corridors, feature of the decor is the 13th-shall not be lost.

al-

is a triumph of technical skill. *Anybody with a preconceived idea of "Hamlet" as a photo- graphed stage play will be astonished by Olivier's force in

im technique.

century European murals and Laurence Olivier, in pro- trescoes painted in sepia tones ducing and directing the film on the walls and corridors of of "Hamlet" had a conception Elsinore Castle. The costumes of Shakespeare which defle are magnificent in their con- conventional theatre-production. It has been truly said that. Olivier has made a film of treats and designs. No very He has no use for the static the interesting point about "Hamlet" much in the way he definite period is being est-camera-he alms now, as belleves that

the Shakespeare ablished with

costumes, ways, for speed and action. "Hamlet" is not that it is being might have approved It, had and the result produces an The famous speeches are there filmed, so much as how it is Olivier, not, a' he been a modern screen-play imaginative atmosphere of age- fore said on

movement, and being filmed, writer instead of a Tudor lessness.

this, while adding enormously professional film director, de- playwright. So it becomes a In the treatment of many of to the technical difficulties of monstrated in "Henry V" an Imaginative technique in ad- two and a half hour film: But the famous speeches and scenes, filming, results in a

vance of conventional produc- the significant and essential special effects both sound and tightening and speeding up of tion. The impact of the ori principle which must not be visual, some quite unique, are the story.

ginality of his conception has overlooked is that Olivier is introduced. Devices of many The camera can, and does, feft a deep mark on the cure, guided by the same conviction kinds, mostly experimental, give a dramatle emphasis and rent cinema. "Hamlet" will which guided him in the pro-give added point to the rich-sweep impossible within the make a far deeper mark in the duction of "Henry V the ness of the drama. In order to limitations of the theatre. By advance of filmcraft.

Opens Tomorrow

drastic

3 Shows Only at 2.30, 5.30 & 9.00 P.M. Admission Prices: Dress Circle $4.70; Back Stalls $3.50; Servicemen to B.S. $2/40; Front Stalls $2.40 POSITIVELY “HAMLET” WILL NOT BE SHOWN ELSEWHERE FOR 3 MONTHS