Laurence Oliviers Hamlet Film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Laurence Oliviers Hamlet Film - Movie Review ExampleDiscussion In a chronological approach to the assessment, reviews from 1948 will first be examined. In his New York Times reviews, in September 1948, Bosley Crowther was almost lyrical in his praise. As mentioned earlier, he cited the cause of the camera use, as itWith regard to the cuts, which included some soliloquies and the characters, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Fortinbras, Crowther is dismissive, considering cutting these to be judicious editing that has given much greater clarity to its noted complexities (1948). It appeared that this proofreader glossed over the Freudian, Oedipal context that many others identified, stating thatAlthough the piece in Variety magazine was less intellectual in content and approach, it did touch on similar thematic aspects. The article, produced by Variety Staff, was completely positive and celebrated everything about the film. The cuts were dismissed asAgain, the review did not linger on th e Oedipal content, emphasizing the concept, taken from the break voice-over, of the tragedy of a man who couldnt make up his mind (Olivier, 1948) The camera work was given praise and importance, as deep-focus photography and bold crane-shots that speed the exertion and give grandeur and spaciousness (Variety, 1948)Oliviers own thoughts and explanations were published as extracts from his book, Hamlet The Film and the Play, in September 1948 in the New York Times. He confirm the cuts on the basis that the play is very seldom played in its entirety, even on the stage. (Olivier, 1948). While he accepted that many Shakespeare purists might and did object, he had a valid point that needs to be included here. By creating a cinematic representation, he intended to make Shakespeare accessible to all.But look for a moment of the audience reached by the film, who never go to a theatre..(Olivier, 1948)His comments on the power of the camera to nose into corners and magnify details that esc ape card or pass muster on the stage, echoed the views expressed in the reviews discussed here. His thoughts are included here, not only to illustrate his motives, but also to underline that his intentions seemed to kick in succeeded, judging by the responses at the time.Recent reviews, arising from the re-issue of the film on DVD in 2000, carry the same positive responses and echo the themes identified so presbyopic ago. This would suggest that the film has the enduring power of the classic, a description fully deserved. In an email thread that reiterates this contention, Brian