The Fifteen Minute Hamlet

You know how there are a few films or books you got to experience once but they've stayed with you ever after? This is one of those jewels.

Absolutely brilliant writing by the ever esteem-able Tom Stoppard, and the acting by the always solid Austin Pendleton merely enhances the piece.

This was my first exposure to Philip Seymour Hall, and his work herein really made me sit up and pay attention.

The entire premise is simply condensing Shakespeare's Hamlet into fifteen minutes. The first attempt had me rolling, but the second round of condensing Hamlet even further was so brilliant I just sat there with my mouth open.

This is SO worth releasing on DVD....pllllleeeeeaaaassseee?

In a world where Shakespeare has to work to the demands of a studio (in the shape of the King), we find that his version of Hamlet has been made with the mass market in mind and thus a tale that normally takes almost 4 hours to tell is condensed down to a tight 15 minutes – surely this will satisfy the demands of the King.

It was amount of familiar names and faces in here that drew me to this film; of course Hoffman is the one that grabs the attention in light of his recent drugs overdose, but we also have Xander Berkely, Austin Pendleton and a few others where even if you don't know the names you'll recognize the faces. The delivery of Hamlet in 15 minutes is quite the feat and to enjoy this film it really does help that you know the story and characters already because, although it can just about be followed through the very basic snippets and fast pace, it is very much easier when you are already know. Indeed to appreciate the film as a whole it is good to know Hamlet because it is funny what they have done with certain bits and how they condense it down.

The production seems to be in several long tracking shots; there are some parts where there is a clear edit but it is filmed to try to hide it, but even still doing it in long flowing shots is impressive and quite fun. The joke is at the expense of the movie studios but even without this frame it still works as it is fun to see the story fly by so quickly but yet still be done with all the earnestness of the play (aside from some comic moments – Ophelia and her fate being the funniest). The ending repeats the joke but in a funnier way and generally it is an enjoyable little short and the only problem I had was that the film was very dark and not particularly well shot – although this may just have been the age of the film given that it is nearly 20 years old.

This short film has stayed true to its theatrical roots and has broken new ground in filmmaking. A director makes a 15-minute film adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, which he must cut down several times with hilarious consequences, to its final length of 1 minute.

The first 15-minute version contains almost no cuts, feeling very alive, like its theatrical counterpart. However, the director is no slave to the tripod, moving the camera constantly between sets and actors. The Director also straddles the line between abstract and realistic film, by dressing the set with props relevant to the plot and closing in on them at the appropriate time (my favorite being the ship in the bucket of water which zooms by when Hamlet's sea trip is mentioned).

This short film is a very well choreographed ballet duet between the actors and the camera, both of which dance in and run throughout the well designed sets.

The cast and crew have created an awe-inspiring sequence shot (comparable to Orson Welles' opening to "Touch of Evil", and John Woo's hospital shot in "Hard Boiled."), which opens this film. Hamlet is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud film which is well worth the trouble it might take to find this rarity.

I was watching this on Sundance just to pass the time and became entranced. It's funny until you think about, 'Is this how cruel the movie business is?'

Check it out.

What can I say other than as concept & as execution this is brilliant. The scene of Ophelia's drowning is visually priceless. This movie deserves some sort of special award.