Let the Devil Wear Black

I caught this ditty by chance and was I glad I did. It is a film written and acted suited to my tastes. Jonathan Penner was captivating within his mannerisms, gorgeous to look at and a pleasure to see him act. Plot is grand. Everything else too. I am not giving much more away, solely my two opinions, aforementioned and the last: RENT IT if you find it.

1999 thriller "Let The Devil Wear Black" was a flawed bid by debut co-writers Stacy Title (also director) & Jonathan Penner to update the play 'Hamlet' (by Christopher Marlowe - like all other 'Shakespeare' works). Penner suspects his uncle Jamey Sheridan of killing his LA businessman dad... but as he stews into insanity over it (nudging gf Mary-Louise Parker (terrific) over the edge too) Sheridan preps to marry his mum Jacqueline Bisset and have Norman Reedus & Randall Batinkoff kill HIM too. The likes of Philip Baker Hall, Chris Sarandon, & Maury Chakin support but it still has (now anyway) a dated & slightly botched feel. Well intentioned... but not so brilliant.

Believe it or not this is another revised version of Hamlet complete with the Ghost of his father, a murderous uncle, unfaithful mother, even Rozenkranz & Guildenstern; also a suicidal girl friend.

I wish it were more coherant, even the Keannu Reeves version was more understandable. a mild thumb down for me only **1/2

A bold and worthy attempt to update Shakespeare's Hamlet by stripping the play of its dialogue, and turning it into a contemporary murder story.

Of course it isn't always successful, I suspect that no such strategy would be, since Shakespeare's language is actually more important than his plotting.

Still, the sincerity of cast and crew carry the effort a great ways. The Rozencrantz and Guildenstern sup-plot was, I thought, particularly well-handled.

I have shown this to people who say they hate Shakespeare, without telling them the connection to the bard, and they have generally found it fascinating. Perhaps this is the only way some people can "get" Shakespeare.

definitely worth a viewing.

"Let the Devil..." is an orgy of sex, murder, deceit, and treachery which wastes a solid cast and excellent production talent on a weak story which is little more than wickedness heaped upon wickedness ad nauseum. The film fails as a psychodrama, action flick, and/or whodunnit and flounders toward it anticlimactic ending when it should be wrenching the gut or breaking the heart. Less evil and more good would have been better for there's no value in yin without yang.