Three Days

"Three Days of Hamlet" was a wonderful interpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet done in only three days. Two of those three days were in rehearsal with a cast of well known and not as well known actors that had never worked together. So with this cast of virtually strangers the play was presented before an audience on the third day. Alex Hyde-White not only directed but was Hamlet in the production. This Hamlet based fantasy documentary that showed the relationship between fathers and sons,mothers and uncles and nature and nurture.Alex drew on the relationship he had, while growing up,with his own father. Wilfred Hyde-White was in his 50's when Alex was born. I enjoyed this production of Hamlet very much. Hamlet is one of Shakespears more difficult plays to understand but with this documentary it made it a little bit clearer. It brought to light that Shakespeares works are universal not just for the British.Everyone at sometime in their life will read Shakespeare. This DVD would be an excellent tool in schools for helping in literature and theater as a way of getting to understand Shakespears meanings. I believe anyone who has read or acted in Hamlet would enjoy this presentation.

Pacino's "Looking for Richard" documentary was an amazing film and an inspiration to try Shakespeare for me so I was very interested to see another documentary/film about putting on Shakespeare. While not the deep exploration of the Bard that Pacino's film was Three Days of Hamlet brought a surprising personal touch that turned into a touching reflection on family and show biz.

In my experience the film had a gradual start that didn't quite capture the crazy pressure of putting up Hamlet in three days however it builds nicely and you really connect with the experience as the days progress. The parallels of Hamlet haunted by the ghost of his father and the actor performing the role living in the shadow of his was particular powerful.

As an actor I was particularly interested in the performances challenges of such a large undertaking with so little preparation. Some performances come together more than others, Iva Hasperger the "over achiever" who memorizes all her lines really connects with the material and goes all in. Alex Hyde-White's passion as the creator of the project really shows in his acting. Despite being burdened with a huge amount of text and having to work off the page, his smooth naturalism punctuated by spontaneous outbursts of energy is very engaging.

The film concludes with very honest and heart warming moments. I don't like a lot of documentaries but this one was very enjoyable.

A production that is part theatre part film and part documentary seems an unlikely project but Alex Hyde-White's Three Days (of Hamlet) has turned out to be inspired. A group of actors coming together to put on a production of Hamlet in three days escaped complete chaos by, what we call in Britain, "Blitz spirit" and sheer talent. Although most of the cast were reading their lines credit must be given to Iva Hasberger who,as Ophelia, had learned her part and was therefore able to perform her descent into madness with abandon! I found myself completely immersed in the characters and Alex's retrospective account of his relationship with his father and also relationship with his own sons. His father's comment that great talent usually skipped a generation and Alex's response that as he has two sons of his own, he hopes it does, I found incredibly moving. But he need not worry, his portrayal of Hamlet was beautiful, so gentle and had me enthralled. Talent didn't skip a generation!! I now feel the need to read the play myself, something I haven't done since seeing Richard Chamberlain play the part 45 years ago at the Birmingham Rep.

This interpretation intertwines fantasy, reality, family dynamics, comic relief and accomplished actors in unusual personal and professional interactions. The actors were required to read Hamlet by William Shakespeare in only three days without the usual tools they are used to. This included time for rehearsal, wardrobe, scenery, and personal assistants. It all seemed stressful at first in the dymanics between the actors. However, after a brief period of time they became more connected with each other and the material. This was due to the genius of the creator, producer, director and lead actor, Alex Hyde-White. I would recommend this movie to all those students and professionals who are interested in movies that are uniquely adapted.

The Days of Hamlet has an intriguing blend of the already impressive story about a rushed stage production with the juxtaposition of a personal back story of actor and his father with well-crafted technical excellence. The inclusion of well-established actors raised the interest in the stage production storyline. What separated this film from traditional documentaries is Hyde-White's inner journey on parental relations and his self-discovery. The intertwining of the two stories were provided in engaging and solid pace, accomplished by exceptional editing and smooth nice transitions. The technical excellence found in the cinematography of the stage sequences was amazing. Even if you are not a fan of the theater, this is a film worth viewing for the personal story alone. This film was a finalist in the 2012 Naperville Film Festival.