Hamlet

I have no idea why this film has been so disgracefully ignored. It was one of the most important films in the London Film Festival at the NFT in 1976, along with Pasolini's ' Salo ', Oshima's ' Empire of the Senses ', and Wim Wenders ' Kings of the Road ' to name a few. It was brought out on video by the film distributor's ' Dangerous To Know ' label ( they basically initiated the concept of distributing Gay/ Queer film in the UK, and lasted many years. ) The cast includes not only Helen Mirren and Quentin Crisp, but two incredible young brothers Anthony and David Meyer playing Hamlet, Hamlet's father and Laertes, and their dual performances in my opinion have not been surpassed on film. So why is this film lost, and virtually unfindable ? I would urge strongly for the British Film Institute to reclaim it, and its running time of only just over an hour should not make them afraid. Celestino Coronado was/is a visionary director, and the hour consists of an hallucinatory night where Hamlet in his dreams plays out ( as if in rehearsal for waking action ) essential parts of the drama. Quentin Crisp plays Polonius to perfection, and in the scene where Hamlet confronts his mother Helen Mirren was equally excellent. I will give no other spoilers, only to say that the images are startling, brutal and utterly beautiful; an eye seen through a magnifying glass, a hand pounding down on nails and a love/hate fight between Hamlet and Laertes, erotic and finely choreographed. Is it Laertes that Hamlet loves instead of Ophelia ? Make up your own minds if by luck you find an old video of this great film, or if by some miracle it is rightly released again. My copy is almost worn out, and I hope to see this truly original ' Hamlet ' restored in my lifetime.

The story takes place in Denmark. Hamlet the prince is informed by the ghost of his father that his uncle was responsible for his father's death. His mother and his uncle get married before the funeral meats get cold. How will Hamlet deal with the situation and what effect will it have on others around him?

There are several trains of thought when it comes to the classics. One is that the play is written in stone and cannot be improved on; but what is the original? Another is to bring it up to date and make it contemporary; it loses all credibility, and the few attempts were disastrous. Another approach is to place people completely out of their depth like David Tennant ('Barty' Crouch Junior) in the role. You might as well let Madonna play Eva Perón. This presentation is unique in its staging by using actors in dual roles.

It gets even weirder as twin actors become the external representation of the characters' thoughts. Helen has an almost southern peach accent. The film is dark and minimalist. The words are the same, but the meaning is different. I am not sure of what corners were clipped if any. But it is definitely a product of its time. If you know Quentin Crisp the actor, it helps understand where the movie is coming from.

Anthony Meyer plays Hamlet and Laertes David Meyer plays Hamlet and Laertes Helen Mirren plays Ophelia and Gertrude.

With a visual style that anticipates Guy Madden and some insightful performances, this version is one I'll watch again, despite the fact that the homoerotic overtones held no interest for me. Prospective viewers should be warned that the Ghost is played with full frontal nudity, though it is not a large part -- in any sense of the term. Helen Mirren is amazing as Gertrude and Ophelia. Barry Stanton's Claudius is marvelously slimy. Quentin Crisp's Polonius is charmingly surreal. And the twins do it up quite nicely as Hamlet & Son. But was it necessary to stage the play-within-a-play as an orgy? In all, though, this is definitely worthwhile for HAMLET fans or overs of bizarre cinema.

Made on a shoe-string budget and now dated at nearly 25 years old, it is notable not only for Helen Mirren's performances in the doubled roles of Gertrude and Ophelia, but for its attempt to divide the part of Hamlet among cast members.