Hamlet
BUY AT:
See more details, packaging, or compare
Synopsis
Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Sir Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet continues to be the most compelling version of Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy. Olivier is at his most inspired—both as director and as the melancholy Dane himself—as he breathes new life into the words of one of the world’s greatest dramatists.
Picture 7/10
Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet receives a Criterion release with the film presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 on this dual-layer disc.
For an earlier lower-tier edition it doesn’t look too bad, in fact it looks pretty good. The image is surprisingly sharp, presenting some decent details and fine definition. There are a few moments that can go softer but I blame the source more. The source materials are in decent shape and it looks to have received a restoration but there are still a number of flaws including hairs, scratches, and a few blotches that pop up here and there.
Gray levels are strong, and blacks can be very deep when need be. Grain is present but looks like noise most of the time and is probably the weakest aspect of the transfer which otherwise isn’t too bad.
Audio 4/10
The Dolby Digital 1.0 mono track is weak and lifeless, lacking anything in the way of fidelity and presenting dialogue that can come off hollow and hard to hear at times. There’s a bit of noise in the background and a couple of moments where the audio appears to drop. Weak and in need of a bit more work.
Extras 1/10
This is a barebones edition with no supplements on the disc. The insert includes a short but decent essay by critic Terrence Rafferty comparing this version of Hamlet to the endless number of other adaptations.
Closing
It can use a revisit but in general it actually looks fairly good. Unfortunately the audio is weak and the lack of features makes it hard to completely justify the price. Worth picking up if you can find it cheap.
BUY AT:
