Hamlet - David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, Penny Downie. Act 4, Scene 1. - Pt.1

[TedT1478]

Horatio was studying her bottom.

[maskeyfilmz117]

Wow. Ophelia and Hamlet are going to be perfect for each other. My grandma died in october and it's been five months... so far nobody's gone permanantly crazy. 

[rocketwoofer]

@maskeyfilmz117 Must have been something in the Danish water at the time. :-P

[ddoouuaa]

this is... so... scary.

[Darienlover999]

I think Kate Winslet was better.

[YuukiHyouketsu]

@Darienlover999 i think i agree with you there...winslet's running around with so-called "flowers" is something that i rather miss here

[hadassah179]

I pray why dost the Queen not have her hair fixed up like usual in this scene?

[mylifeafterbreakfast]

@hadassah179 The queen's hair is messed up because everyone is falling apart because of Hamlet's actions. However, if you notice, Claudius is still perfectly dressed until the very end, because he refuses to be ruffled by Hamlet's madness. Beautiful choice.

[ProfessorPher]

I'm so, so, SO pleased that they played Ophelia as purely grief-stricken. That they have her sobbing when she says "rue for me" is BRILLIANT. It adds so much more to her and Hamlet's relationship.

Hopefully this will be a useful addition to the comment pool, but the reason I find that particular acting choice is due to the fact that women used to take rue to self-abort fetuses. The idea that she was pregnant with Hamlet's child just..GAH. Such fantastic acting. I LOVE IT.

[YuukiHyouketsu]

@ProfessorPher i never thought of that before. thank you for pointing it out ^^

[loudizfun]

this isnt act 4 scene 1, its scene 5 ..... good try though

[JohnCartney]

@loudizfun No it isn't. In this version it's act 4, scene 1. bbc.co.uk/hamlet/plot/act4.sht­ml

[loudizfun]

ok, but in the literary version.... from the book that i have, its scene 5 ... scene one starts out with the heavy sighs claudius and gertrude ... and i cant post the link to prove it but look it up .... just cause some fool messed up the movie dont make this scene 1 ....

[JohnCartney]

@loudizfun Gregory Doran decided to place the madness of Ophelia as act 4, scene 1. Since the version I've posted is Gregory Doran's and not the book version you possess, then this remains act 4, scene 1. Blame him if you don't like it.

[Gubbywubby]

@loudizfun It's not some fool "messing up the movie", it's a director directing a movie! When transferring any play onto the screen you make changes. Heck, when performing a play on stage you adapt it to suit your audience, cast, and idea of the play. Theater is a flexible art form, it changes. That's how it's meant to be.

[KEVINBUSCUS]

Is his madness contagious?

[ChezJamesy]

Gertrude Startled the Witch

the acting in this is truly incredible

[lexigermain]

The image of the shattered mirror is so powerful in so many ways. I think it really shows the brokenness not only of the family but of their minds and hearts as weel.

[lexigermain]

@lexigermain *well

[mixitango]

Ophelia's "stage arms" make me equally mad D: gah!

[mixitango]

I think Ophelia looks hottest after she's gone mad.

[ChristinasMinx]

God, I'm just stunned by how perfect Patrick Stewart is in this. Everything he says is so NATURAL: nothing over the top, everything flowing, and that's hard with Shakespeare. Just an amazing actor.

[shahoney]

lol i love how hamlet's "madness" transfered to ophelia.

[Shmoofles]

shes pretty when shes crazy

[dizzykins7]

what? I act like this all the time ;D

[barcahasriches]

what a crazy bitch

[ChrisTheRockGod]

This is ACT 4 SCENE 4 in my version! I'm completely lost from this point on, and can't seem to find where Act 4 scene 7 is!

[beautifulvamp13]

my school was doing hamlet for it's play and i had the role of Ophelia so in between classes to remember this part i walked barefoot down the halls doing this scene i think i freaked out a lot of people

[soultaker30]

Yeah I agree I think this Ophelia is horrible..I really loved Helena Bonham Carter much better when she went into madness. She does madness really well.

[MrArturoui]

I don't like this ophelia. Shes supposed to be more pathetic than this. Mariah Gale is too ballsy and her madness acting is a bit too much like Hamlet. And there's supposed to be a blatant difference since Hamlet's faking it.

[ChristinasMinx]

@MrArturoui I get what you mean, but remember, there are some who deduce that she was actually pregnant with Hamlet's child, and not truly mad but trying to secretly communicate it.

[MrArturoui]

I don't like this ophelia. Shes supposed to be more pathetic than this. Mariah Gale is too ballsy.

[MeesterCrumpet]

keep your clothes on if you look like that in your scant,woman!

[MinyTheWild]

@MeesterCrumpet LOL, I take from this comment and other ones your not a huge fan of this Ophelia ;)

[wmcoughlan]

Mariah Gale = "Insanely" good acting! Best I've seen in performing Ophelia's madness. Seriously amazing work.

[libba312]

I have to play Ophilia for school sssssssssssssssoooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!ha ha ha ngahnghanhanhghnghganahgnhan

[BaldGrace]

I quite like Mariah Gale's Ophelia- especially her frenetic energy here. I hope she does more film.

[deadbride08]

She's not pregnant. She's upset because she loves two guys. Her dad and Hamlet. After hamlet and her split up he kills her dad. Wouldn't that make you a little crazy too?

[Clawsthatcatch]

holy shit, Ophelia. Not near the best Ophelia I have seen, but wow.

[ILoveFolkMusic]

ophelia might be mad, but i'd hit that

[umcoolio]

There are a lot of scholars that suspect that Ophelia is pregnant with Hamlet's child, and honestly, it makes a lot of sense. She's a teenage girl, trying to deal with being pregnant, not to mention that the father, her lover, is crazy and rejects her. And then the father of her child and love her life murders her own father. It would explain why Hamlet went crazy in the 'get thee to a nunnery' bit, and he also said to Polonius, "conception is a blessing: but not as your daughter may conceive."

[ghozt419]

one person didnt like her being naked XD

[BelovedCaptain]

People sure can do a good job acting crazy in this production!

[halkiphulkiben]

Ophelia....O_O. 

[LimerickLinz]

This is defininatly a very different ophelia. I just think this ophelia tries too hard. I like the more violent uncontrollable crazy, but she seems like she is acting crazy. The nunnery scene was an epic fail, because of her.

[Reaper3000]

at 3:02 my mind comically said "No, stop don't stop there!" hehe (though it is just sarcasm). but it is a sad scene

[flower1997lol]

its like she is drunk aND WASTED LOL

[MinyTheWild]

So sad. Poor Ophelia. The actress did such a great job. Although the bit were she says about the owl being a bakers daughter was a little bit OTT.

[Jokaanan]

This is far and away the best production I've seen. I understand what every sentence means. It flows in a way that I wasn't aware Shakespeare was capable of.

[freckleluck]

there is such a distinction in the insanity seen between hamlet and ophelia. his is put on, making him seem truly "mad", while hers seems uncontrollable, driven by nerves. funny that the insanity of each is driven by the same thing- the death of a father.

[IRockThisCathouse]

She has pretty good vocals :PP A bit like Corey Taylor

[aichapretty]

so sad 

[ArtD42]

Why did they have to switch around the scene order in this production? Shakespeare's decisions weren't good enough?

[thethreemitosketeers]

I loooove 3:12 to 3:17

[meltyourheadaches326]

I guess the first sign of madness is ditching your shoes.

[elimacca]

@meltyourheadaches326 you know its funny you should say that...

*looks at own shoeless feet*

you could be onto something.... XD

[starbucksfrappe93]

@elimacca Nice. You made me laugh! :D

[tygortora]

@meltyourheadaches326 Well, when you're nuts, I guess you wouldn't worry so much about how you look, and going barefoot is more comfortable. Lol, well, for me at least.

[allayne13]

Ophelia is freakin awesome. (she's played reaaally well by this chick too)

[yanokogarra555]

Hamlet's father was murdered and now Ophelia's father,by Hamlet no less, so they should end up together. The two are very mad. <3

[Meezy0257]

@BlakeAndGaile: Agreed :)

Also, someone please tell me, what is with the barefoot Hamlet? A sign of madness, genius, or rather...freedom from oppression of norm?

[BlakeAndGaile]

She did wonderful. However, I'll always love Helena Bonham Carter the most for this scene.

[tygortora]

@BlakeAndGaile She did an amazing job in the version she was in. Personally, I'd love both renditions on DVD eventually.

[norcalrobbie2]

This is the best mad scene I've seen.

[scarletmoonfall]

hamlet and the girl (sorry forgot the name) make a great match! :D xxx

[BoringEnglishFlicks]

She did a BRILLIANT job! Her madness was terrifying

[sondano]

this castle is on acid

[LiftMyEyes121]

@sondano Trippyyyyy.



[4am4evr]

Hehehe "By cock they are to blame." so true!

[markosantos79]

When I grow old I wanna dress like Claudius.

[markosantos79]

Stewart is so elegant, polite and speaks softly even when he is the most evil representation of Cain.

[battleroyaleveteran]

2:08 Wtf was the director thinking this is hilarious hahahahaha

[SailAwayMyFriend]

@battleroyaleveteran oh DANACK i agree :D

[CinnaZilla]

Isn't Ophelia often shown playing a lute?

[exeter66]

There's no comparison...the ladies --both Penny and Mariah-- in this Hamlet makethe characters totally sympathetic.

I would show this to my Hamlet class for sure!!

[ikuyootori93]

helena bonnam carter's performance i find better than mariah gale.

[bbccok24]

Is this not Act IV Scene 5?

[uofc57]

She's good, but I prefer Kate Winslet's performance - less spectacle

[9Tiptoes]

i always liked Helena Bonnam Carter's performance.

[sahkah2]

@9Tiptoes She is not Helena Bonnam Carter, ophilia is played by Mariah Gale

[poppyseed1987]

i don't understand why ophelia goes insane

[toontoosh]

it makes the two of us

[konokitsune]

She goes insane because Hamlet killed her father and was banished.That and the fact that Laertes isn't there with her.

[katfrk]

think about it. Her brother has taken off. Hamlet loves her one second then doesn't the does again. She loves Hamlet and then he goes and kills her father. She's only a teenager and now she's pretty much all alone and she's been tossed and turned by the men in her life. She has a nervous breakdown.

[changehope9662]

@katfrk

uh a little more than a nervous breakdown

[Izlandzadi14]

@katfrk I wrote an essay just about this..you're exactly right

[allatheaussie]

So barefoot = mad? XD

[harwetopa]

More than mad: in many cultures the unkempt hair, torn clothes and shedding of footwear is the ultimate expression of grief. With all that's come poor Ophelia's way in such a short time [cf: katfrk's excellent response above], she is indeed mad: and grief-strickenly so.

[allatheaussie]

cool :) that's really interesting

[AuntySemitist]

@harwetopa i thought hamlet was only pretending to be mad

[harwetopa]

@AuntySemitist Ah. I forgot that Hamlet too was barefoot. You are correct: he was merely playing the madman. But Ophelia too was barefoot--in her madness and grief--and it was to that what I were referring. Sorry for the confusion.

[Reaper3000]

@allatheaussie barefoot=fun!

[KEVINBUSCUS]

@allatheaussie pretty much, I mean , think, Edgar Allan Poe? Barefoot, died of rabies, but what about his stories? He thought that he was his characters.

[arsenefan]

Patrick Stewart from Extras: I've seen everything... I've seen it all.

[CompVid101]

Stewart also played Claudius in Derek Jacobi's 1978 BBC production - then and now, my favorite Claudius. Jacobi himself made a very good Claudius to Kennthe Branagh's Hamlet, 1996.

[bananas1and2]

Mariah Gale plays a wonderful crazy girl.

I love how in this version they visualize madness with bare feet and wild hair.

[milliemetre]

@bananas1and2

not just the bare feet and wild hair.

I never imagined ophelia to be quite so...naked?