Comparing Productions of Hamlet, Act II, Scene ii. (Part 1 of 4)

[wonka320]

Oh god, my mistake! You have a russian Hamlet! I have no words, you did a great job putting all these films together. Thank you a lot

[SpiderXxPirate]

Ahaa I love R&G are Dead!! But Glen is not the strongest Hamlet.

[xfearslovex]

I'm going to do this scene in my acting class for my final.

[manitot]

I liked Iain Glen's and Ian Richardson's because of the extra clip not included here (/watch?v=6LO4EQcMR2Q). Tennant's was enjoyable and so was Jacobi's last bit.

[jondrowe]

The 'except my life' bit from Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is one of my favourites. I'm sorry you couldn't include it.

[01TheatreVids01]

The sad fact is that Iain Glen and Ethan Hawke are the only ones who look and sound (roughly) the right age, but Hawke is just lost and Glen is wonderful but reduced to a supporting role since it's not actually Hamlet. David Tennant doesn't quite read "college student" but he has the youthful energy pretty much everyone else lacks.

[01TheatreVids01]

@01TheatreVids01 Wilson Belchambers looks the right age as well, but the production looks very strange. What exactly was it? A television movie? Independent film?

[SkippyZ1210]

I have to agree with GraceNote. Olivier's performance is the most faithful to the poetry, and yes, is the most natural and holds my interest. Tenant's version--although he did great justice to the role overall--seemed too kinetic to me in this scene. The worst is Branagh's because he lost me in the first several seconds with his inexplicable outburst. He is followed close behind at list bottom by Ethan Hawke...Iain Glen isn't bad...

[Teri0is0Resa]

Wow, I like Jacobi the best! I'd never heard of his version, but now I want to see all of it!

[Thorne42]

Derek Jacobi is the best in my opinion. I simply can't fault his performance (and yes, I have seen the whole of his performance, and not just this extract)

[narunarulove24]

ah, my favorite scene XDDD lol

[JPPT1974]

I thought Derek Jacobi was handsome back then. Still do!

[Gazs93]

To clarify my comments on Olivier, where's his antic disposition? Polonius says madness but Olivier appears normal as anything.

[Gazs93]

Olivier is clearly the superior actor but I don't feel he properly grasps Hamlet's character. Branagh's, whose production is the best, does slightly better but over acts the part. A combination of Branagh's grasp of Hamlet and Olivier's acting chops would be aces.

[JohnKFisher]

Part 3 is now posted.

[javertim]

Stone me if you must, but my favorite film Hamlet is Campbell Scott. I do, however, very much enjoy the way Gibson interprets "words, words, words." As for Polonius, it's either Eric Porter or Oliver Ford Davies -- I cannot make up my mind. Probably the former, but I really can't be sure. ...

[caspianrex]

I have to go with Tennant as the best, followed by Gibson. Olivier is actually pretty good in this scene (even though I largely hate his Hamlet), and Branagh and Jacobi are a little...meh. Hawke is definitely the WORST.

[RandomCountryGirl]

Thanks for uploading this. Jacobi's version is my favorite, I think it's hysterical :) This is my favorite piece of the whole play.

[gracenote999]

I see David Tennant is very popular, but frankly I think the best is the incomparable Sir Laurence Olivier. This performance is the most natural -- Tenant's and especially Branaugh's border on farce.

[BlackAdder6]

I love the Eric Porter Polonius

[angelic720]

I vote for the David Tenannt version. He's perfect. I couldn't stop laughing.