"It's an unspoken rule for anyone who cares even a little bit about Shakespeare: don't try to adapt Hamlet. The Bard's most famous tragedy might also be the most impossible to commit to the screen. Yes, it's a searing, immersive study in grief; a timeless treatise on the sins of the father. It's also the role of a lifetime for any actor worth his salt, a rare opportunity to access the emotions that men are too often told to tamp down."
"Modern adaptations of the play are alienating at best, and grossly indulgent in the whims of their leads at worst. That's probably the least-gracious reading of a text as iconic, as enduring, as Hamlet's - but titans like Kenneth Branagh and Ethan Hawke have spent decades proving how dangerously true it can be. It's likely why we haven't gotten a mainstream adaptation of Hamlet in over 20 years: you've seen one "to be or not to be," haven't you seen them all?"
Adaptations of Hamlet often become monuments to male fragility, turning the play's study of grief and legacy into indulgent showcases for leading actors. Modern versions can feel alienating or self-indulgent, and mainstream film adaptations have been scarce for decades. Riz Ahmed reunites with Aneil Karia to set Hamlet in West London, keeping Shakespeare's prose while stripping the narrative to scenes that involve Hamlet directly. The adaptation removes characters and elements like Ophelia's madness, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Yorick's skull. The approach aims for ruthlessness and simplicity, producing a lean, focused retelling that emphasizes Hamlet's perspective.
Read at Inverse
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