One tends to think of Laurence Olivier more as an actor than a director, but as his 1948 Academy Award for Best picture winner Hamlet demonstrates, he was both. And given how good it is, it is a shame that he only ever directed five films in total.
Olivier's career started on the stage and often remained there even after he found movie stardom. Thus, one might expect his film version of Hamlet to look like "filmed theatre", but in act nothing could be further from the truth. Having clearly learned about more than just screen acting from the likes of William Wyler, Oliver's of Shakespeare's celebrated tragedy is remarkable on multiple levels. The Bard's script is trimmed, with extensive cuts including the removal of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as well as Fortinbras; the former pair provided a small measure of comic relief in an otherwise serious play, and with them excised the story is even darker. This darkness is reflected throughout the production: it's dark and moody, with claustrophobic sets, film noir-like lighting, and some memorable camera-work from cinematographer Desmond Dickinson, who uses close-ups, tracking shots, and deep-focus shots throughout the film.
There are stylistic flourishes, for example the "play within a play" is entirely silent and shot in a way that almost recalls silent movie making. Olivier takes advantage of the format so that Hamlet's thoughts are occasionally heard in voice-over rather than spoken aloud, whilst the camera focuses on Olivier's brooding face. The first soliloquy is a notable example, and Olivier paces restlessly around, looking convincingly troubled. A flashback shows King Hamlet's murder. Olivier's own processed vocals make the ghost sound appropriately sepulchral. In contrast to most of the rest of the film, Ophelia's drowning is shot on location and has a strange, dreamlike quality. The swordfight between Olivier and Terence Morgan's Laertes is brilliantly choreographed. Classical composer William Walton's score is both atmospheric and dramatic, as required. Olivier seems to delight in using the tricks of cinema to breathe new life into an oft-performed play.
As director, Olivier thus pays great attention to detail of what he is doing, a fact reflected in the set design, costumes and props. At the same time, his performance as Hamlet is incredible, one of those rare pieces of acting that looks like a master class in how to do it. Olivier's interpretation of Hamlet makes him seem guilty when he's deliberately rejecting Ophelia; he even makes the line "Get thee to a nunnery" sound like gentle advice, although he soon loses his temper. Famously, he plays up the Oedipal overtones of Hamlet's relationship with his mother. The cast is recruited from British thespians, with predictably impressive results (lthough it must be said that Olivier is visibly older than his on-screen mother Eileen Herlie): it might seem hard to give naturalistic performances when one's dialogue is written in iambic pentameter, but everyone here manages it. Basil Sydney emphasises Claudius' regret and self-loathing at his sins, whilst Jean Simmons is very convincing as Ophelia gradually gives in to madness.
Hamlet is a masterpiece, not just in terms of its acting, but in every aspect of the production. It not only deserved to wow the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it also deserves its reputation as one of the finest British films ever made.
Review of Hamlet
