“Hamlet” might be one of the most adapted properties of all time. When taking stock of those adaptations, the story mostly stays the same, but the focus usually changes.
It all comes down to preference – maybe you’re like Laurence Olivier, concentrating mostly on the psychology of the character and fascinated by his Oedipus complex (so much so that he cast 28-year-old Eileen Herlie to play his mother. He was 40). Or you’re more like Kenneth Branagh, interested in delivering a four-hour, word-for-word epic. Or, you fancy yourself like Michael Almereyda, updating the story to take place in modern-day New York City, replacing kings with CEOs.
The most recent version, directed by Aneil Karia, forgoes the four hours of it all, but takes bits and pieces of the rest while still adding its own spin on things. This adaptation of “Hamlet” takes place in modern-day London within a wealthy South Asian community, starring Riz Ahmed as the titular prince – the heir to a construction company rather than a country.
In Karia’s “Hamlet,” politics fall to the wayside and the film mostly rests on the strength of Ahmed’s performance. Updating Shakespeare to modern times but keeping the language as is can always be a little tricky, and this version has its cinematic ups and downs – the incorporation of South Asian culture works rather well, although certain filmic choices lack the emotional gut punch the story contains. But Ahmed is mesmerizing, handling the dichotomy of the language and the setting with ease and making Shakespeare feel effortlessly modern.
The script (adapted by Michael Lesslie) necessarily changes aspects of Shakespeare’s original work to fit within the confines of the story this particular version is trying to tell. It’s set in a corporate world instead of a royal one, and, in perhaps the adaptation’s most interesting move, the character of Hamlet’s best friend Horatio is noticeably absent (The spirit of Horatio can be felt in aspects of Morfydd Clark’s Ophelia and Joe Alwyn’s Laertes). That choice also serves to further isolate Hamlet, which allows for a stronger focus on his psychological downward spiral.
Hamlet’s isolation is a focal point of the film. The story begins with Hamlet returning home for his father’s funeral. Before his body is even cold Hamlet’s uncle Claudius (Art Malik) announces that he will be marrying Hamlet’s mother Gertrude (a beguiling Sheeba Chaddha). Everyone else in the room seems unsurprised, but Hamlet’s face quirks into an expression that’s more confusion than anger at first. It hammers home just how long he’s been away – despite his ostensible role as heir, decisions are being made without him.
The camera often emphasizes Hamlet’s isolation from the rest of his family, settling on Ahmed for long takes as he puzzles his way through his situation. Ahmed’s Hamlet starts off lost in a haze, whimpering and whispering his way through an opening monologue before Laertes drags him off to the flashing lights of a club, hoping to take his mind off of the funeral for a while (or, it Laertes trying to distract him from the truth? The paranoia sets in immediately). Hamlet wanders, lost party boy that he is, until he meets his inciting incident – his father’s ghost (Avijit Dutt), come to tell him that Claudius murdered him.
The details of why Claudius would want to kill Hamlet’s father – beyond wanting to marry his wife, I guess – are a bit fuzzier than they would be if there was a kingdom to inherit. Lesslie and Karia sail quickly past vague corruption allegations, more interested in watching Hamlet’s rage and paranoia boil over. To their credit, watching Ahmed perform Hamlet’s rising intensity is mesmerizing, his intonations and physicality making Shakespearean language feel as natural as breathing.
The strength of that performance, however, sometimes gets lost. Cinematically, Karia’s direction can be hit or miss. In his adaptation, the play at the wedding becomes a haunting dance sequence, beautifully choreographed to deliver on a heightened sense of drama and dread. But other moments, such as Hamlet’s famous “to be or not to be” speech, feel not as fully conceived.
Ahmed has spoken publicly about his interpretation of this speech, and the setting (the moment takes place while Hamlet is behind the wheel of a speeding car) makes it feel less like Hamlet is contemplating suicide and more like he’s contemplating destiny. But, almost the entirety of the speech is shot from profile, limiting the impact of the film’s strongest weapon – its performer. It’s choices like these that sometimes leave “Hamlet” feeling a bit cold.
“Hamlet” is in theaters April 10.
