HotToastyRag Kids today might only associate Christopher Plummer with The Sound of Music or Up, but he's actually quite an accomplished actor! In my book, anyone who can take on Shakespeare must know their stuff; Chris has played in Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, The Tempest, Henry V, Twelfth Night, The Winter's Tale, Henry IV Part 1, Much Ado About Nothing, King John, Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. Knowing all that, it seems rather silly he won his Oscar for Beginners, doesn't it? In any case, he starred in Hamlet at Elsinore as the confused, perpetually upset Danish prince. Robert Shaw costarred as Hamlet's uncle, June Tobin as the queen, Jo Maxwell Muller as Ophelia, and Michael Caine as Horatio. If you particularly like this Shakespearian tragedy, or are a Christopher Plummer fan, this is a good one to watch. I think everyone has their favorite version, and my heart lies with Richard Burton, but if you liked Laurence Olivier's interpretation you'll probably like Chris's as well. He's very clearly lost in his head, and his emotions are raw, accessible with only the slightest provocation. He's off in a dream world in one moment, then the next, he sees his friends and is so genuinely delighted to see them, he's forgotten anything at all was wrong a moment ago. When he's rude and insulting, the audience can see it's because he's so wounded inside, he can't take any more and lashing out at others is his release. However, there's one exception: during the famous "Get thee to a nunnery" monologue, he's particularly cruel to Ophelia, the most deliberately mean delivery of any I've seen. When you watch Jo collapse in tears after Chris exits, you just might shed a tear alongside her.Since I'm not a Shakespeare aficionado, I require an abundance of energy from actors to help me understand what it is they're saying, hence my partiality to Richard Burton. But, if you are a little more well-versed than I am, you should definitely give Christopher Plummer's version a try. It's a different interpretation, but still very good.

David Laird Scott Just finished watching this film/taping of Hamlet (DVD available from Netflix) and found it to be quite interesting on many levels. Of course, Christopher Plummer is a great Hamlet, but I was not as hot on Michael Caine. Really enjoyed Robert Shaw's Claudius and Jo Maxwell Muller (apparently deceased in 2010) as Ophelia. This version focuses the plot by cutting and editing (such as Laertes' overt challenge to Claudius on his return from Paris), but enough of the play is left for an enjoyable visit. All around the performers handled the verse with great clarity and that is very welcome. I have appeared in four productions of Hamlet, and teach it as part of my curriculum at a community college in Los Angeles and so am very familiar with it.

Ray Harp Even though I saw this program only twice 45 years ago, the quality of the acting and the high production standards made this HAMLET a very memorable experience. I was a drama student in high school at that time, and very much into Shakespeare and classical theater. I am now a semi-retired actor, director, and author; I have seen over 35 movie, television, and stage productions of HAMLET, and still remember Mr. Plummer's interpretation of HAMLET with clear distinction. The fine acting, the atmosphere, and the authentic staging created by filming at the actual Elsinore Castle in Denmark make this HAMLET the benchmark to which most other productions have aspired. In addition to Christopher Plummer, the cast included Robert Shaw, Michael Caine, Roy Kinnear, and Donald Sutherland. However, the most amazing thing about this HAMLET is that it has never become available in either VHS or DVD. THAT is the REAL tragedy... indeed, something does seem rotten in the State of Denmark.

Patrick-39 I saw this "Hamlet", my first, on television about 35 years ago. It helped hook me on Shakespeare, so I cannot really be objective, but scenes from it have seemed to linger, seemed to stand up to other Hamlets.