It is the grim and majestic setting for an uncommonly Olivier has wisely used-wisely, we say, because the study is largely in somber mood-the palace conceived for this 'Hamlet' is a dark and haunted palace. In the straight black-and-white photography

A word, too, of commendation for the intriguing musical score of William Walton and for the rich designing of Roger Furse must suffice. Is only one thing for which they can be blessed.

No more than passing mention can be made at this point of the fine work done by Norman Wooland as Horatio and by Basil Sydney as the King, by Felix Aylmer as Polonius, Terence Morgan as Laertes and all the rest. And the luminous performance of Jean Simmons as the truly fair Ophelia brings honest tears for a shattered romance which She gives that she knows the final cup is poisoned before she drinks it makes for heightened poignancy. So genuine is her disturbance that the uncommon evidence In the vibrant performance of Eileen Herlie as the Queen is this concept evidenced, too, for plainly she shows the strain and heartache of a ruptured attachment to her son. And it is this disillusion in women that shapes his uncertain attitude toward the young and misguided Ophelia, a victim herself of a parent's deceit. Than at the death of his father that sparks his woe. However, in this elucidation, it is more his wretched dismay at the treachery of his mother He is a solid and virile young man, plainly tormented by the anguish and the horror of a double shock. Olivier in this picture makes him reasonably comprehensible. But the openness with which he is played by Mr. Hamlet is nobody's glass-man, and the dark and troubled workings of his mind are difficult, even for Freudians. In fact, it has greatly speeded the unfolding of the plot and has given much greater clarity to its noted complexities. But some highly judicious editing has not done damage to the fullness of the drama nor toДЄny of its most familiar scenes. Natural that some fond Shakespeareans are going to be distressed at the suddenly discovered omission of this or that memorable speech. Subtle reactions of the characters, the movements of their faces and forms, which can be so dramatically expressive and which are more or less remote on the stage, are here made emotionally incisive by their normal proximity.Д¬oupled with beautiful acting and inspired interpretations all the way, this visual closeness to the drama offers insights that are brilliant and rare.ДЇurther, a quietly-moving camera which wanders intently around the vast and gloomy palace of Elsinore, now on the misty battlements, now in the great council chamber, now in the bedroom of the Queen, always looking and listening,ДЇrom this and from that vantage point, gives the exciting impression of a silent observer of great events, aware that big things are impending and anxious not to miss any of them.ДЄctually, a lot of material which is in the conventional 'Hamlet' text is missing from the picture-a lot of lines and some minor characters, notably those two fickle windbags, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. And, indeed, the physical distance of the audience from the stage has denied it the privilege of partaking in some of the most intimate moments of the plays.Д«ut just as Olivier's great 'Henry' took the play further away by taking it out into the open-and thereby revealed it visually-his 'Hamlet' makes the play more evident by bringing it closer to you. That the audiences of Shakespeare listen more closely than they look. The physical nature of the theatre, from the time of the Globe until now, has compelled It is not too brash or insensitive to say that these eloquent plays, in their uncounted stage presentations, have been more often heard than seen. And just as Olivier's ingenious and spectacular 'Henry V' set out new visual limits for Shakespeare's historical plays, his 'Hamlet' envisions new vistas in the great tragedies of the Indeed, this fine British-made picture, which opened at the Park Avenue last night under the Theatre-Guild's elegant aegis, is probably as vivid and as clear an exposition of the doleful Dane's dilemma as modern-day playgoers But now the matter is settled the filmed 'Hamlet' of Laurence Olivier gives absolute proof that these classics Of our stage that the very thought of their transference may have staggered a few profound die-hards. So bound have these poetic dramas long been to the culture It may come as something of a rude shock to the theatre's traditionalists to discover that the tragedies of Shakespeare can be eloquently presented on the screen.

Hamlet movie