Hamlet (1964): Cast & Plot
Hamlet is a 1964 drama directed by Grigori Kozintsev, starring Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy as Hamlet, Stepan Oleksenko and Igor Dmitriev. It is based on Hamlet by William Shakespeare and T. J. B. Spencer. It runs 2 hours 20 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 20m (140 min)
- Director
- Grigori Kozintsev
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Russian - Studio
- Lenfilm
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Hamlet About?
The premise of Hamlet without spoilers, adapted from Hamlet by William Shakespeare and T. J. B. Spencer. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Grigori Kozintsev sets Shakespeare’s melancholy Dane in the real Estonian castle of Elsinore, using its stone walls as a mental prison for Hamlet. Innokenti Smoktunovsky plays Hamlet as the lone sensitive intellect among debaucherous courtiers. Kozintsev’s bold move to have him deliver “To be or not to be” with his back to the camera invites the audience to supply its meaning as he plans his father’s revenge.
Hamlet Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- shakespeare's hamlet
- russia
- brother
- father
- suicide
- ghost
- murder
- prince
- king
- denmark
- shakespeare play
- ship
+38 more Show fewer
- sword
- death of protagonist
- torch
- dragging a dead body
- laughter
- dagger
- internal monologue
- eavesdropping
- melancholy
- death of sister
- army
- friend
- anger
- orchestral music score
- drawbridge
- fireplace
- flag
- cannon
- sea
- horseback riding
- bed
- horse
- stepfather stepson relationship
- stepfather
- father son relationship
- grave digger
- skull
- family relationships
- stage play
- actor
- poisoning
- mother son relationship
- royal court
- royalty
- scheming
- dysfunctional family
- woman drowned
- death
Hamlet Cast & Characters
Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy leads the cast as Hamlet, with Stepan Oleksenko as Laertes and Igor Dmitriev as Rosencrantz. Directed by Grigori Kozintsev; 12 actors are credited in all.
- Director Grigori Kozintsev
- Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy as Hamlet
- Stepan Oleksenko as Laertes
- Igor Dmitriev as Rosencrantz
- Vadim Medvedev as Guildenstern
Also Starring in Hamlet
· 8 more- Anastasiya Vertinskaya Ophelia
- Viktor Kolpakov Gravedigger
- Elza Radziņa Gertrude
- Yuriy Tolubeev Polonius
- Mikhail Nazvanov Claudius
- Ants Lauter Priest
- Vladimir Erenberg Horatio
- Grigori Gaj Ghost of Hamlet's Father
Hamlet Plot Summary
What happens in Hamlet from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 10 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Dana Marschz is a former actor struggling with alcoholism who now teaches high school drama in Tucson, Arizona. Despite his belief that he’s an inspiring teacher, he only has two genuinely enthusiastic students, Rand Posin and Epiphany Sellars, and his past productions are mostly poorly received plays based on popular Hollywood movies, with the latest being a version of Erin Brockovich. As a new school year begins, a fresh batch of students is assigned to his class because of budget cuts that have left drama as the only available arts elective. Many of these students are unimpressed with Dana’s efforts and skeptical of his claims of inspiration. Among these new students is [Octavio], who quickly clashes with Dana.
Full summary
The whole story of Hamlet, scene by scene
Hamlet Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Hamlet.
How Well Do You Know Hamlet?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What profession does the main character Dana hold at the start of the film?
Hamlet Also Known As
5 alternative titles, including “Gamlet” and “هاملت”.
- Also known as
-
- Gamlet
- هاملت
- Amleto
- 哈姆雷特
- Άμλετ
Seen Hamlet?
Movies Like Hamlet
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Hamlet, Hamlet and Hamlet.
Hamlet FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, the book behind it, post-credit scenes and language of Hamlet, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Hamlet?
Hamlet runs 2 hours 20 minutes (140 minutes).
When was Hamlet released?
Hamlet was released on June 24, 1964.
Who directed Hamlet?
Hamlet was directed by Grigori Kozintsev.
More films by Grigori Kozintsev Who is in the cast of Hamlet?
Hamlet stars Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy as Hamlet, Stepan Oleksenko as Laertes and Igor Dmitriev as Rosencrantz, among 12 credited actors.
Is Hamlet based on a book?
Yes. Hamlet is adapted from Hamlet by William Shakespeare and T. J. B. Spencer.
Does Hamlet have a post-credit scene?
No. Hamlet has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Hamlet in?
The original language of Hamlet is Russian.
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