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August 9, 2001

6 / 10

This new version of Hamlet, which is set in the year 2000, is very artistic and flashy. Ethan Hawke provides quite a solid performance as the vengeful prince of Denmark. Julia Stiles portrays Ophelia, Hamlet's troubled paramour. It might have been better to cast an older actress for that part, at times she seemed more like a little sister to him than a love interest.

I've never read or seen any adaptations of Hamlet, and I think that was a bit of a problem. The movie would have been a lot more enjoyable if I knew the story better, then I'd be able to appreciate what the film-makers did with it. But alas, I spent most of the movie trying to decipher the Shakespearean verses. I think I got most of it; the story didn't seem that complicated. But I would recommend that you have a little more experience than being familiar with the line "to be or not to be" before you watch this film.


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