Even starring as Hamlet is an iconic role for actors of any age and gender. Legendary, 19th century French actor Sarah Bernhardt played him onstage in 1899 and in 1900 on film. Hamlet as a character is supposedly about 30 years old, even though many people in their teens and early 20s relate to him or play him as younger. This could be because Hamlet recently studied at a university, is famously unsure of what to do, or because many people first read Hamlet in high school or college. The casting also tends to be very white, but hopefully that will change in the future. Each approach to the classic play has its pros and cons. And, when actors shift from stage acting to film, they can either act brilliantly or over-emote and lose Shakespeare’s humor. The naturalistic style popular in later adaptations, from the 1990s onward, can be too fast or delivered with a flat inflection. Hamlet has been adapted into movies over 50 times. So, which are the best Hamlet movie adaptations? “That is the question.” (Sorry not sorry!)
Our Totally Subjective Ranking of the Best Hamlet Movie Adaptations, from Best to Worst
More on Shakespeare and Hamlet:
Hamlet has inspired many other films and books, including Disney’s The Lion King and Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet. Want to learn more? Read Who Was Shakespeare?
