Hamlet I

Shakespeare's Play: Hamlet, 1600 (about 2/3rds of the way through Shakespeare's career; one of his best known plays, even during his lifetime)

Definitive versions: Laurence Olivier version (1948), Kenneth Branagh version (1996), Ethan Hawke retelling (2000), The Complete Dramatic Works (1980) stars Derek Jacobi who plays Claudius in Branagh's version.

Retelling: The Lion King (1956)

The Play Itself: David Tennant version (2009), next week!

MIKE SAYS the great thing about this film is how well it balances all of its various elements. You have Drama, Suspense, Comedy, Tragedy, and Romance all connected with versatile characters and amazing music in such a way that the film never feels out of joint or uncomfortable with itself.

The plot and world are open enough to allow exploration, which Disney was happy enough to explore with an animated series, two more films and a Broadway play, though none of them (well, I can't speak for the play) really pull it off as well as the first movie.

While the Lion King certainly represents Hamlet, according to the writers and director, it was a happy accident: The original screenplay had some strong similarities to the play, which was later pointed out by a few observers. Upon seeing it, the script was changed to bring it closer and closer to the play, while maintaining the features that make the film its own wonderful and unique entity.

I don't know what it is about the short, odd, old and wise characters that always seems to gain my affection, but Rafiki continues to be my favorite character in the film.  From his oddball antics, his off the wall wisdom and his sweet kung fu moves, the character is just the loose cannon the film needs to pull the different strands together.  That he pulls off even the most grave of his duties (such as summoning the ghost of Mufasa) while earning a laugh "What was Dat!?!?!  The weather, VERY peculiar!" just makes the character all the more well-crafted.

The film is part of what was considered the "Disney Renaissance," which included other masterpieces such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast, and may in fact be the best of them. While it probably shouldn't be included on any lists of Shakespeare adaptations (though it is, hence it's inclusion on this list), it does, like Forbidden Planet, show how the stories used by Shakespeare can really be used in universal settings, and seem to capture real human drama and emotion.

Although, it's safe to say that the Bard's soundtracks weren't nearly as good.

KATE SAYS this is a beautiful film! I saw it in a theater when it first came out, and it just blew my mind: that opening scene!! (I also own the Rhythm of the Pridelands soundtrack--one of the first CD soundtracks I bought for my soundtrack collection; it includes the African lyrics/music rather than the popular numbers although "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "Warhog Rhapsody" is on there).

From a content point of view, the film is a little sparse; it is basically the last 1/4 of Hamlet after Hamlet comes back from being thrown out of the kingdom for killing Polonius. All the material is there (father ghost, crazy friends, not-so-crazy Ophelia, evil uncle, mother who actually is sleeping with evil uncle but that's just cause I know my lion biology--don't tell the kiddies); unlike with Forbidden Planet, it's hard to imagine that the writers weren't at least aware of the connection though they may not have aimed for it specifically.

The one thing the movie does that the play (deliberately) fails to do is capture Hamlet (Simba's) relationship with his father. Branagh tried to rectify this issue by adding flashbacks. I personally think that Shakespeare meant the relationship to be ambiguous; Hamlet feels compelled to revenge his father out of filial duty, not because he necessarily trusts the ghost, father or not.

But I'm glad Mufasa is in The Lion King since he is the best king/father on the entire planet ever. And James Earl Jones is the best voice for Mufasa ever--or for any dad character (it's my contention that Darth Vader was redeemed solely because of James Earl Jones' voice--and am I the only one who thinks that Simba chasing the monkey to the pool is very Empire Strikes Back?). 

The biggest disappointment in the film is Matthew Broderick. I like Matthew Broderick in lots of stuff. I think he was completely wrong for the voice of Simba. There's something a little unsettling about the younger version of Simba having a gruffer, huskier voice than the adult version. Jonathan Taylor Thomas does a magnificent job as young Simba. Matthew Broderick as the grown-up king-to-be is kind of hard to believe in.

Jeremy Irons is wonderful though (I like him as Scar much more than as the villain in Die Hard With a Vengeance) as well as all the extras--how about that Rowan Atkinson?!