National Theatre Live Hamlet (2015) starring Benedict Cumberbatch, my take
I finally saw Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet from the National Theatre Live. I was so anxious to see it I even considered going to London to see it live, since I didn't want to wait until October/November stateside to see in the theatres here.
At first, I thought Benedict's Hamlet performance was a continuation of his angsty Sherlock. Benedict's modern Sherlock (not necessarily the traditional Sherlock from the canon) and Hamlet do share similarities, namely neuroses, mental problems, a peppery tongue, and a childish self-centeredness. I think Benedict's career has been so defined by his Sherlock role that it's hard to separate the star from the character. Beyond Sherlock, Benedict has been typecast as strange men often with a deviant (Atonement) or effete (August: Osage County, War Horse) edge.
I would say Ciaran Hinds outperformed Cumberbatch. Hinds and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (who played Laertes) were the only ones in this production who can recite Shakespeare with a naturalism and power that one would mistake their lines for modern prose.
The older members/old guards of the cast dressed in military garb. Queen Gertrude was styled similarly to Queen Margrethe of Denmark; even their hairstyles resembled. Younger cast members dressed as stoned hipsters.
I was simply blown away by the art direction and the costuming. The mise-en-scene and sets were meticulously built to be a dystopian palace.
I'm sure there are dozens of better reviews out there. I'm not a critic, and I did fall asleep here and there. Since this is Hamlet, just about everyone with a Western education knows how it goes.
I was not impressed with Sian Brooke's Ophelia. To date, the best performance of Ophelia is still by Kate Winslet (obviously my opinion).
At this point, however, I don't know if Benedict has been overhyped or his star is shining too bright, eclipsing his actual style and talent. Are Benedict Cumberbatch and Leonardo di Caprio the finest actors of their generation? Is Benedict as good as Leo? Not yet.
If you want superb acting, go see this production for Ciaran Hinds. He is a gem.
If you want to study art direction and costuming, go see it.
If you want a new interpretation of Hamlet that surpasses the ones from the past, Benedict hasn't quite accomplished it. I really thought he acted exactly like Sherlock. I'm not a big fan of Kenneth Branagh or Olivier's hamminess, but I think their interpretations were better than Benedict's Hamlet.
I finally saw Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet from the National Theatre Live. I was so anxious to see it I even considered going to London to see it live, since I didn't want to wait until October/November stateside to see in the theatres here.
At first, I thought Benedict's Hamlet performance was a continuation of his angsty Sherlock. Benedict's modern Sherlock (not necessarily the traditional Sherlock from the canon) and Hamlet do share similarities, namely neuroses, mental problems, a peppery tongue, and a childish self-centeredness. I think Benedict's career has been so defined by his Sherlock role that it's hard to separate the star from the character. Beyond Sherlock, Benedict has been typecast as strange men often with a deviant (Atonement) or effete (August: Osage County, War Horse) edge.
I would say Ciaran Hinds outperformed Cumberbatch. Hinds and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (who played Laertes) were the only ones in this production who can recite Shakespeare with a naturalism and power that one would mistake their lines for modern prose.
The older members/old guards of the cast dressed in military garb. Queen Gertrude was styled similarly to Queen Margrethe of Denmark; even their hairstyles resembled. Younger cast members dressed as stoned hipsters.
I was simply blown away by the art direction and the costuming. The mise-en-scene and sets were meticulously built to be a dystopian palace.
I'm sure there are dozens of better reviews out there. I'm not a critic, and I did fall asleep here and there. Since this is Hamlet, just about everyone with a Western education knows how it goes.
I was not impressed with Sian Brooke's Ophelia. To date, the best performance of Ophelia is still by Kate Winslet (obviously my opinion).
At this point, however, I don't know if Benedict has been overhyped or his star is shining too bright, eclipsing his actual style and talent. Are Benedict Cumberbatch and Leonardo di Caprio the finest actors of their generation? Is Benedict as good as Leo? Not yet.
If you want superb acting, go see this production for Ciaran Hinds. He is a gem.
If you want to study art direction and costuming, go see it.
If you want a new interpretation of Hamlet that surpasses the ones from the past, Benedict hasn't quite accomplished it. I really thought he acted exactly like Sherlock. I'm not a big fan of Kenneth Branagh or Olivier's hamminess, but I think their interpretations were better than Benedict's Hamlet.
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