Can anyone get me a copy or tape me a copy the Russian Hamlet? I forget the directors name off of the top of my head. I'll pay for the trouble and the postage costs. And does anyone have videos of any other productions of Hamlet from the stage, be they local productions or whatever? I would be very curious to take a look. Hail! Thanks! Patrick

-- Patrick Walker (criesandwhispers666@yahoo.com), May 04, 2003

Answers

Actual russian actors? or subtitled... becuase I dont know about the popularity of theatre in russia. If not, I can subtitle it for you if you want. just e-mail me.

-- Blake Edwards (blake-edwards@rogers.com), May 06, 2003.

No. It is a subtitled movie.

-- Patrick Walker (criesandwhispers666@yahoo.com), May 07, 2003.

The director is Grigori Kozintsev. The film was made in 1964, produced by a company called Lenfilm. I don't know where to find it though. Also, you may want to see if you can find a video version of Hamlet by Celestino Coronado (Great Britian, 1976) produced by Essential Cinema: The Cult Collection. It is pretty strange but interesting as a mid-70s experimentation.

-- R. R. Smith (Rionrobertsmith@hotmail.com), May 11, 2003.

Wait, just surfed around and found that it is due to be re-released late this year. See

-- RRSMITH (Rionrobertsmith@hotmail.com), May 11, 2003.

My message got cut off. see www.ruscico. com

-- RS (Rionrobertsmith@hotmail.com), May 11, 2003.

This is not actually connected to the Russian Hamlet but a few years ago I saw at the National Film Theatre a filmed version of a streetclothes production which was filed in New York in the 60's , directed by John Geilgud and starring Richard Burton. It was a long lost copy running for about 3 hours. Whether or not it was ever put on video I very much doubt. By the way do you know who wrote the music to the Russian one. It was shown in London about 4 years ago at the Barbican but is very rarely brought out to bsee the light of day.

Regards

Chris Ketteridge

-- Chris Ketteridge (chris.ketteridge@dti.gsi.gov.uk), March 02, 2004.

The Shakespeare Institute in Stratford has a copy of this film.

-- Thomas McGrath (thomas.mcgrath@ntlworld.com), May 31, 2004.

Can I buy it from them????

-- Patrick Walker (the_right_hand_of_doom@msn.com), June 05, 2004.

You need to search for "Gamlet". You're referring, I think, to the Pasternak translation of the play, with music by D. Shostakovich. It's a terrific movie, certainly the best non-English Hamlet, and several scenes influenced Branagh's handling of the ghost scenes. You can get it, like I did, from video stores in your local Russian ghetto.

-- Steve Williams (stevejwilliams@yahoo.com), December 17, 2004.