Gregory Doran's 'Hamlet' Reverent, Spectacular

Poisoned goblets, sword duels, Oedipus complexes, wildly-screaming bereaved women, and a black sheep of the family gone slightly mad; "Hamlet" runs the full gamut through William Shakespeare's repertoire of amusing tragic components. The core story itself is a testament to this fact, as it's spurned both exact and abstract adaptations -- from Disney animation in The Lion King to Chinese martial arts with The Banquet. But, obviously, following Shakespeare's prose in "Hamlet" with straight-edged, step-by-step integrity just feels right, which becomes the reason why Lawrence Olivier's 1948 Oscar-winning version and Kenneth Branagh's massive-scaled production from 1996 exist as the paramount projections of the tragedy of Denmark. Now, Gregory Doran's stage-to-screen transplant of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production, starring David Tennant as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart dual-rolling as Claudius and The Ghost, joins those ranks, as it's a breath-snatcher of a faithful retelling.

Shakespeare tells the story of Hamlet, a grieving son in the state of Denmark, who learns that his father has been killed by his uncle Claudius -- the very man whom is remarrying his mother, Gertrude. Vowing revenge, the story follows along as Hamlet sullenly reflects his father's death and how he'll obtain vengeance, all while interacting with Claudius and Gertrude in everyday facets and dealing with love-struck Ophelia, daughter to royal chamberlain Polonius. Shakespeare ratchets through the traditional five-act structure to tell his theme-riddled story, revolving around the consuming nature of both power and vengeance, as he carries us through deceit, surreal visions of Hamlet's father, the organization of a symbolic play within a play, and the postured rage leading to a satisfying contest of blade near the close. For a more thorough scene-by-scene rundown of the play's activity, check out BBC's website on this production.

Doran's Hamlet first appeared in the UK as a stellar and well-received stage run in 2008, which led to the desire in recording and airing a cinematic version for the BBC. The Royal Shakespeare Company embarked on this long-desired path due to the play's success, enlisting Archangel cinematographer Chris Seager to photograph a form of the tale instead of shooting several stage performances and editing them together. Shot over eighteen (18) days, this form of Hamlet uses an abandoned church -- draped in black, trimmed with gold, and adorned with compelling aesthetic elements -- as the primary backdrop to their traditionally concocted production, with a few twists. Though breathing unerringly with Shakespeare's elegant dialogue and contorted drama, it splices modernist elements into the mix like security camera footage to add tension, as well as black-tie suits, restrained gowns, and even t-shirts and jeans befitting a more contemporary setting.

Production designer Robert Jones returns from the stage adaptation to dress Hamlet, and the results are spectacular. An austere mood generates from the shimmering marble floors and pillars of the church, the false warmth of a bedroom, and the darkened coldness of exterior stone hallways, arming the production with an intricate yet focused visual look. It remains intriguing to the eye while it fittingly encapsulates the performers in an apt setting, streamlined flawlessly for enacting a play yet stunning to behold. On a number of occasions, I couldn't help but marvel at the construction; the stellar imagery of faces in a shattered mirror, the rays of light pouring in through circular mandala-esque windows like pincushions leading to a brighter world, and the haunted smokiness of indigo-hued scenes with Patrick Stewart as The Ghost. Jones' production merits are unmatched here, budgeted yet glorious.

Naturally, the performances are what'll define this Hamlet, and, oh, they're collectively so gripping in Gregory Doran's production. The director has an uncanny ability in pulling authentic, faithful, yet profoundly human entities from his actors, crafting them into projections of madness, grief, cool-bloodedness and anger that are both theatrically appealing and pertinent to instinctive emotion. David Tennant, likely recognizable as one of the many faces who've embodied Doctor Who, gives us a Hamlet that's a bit more brashly loony than others whom have taken the role as Denmark's black sheep. His wild-eyed, emphatic usage of the stage space projects an unnerving attribute that's astounding to behold. Patrick Stewart, winning an Olivier award for his presence as Claudius, offers a chillingly steady-handed yet haughty carriage, while booming in stirring fashion as The Ghost as his voice rattles the echoic space about him. The rest of the cast members, especially Mariah Gale's unforgettably fluid projection of Ophelia and Penny Downey's scaled evocation of Gertrude, are also universally fantastic.

Make no mistake, Doran's production stands faithful to Shakespeare's five-act play in pinpoint fashion, which carries this film version just over three hours in length -- yet the dramatic integrity formulated and the rhythmic, suspenseful pacing make the time rush by. Everything comes together into an engaging telling of Hamlet's morose power play with his brethren, cherry-picking modern and classic elements into a blend of camcorders, rapier duels, passionate soliloquies, and vulgarities when necessary. What's more, this taped version of Doran's play is surprisingly cinematic within its confined measures, implementing surgical set and costume usage to give us grasps on time and mood in convincing intervallic fashion. His piece finds a distinctively unorthodox balance between Shakespearean presence and a broad use of film-like stage space that's mesmerizing because of it, a grand way of making "Hamlet" feel current, reflective, and genuine to the bard's original aims.