The King of Demark has just died. His widow has married his brother, and his son belives that "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark (Laurence Olivier) is right to be suspicious. His father's ghost visits him in the middle of the night and reveals that he was poisoned by his own brother.
Hamlet broods about his mother's quick marriage to his uncle ("Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables! I.II.182) and the fact that his girlfriend's father won't let her see him. Hamlet doesn't know what to do, so he devises a plot to get back at his uncle for once and for all.
Olivier's Hamlet isn't one of the best productions of Hamlet. I suggest Kenneth Brannagh's Hamlet (1996). It may be four hours long, but it is thorough and very well done.
This 1948 version of Hamlet is slow to get going, though, and for anyone not interested in Shakespeare, this is a very tough film to get into.
Plot: 
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Demark is, always has been, and always will be a great story. It is a timeless story that can be told in any decade and still be forcefull and effective. Shakespeare is probably the greatest English language writer ever, and this is only one of the examples of his genius in writing.
Shakespear knew how to make character driven plays. In fact, almost all of them are. Shakespeare could take any character and make them great, and that's what he did with Hamlet. In fact, Hamlet's soliloquy’s define the character that we have come to know and love.
Visual Effects: 
While the black and white cinematography is excellent, the buildings, sets and interiors look very cramped and closed in. The outdoor scenes did not look very realistic at all.
Sound:
There are no songs in this version of Hamlet, but the score of the picture is never-the-less decent and suits the film.
Character Development:
We all know how the story of Hamlet ends - everyone dies. That's why it's a tragedy. There is little development in any of the characters except Hamlet and Ophelia. Ophelia goes mad and kills herself while Hamlet goes mad with plots of revenge.
Atmosphere:
The film starts out very slow, for one thing, and it ends even slower. Laurence Olivier is one of the greatest Shakespearean actors, but sometimes he can take way too long in delivering the lines, which slows down the pacing of the film. This version of Hamlet is a hard version to get into because A) it is in black and white and B) it is Shakespeare to begin with. This version is not the best version for most people; there are better ones.
Realism:
Laurance Olivier did a very good job of bringing Hamlet to the screen. However, sets and buildings do not look very realistic at all.
Warren’s Rating:
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:
*Hamlet; Johnny Belinda; The Red Shoes; The Snake Pit; The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
6.86/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
31-01-05
Age at win: 41
Nominated for: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Hamlet, Prince of Demark, Hamlet
Nomination: 4/10 (acting), 5/13 (total), (plus two honorary oscars); Win (for acting): only (Also won for best picture for Hamlet)
Lord Laurence Olivier looks way to old to be an effective Hamlet, and does not have great film chemistry with his co-stars. This version of Hamlet focuses mostly on Oliver as Hamlet, almost like an ego-trip.
However, Olivier did a very good job of bringing Hamlet to the big-screen. Laurence Olivier is one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time, and He can deliver any line from any of Shakespeare's plays with the greatest of ease.
This is a decent production, for novice Shakespeare lovers, though, and Olivier does a decent job portraying Hamlet. He is still one of only two people to direct themselves to the Leading Acotor Oscar (The other being Roberto Benigni for Life is Beautiful).
22-01-05
