Hamlet

Alternative title

Hamlet: The Drama of Vengeance

Synopsis

Feature film which presents Hamlet as a princess. While the King of Denmark is seriously ill his wife gives birth to a daughter, telling the court that a son has been born in order to safeguard the crown. The King recovers and the baby is raised as a boy. From this follows Hamlet’s secret passion for Horatio and rivalry with Ophelia for his love. Gertrude is presented as conspiring in her first husband’s murder. Hamlet kills Claudius in a fire immediately upon returning from Norway with an army led by old school friend Fortinbras, and it falls to Gertrude to engineer Hamlet’s death in the fencing match as well as kill herself by accidentally drinking the poisoned wine.

Country

Germany

Medium

Film

Technical information

Black-and-white / Silent

Year of release

1920

Notes

The viewing copy held by the BFI National Archive is 6,610ft (73mins) has English flash titles.

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Gender reversal

Credits

Director

Heinz Schall; Svend Gade

Cinematographer

Axel Graatkjaar; Curt Courant

Screenplay

Erwin Gepard

Costume

Hugo Baruch; L. Verch

Cast

Anton de Verdier
Asta Nielsen
Eduard von Winterstein
Fritz Achterberg
Hans Junkermann
Heinz Steida
Lilly Jacobssen
Mathilde Brandt
Paul Conradi

Production Company

Name

Art-Film

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web

http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7255 1444

Fax

020 7436 0165

Address

21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN

Name

Museum of Modern Art

Email

fsc@moma.org

Web

http://www.moma.org External site opens in new window

Phone

9212) 708-9613

Address

Celeste Bartos International Film Study Center
11 West 53 Street
New York, New York 10019-5497

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Deutsches Filminstitut - DIF

Email

schurig@deutsches-filminstitut.de

Web

http://www.deutsches-filminstitut.de External site opens in new window

Phone

0611 97 000 10

Fax

0611 97 000 15

Address

Filmarchiv
Kreuzberger Ring 56
65205 Wiesbaden
Germany