Review of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1991) by Chimene G — 13 Oct 2008

A movie that should be on everyone's list of "Movies Seen". Guildenstern and Rosencrantz take over the main roles in the drama that only unsettling and highly disturbant surroundings of the Danish court can provide. It is a truly brilliant "recreation", if You will, of I believe the best play ever, that of the Prince of the Danish court, Hamlet. This movie basically shows the story from a different perspective and unlike many other attempts to show the happenings at the Danish court through the eyes of Ophelia or spoiled Hamlet's mother Gertrude, this movie directed by Tom Stoppard stays true to the original transcript by Shakespeare and in the interesting twist of subsequently-occuring scenes, the viewers have the chance to grasp the story of Hamlet, learn of the rotten actions of Claudius and the death of Hamlet's father, as well as intrique being played out by Ophelia's father Polonius who eventually drives her from the sincere love Hamlet offers her. And of course, as the title suggests the audience also has the opportunity to discover what has truly happened to Ros and Guil (as they are called to avoid the awkwardness of their German-like names) and learn of how lost they actually are and eventually decide to short their stay alive by their own will.

It's a very witty classic as two two main actors play out the roles of Ros and Guil brilliantly and make their "stupidity", if You like, stand out. The icing on the cake is the Guil's natural tendency to destroy everything he touches, which drives Ros crazy.

I recommend everybody interested in the classics or just simply in spending the evening enjoying a well-crafted comedy borrows this 1991 movie and dives into the world of medieval Denmark. :).