JUDE LAW AS HAMLET (& WATSON)

Jude Law is a terrific Hamlet.

He is clear, understandable, and looks just right.

Before I saw the show (the Donmar Warehouse production of Shakespeare's Hamlet, directed by Michael Grandage), I was skeptical of casting Jude Law as Hamlet: I've sometimes found him underwhelming in films; yet, he is a movie star. So I was afraid he might look wrong: too old, too movie-star-ish; and sound wrong: not have the vocal charisma to carry the role.

It was exactly the opposite.

Although he is six feet tall, he somehow looks young and small, at least compared to the "broad-framed" Kevin R. McNally who was cast as his uncle Claudius, the new king. So he seemed appropriate physically. And vocally he was commanding and completely understandable.

By the way, although Hamlet is said to be away at University, so we might think of him as quite young -- in his twenties or younger -- the Gravedigger says that Yorick has "lain in the earth three and twenty years," and Hamlet says he " knew him... a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times." Let's say Hamlet was 6 when Yorick died, give or take three years, that would make Hamlet somewhere between 26 and 32. So, in fact, a thirty-something actor is at an appropriate age to play this part.

The production as a whole is quite excellent. One of the clearest, simplest and most straightforward I've ever seen. I had only a few small problems with it. I was mystified by the reason for having the Player King and Ghost of Hamlet's father played by the same actor. It confused the meaning of the ghost (and the play), and added nothing. Also, I found the physical relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet weak. Especially since this version seemed strong (verbally) in describing their relationship: Though Polonius (but not Hamlet or Gertrude) feared that Ophelia was too much a "commoner" to be an acceptable queen for Hamlet, both Hamlet and Gertrude thought Ophelia and Hamlet had loved each other (before Hamlet left for the University). Gertrude thought they would marry. Yet, somehow, Hamlet never behaved with Ophelia convincingly as his one-time love, and Ophelia never behaved like a potential queen.

Despite these two minor issues, I enjoyed the play, and came out of this production with a much clearer understanding and appreciation of it. All in all, Jude Law and the director, Michael Grandage, and the whole Donmar company, created an especially well thought out and played presentation of this most difficult yet brilliant play.

Jude Law has a number of films currently in the pipeline. I'm looking forward to seeing him as Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes:



JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson
in "Sherlock Holmes".
Photo by Alex Bailey from WARNER BROS.

Guy Ritchie's casting, with Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock, and Jude Law as Watson, is certainly revisionist casting, after the "standard" films with a lean Basil Rathbone as Sherlock and a portly Nigel Bruce as Watson.