My first introduction to the tales of William Shakespeare was "Hamlet," and it came to me by way of a comic book series, popular in the 1960s, called Classics Illustrated. There was one part of the whole comic book that scared the life out of me — the very first page, the very first frame: the ghost of Hamlet's father.
Since 1900, there have been over 50 different big-screen versions of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," seven of which have seen theatrical releases. In 1996, Kenneth Branagh produced a rather definitive version, because he used the full text of the original Shakespeare.
Branagh himself plays the title role of the sweet prince, Derek Jabobi plays King Claudius, Julie Christie is Queen Gertrude, and Ophelia is played by Kate Winslet. It was very notable for being the first time an unabridged theatrical film version of the play was made, and for the music, Branagh turned to his musical muse, Patrick Doyle.
On this week's Flicks in Five, we'll hear composer Patrick Doyle's musical depiction of the ghost of Hamlet's father.
Hamlet — Official Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rd74Gniz-A
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