Hamlet

(Michael Almereyda, US 2000, 112 min., 35mm)

Shakespeare. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” These words resonate across time, landing in the present with Michael Almereyda’s postmodern updating of the Bard’s timeless tragedy. Here, 16th-century Denmark is displaced by contemporary Manhattan, with its dreary urban landscapes, reflective surfaces, and ubiquitous screens. Mopey and melancholy, his hair getting in his eyes, Ethan Hawke proves the quintessential Hamlet of generation X, while a timeworn Bill Murray delivers an inspired performance as Polonius.

Special presentation by Chief Projectionist Spencer Christiano, who will be playing Hamlet in the Rochester Community Players October-November productions of Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. For more information, please visit rochestercommunityplayers.org.