Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Review
Tom Stoppard's Ingenious Retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Oldman and Roth) are riding along a mountain path, when Rosencrantz spots a coin on the trail. He dismounts, taking up the coin, and flicks it. It lands heads up. He flicks it again and, once again, shows heads. He repeats the action. Every time, heads.
This marks the peculiar beginning of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s journey. They soon meet a troupe of decadent tragedians led by The Player (Dreyfuss) and are thereafter drawn into the schemes of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, bid to solve the madness of the Prince at the behest of the recently enthroned King of Denmark.
The two hapless characters then have to make sense of everything that’s happening, which is not so easy when no one even seems to be sure which is supposed to be Rosencrantz and which Guildenstern - including themselves.
In the process, the original plot of Hamlet becomes a fractal of itself, repeatedly playing out through a variety of mediums, all of which are leading them both to their ultimate fate.
Based on Tom Stoppard's Play
The film - based on Tom Stoppard’s play of the same name - represents Stoppard's only foray into the medium. This is a pity, because he has given us a unique production, beautifully conceived and meticulously executed.
Despite winning the Fantasporto Director's Week Award it is as a script-writer that Stoppard clearly excels, particularly where that script depends on the bantering dialogue of it’s two primary characters. In this department, Stoppard is nothing short of sheer genius and you will be hard-pressed to find a sharper, wittier script on the planet.
Littered through the dialogue are a broad variety of philosophical questions, both profound and ridiculous, tragic and humorous, universal and particular. Rosencrantz’s predilection to anticipate nearly every significant historical breakthrough is a particular joy, while Stoppard toys with words and expressions as well as the principal laws of physics with child-like enthusiasm.
While some of the more archaic dialogue may be difficult for some viewers to follow, none of it is critical to enjoying the film and should not dissuade anyone from approaching.
Roth, Oldman & Dreyfuss
While the film also won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film festival in 1990, Gary Oldman was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award in the Best Male Lead category in 1992, but there are three standout actors in this film, with Tim Roth clearly being one of them.
Roth lends an ill-placed self-assurance to his character that makes him more than just the straight man to Oldman's scene-stealing antics and the chemistry of the pair is a pleasure to watch, and listen to, from start to finish. It is a rare treat to see two actors so well placed and comfortable in their roles.
Of course, Richard Dreyfuss also needs mentioning as The Player, lending his expertise to a part full of brilliant and thoughtful dialogue. He clearly delights in the role that comes with such great lines as, "We are Actors! We're the opposite of people," to quote but a fraction of the whole.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead may not be to everybody’s tastes, but for those who are always on the lookout for something original and challenging, this is a must.
Producers: Emanuel Azenberg, Michael Brandman.
Director: Tom Stoppard.
Screenplay: Tom Stoppard.
Starring: Tim Roth, Gary Oldman, Richard Dreyfuss.
Released: 1990 by Cinecom Pictures (USA), Hobo Film Enterprises Ltd. (UK)
Running Time: 113 mins.
