The Ghost in Kozintsev’s Hamlet (1964)
By Bork S. Nerdrum

From all the Hamlet interpretations that I have seen – Grigori Kozintsev‘s film of 1964 comes to mind as the most spectacular.
Hamlet was Kozintsev’s second last movie followed by King Lear (1971) before his death two years later.

Several scenes from the original play by Marlowe are narrowed down or cut away completely in this adaption. The film director has even removed the opening from act one.
But just like Kurosawa’s brilliant filmatizations of King Lear and Macbeth – the scenes and events have been put together by Kozintsev in a tasteful manner.

Horatio and Hamlet has spotted the ghost in Kozintsev’s dramatic adaption of the scene in his film from 1964.

One scene stands out in the Russian “Gamlet” and that is the scene where the prince meets his father – the king – as a ghost.
Some people would argue that this is the most difficult part of the story to execute on-screen or on stage.

Many versions have been made with various effects.
Laurence Olivier’s 1948 adaption portrayed the ghost at times half invicible and covered in smoke. In the 1990 version starring Paul Scofield as the haunting king – Franco Zeffirelli visualized him as a real life human being without any spetacle.

But I can hardly imagine any film adaption to ever compete with this one:

If you grew up with Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Batman Trilogy you will absolutely see some similarity in this movie.
Unlike other versions that I have come across – Kozintsev’s adaption of the ghost scene seems to harmonize more with nature.
The wind is hurricane-like and the occean is in fury. After the ghost appears in front of Hamlet and his companions in the most exaggerated way – the horses outside the stable run away in fear.
And everything is captured in dramatically lit black and white photography.

Talk about taking advantage of film as the storytelling medium!

With Dmitri Shostakovih’s film score the scene comes as close to perfection as you can get it.

The Ghost walks away and Hamlet is seen on the hill of the castle chasing it.