Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1991)

Tom Stoppard's modern stage classic finds a pair of film actors worthy of its verbal japery and existential bewilderment: Gary Oldman and Tim Roth are deliciously locked in as the title characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. And yet it remains difficult to tell which one is Rosencrantz and which Guildenstern--even they seem unsure--a clever part of Stoppard's ingenious design. Focusing on a pair of unremarkable characters from Hamlet, Stoppard sees the great play from their confused perspective. Now and again the action of Hamlet sweeps them up, but most of the time R&G are left wondering where they are, what they have been sent for, and why they can't remember anything that happened before the beginning of the play. Richard Dreyfuss (fittingly grandiloquent) is the Player King, who seems to know more about the ominous workings of fiction and tragedy than the heroes do. Stoppard's first outing as a film director is handsomely shot but uncertainly paced--although any time Oldman and Roth go into one of their tennis-match debates on probability, identity, or death, the movie crackles. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern may be the "indifferent children of the earth," but for this brief moment they deserve center stage. --Robert Horton Amazon.com

Supurb Video

Have always enjoyed the movie... and the DVD is very good quality. Excellent perspective on the Shakespearean play "Hamlet". August 29, 2008

It's like `Hamlet' only; not...

`Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead' is truly a film I had no expectations of walking into it. I decided to watch it because I generally like Richard Dreyfuss, and the premise of the film sounded interesting. That said premise was also deceiving and I found myself confused for the first twenty minutes or so. I actually thought that this was about a group of actors who put on a stage performance of `Hamlet', I had no idea that it was `Hamlet' just told from another point of view. After I figured that out the film become much more enjoyable for me.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two dimwitted acquaintances of Hamlet's who are contacted by his mother and step father to try and discern just what is bother Hamlet. They are told they will be amply rewarded if they succeed and so the two of them find themselves with free reign of the castle, overhearing conversations and trying desperately to put the pieces together. The trouble is that they can't even seem to keep their identities straight, let alone the root cause of Hamlet's distress.

We all know the story of Hamlet, tragic as it is, so the point of `Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead' is not to simply rehash Shakespeare's play but make light of it with witty dialog and sharp execution. For the most part the film succeeds marvelously.

The casting of Gary Oldman and Tim Roth in the leads was superb. The two of them play off one another beautifully with their banter. If you though that the recent `Juno' was heavy handed you really need to get a load of this film, for the mere fact that Roth and Oldman are able to get through each scene without choking on their words is a marvelous feat. They both seem so natural in their respective roles (whichever one that is) and their charisma is really what helps coast the film along. Richard Dreyfuss is also delightful as the wise and mysterious actor who seems to grasp the goings-on's of the house a little more than Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do. I normally am not a huge fan of Dreyfuss' comedic work, but here he is spot on.

My only complaint about the film is that at times the audience is left to feel as confused as the two leads, and really we should always be aware of what is going on, for that is what makes their confusion all the more entertaining. I am a big fan of mystery and intrigue, but when you get to the point that you are trying so hard to figure out what just happened that you miss what happened next it can get a little tiring.

Thankfully that confusion does not permeate the entire film, and we are left with an overall satisfying comedy that attacks the funny bone with force and without mercy. Thanks to the natural feel to the bantering, Stoppard's screenplay becomes one of the best of the year, witty, sharp and entertaining to the very end. August 25, 2008

My favourite movie of all time!

There is no way you've come to this page by accident. Before the days of dvd, I used to rent this movie from the video place. Repeatedly.
I don't know how many times I've seen this movie. It remains as fascinating, clever and witty as the first time I saw it. It is the same masterpiece it was when it was released the first time.

But if you've come to this page by accident, this is the best movie ever made. Funniest, cleverest, most unpredictable, most intriguing. It is well acted, well written, totally immersive. Pure genius. If you're not convinced, rent it. You will want to see it again and again. Even more so than "The Usual Suspects".

If you buy only one movie on DVD, this should be it. If ever a movie was worthy of five stars, this is it!
August 2, 2008

YES!

I believe it was Joe Orton, play write, that said, "I wish I'd written that!" upon seeing this play in England, in the 60's. I feel the same. Tom Stoppard at his hysterical best. Hamlet fans, have fun,[except for the whinny dude playing Hamlet], Gary Oldman, always fantastic. Tim Roth, perfect. Richard Dreyfuss....not so much. One,[or two], miscasts won't spoil it for you, though. May 17, 2008

Ever wonder what they were doing offstage?

This is the film adaption of Tom Stoppard's brilliant play. An excellent cast makes this film, but you have to fully understand the play "Hamlet" in order to follow and appreciate this film. The plot is what takes place (mostly) offstage during the unfolding of "Hamlet", and it revolves around Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two minor players in "Hamlet" who were probably put in the play for some needed comic relief (although they meet an untimely and hard to explain end in both the play and the film). If you like "Hamlet", this film will make you laugh repeatedly (which is something that "Hamlet" won't do...). April 29, 2008

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