Kitchen Hamlet
Kitchen Hamlet is an independent feature film, starring Patrick Shaw as Hamlet, and directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer.
Hamlet, sworn to revenge by the ghost of his murdered father, struggles to cut himself off from those he loves in order to keep his promise. This contemporary telling of ShakespeareÂ’s play finds poetry and tragedy in the everyday setting of an isolated country house.
Visually evocative, deeply felt, and stripped of false pomp, Kitchen Hamlet features a stunning performance by Patrick Shaw as Hamlet. Shakespeare's tale of a son in mourning is set in a world we recognize as our own. In 76 minutes, the story of Hamlet is stripped down to its essence. Director Daniel Elihu Kramer, an award-winning stage director, brings a contemporary energy to Shakespeare's language.
Removed from grand schemes of politics (and the grand schemes of many Shakespeare films), Kitchen Hamlet provides a deep focus on Hamlet's personal relationships, on family and loss. Trapped in the house where he was raised, mourning his father's death, and angry at his mother for her betrayal, Hamlet is unprepared for the responsibility thrust on him by his father's ghost. Cinematographer Mark Yeazel captures the lush promise of the world beyond the house, and the deceptive depths of the world within.