April 22, 2011

Asta Nielsen’s Hamlet

I stumbled on this yesterday. A 1920s-era, trans-gender, silent film adaptation of Hamlet, staring Asta Nielsen.

Scenes from the 1920 silent film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” starring Danish silent film actress Asta Nielsen. In this interpretation, inspired by Dr. Edward P. Vining’s book The Mystery of Hamlet, Hamlet is born female and disguised as a male to preserve the lineage. Though a radical interpretation, the New York Times said this film, “holds a secure place in class with the best.”

You can watch the entire film here. I told Sheila I was proud to have found something she didn’t already know about.

posted by in gender, history, movies, theater, video | * | 3 comments 

comments

  1. Sheila Ryan on April 22nd, 2011 at 11:10 am

    That made me happy, too, Deron. I knew who Asta Nielsen was, but I did not know about her Hamlet.

    It can be scary when people think you know everything. Especially because you know that you don’t.

    Now I will have to find that tiny clip of Sarah Bernhardt’s Hamlet that I mentioned.

  2. Sheila Ryan on April 22nd, 2011 at 11:24 am

    I love the “bosom revelation” scene.

  3. Sheila Ryan on April 22nd, 2011 at 11:35 am

    The Sarah Bernhardt Hamlet clip.

    It’s hopeless to try and imagine from this clip why she was so adored (especially with that Pathé rooster [cock] watermark in the way), but then that is one difference between cinematic art and simple filmed records of theatrical performances.

    Mainly, what blows my mind is that it’s Sarah Bernhardt and she is playing Hamlet and it is 1899.

    And she still had both her legs.

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