They should show this to students who study hamlet. It's such a thought provoking discussion and Cumberbatch has an immense respect for this play and it shows every second
And the most portrayed historical character on screen is Napoleon the Great. So in addition to the possibility of Benedict Cumberbatch playing the vampirised version of Vlad III before slipping into a bicorne hat and colonel's uniform, it's also funny how the BBC Sherlock series launched a fashion for slate grey overcoats. ;)
You can tell he is very passionate about acting and telling stories. Would love to see more in depth interviews like this instead of the usual and boring interviews artists are forced to do.
I went to The Barbican in September of 2015, all the way from New York. Best thing I've seen in my life. Was worth the six months wait until I was in my seat, second row center. Benedict is phenomenal.
Agree, I think he is fabulous. I love his wife too. I mean, I think they must be a beautiful couple and right, ... Hamlet/Sherlock. Batch moves in a lot of waves look him up '#talent
Thank you so much for uploading this! I saw the play at the Barbican in September and it was a life-changing experience. Lovely to listen to Benedict explain and analyze it. No other actor has ever shaken me to my core the way Benedict does.
absolutely flawless. not a second went by in which i wasn't completely fixated with my jaw hanging down. seeing such a legendary play brought to life with one of the biggest figures in my life is completely astonishing. just the way he talks about this play and every ounce of strength and breath and concentration he puts into these performances is absolutely beyond me. i always see him express such a definite and unconditional love for the things he does, he doesn't seize to express his own appreciation for the projects he is involved in and how much he values them and the stories they include. i'm forever regretting every second of thought that went into not deciding to see this in theatre, nevermind in cinema. i missed out of a pure, pure experience, glad i can finally live it to some sort of degree. hope to one day express my sincere admiration for this man in person one day. i hope to follow my own aspirations and be able to work alongside this perfect example of a talented, honest, beautiful human being. this comment will hardly be valued but i value benedict and this performing in such immense amounts.
Every actor who played Hamlet presented the character in their own unique way. Benedict did quite well. I have recently seen David Tennant and Andrew Scott's version. They were also mind blowing!
Oh man, I'm so excited for this movie. Benedict obviously cares very much about doing a good job as an actor, and thinks very hard about the philosophy and the psychology of it all. And I love how genuinely passionate he is, as an actor, but also as a person.
I didn't mind the amount the interviewer talked, because it seemed more like a genuine and engaging intellectual discussion rather than a question-answer thing, which has always bugged me. I think a discussion format is so much more conducive to the kinds of rich conclusions drawn in this video. Plus, Benedict doesn't seem to mind the times that he gets interrupted. There's one moment where the interviewer interrupts and says something like "It's very powerful," and Benedict just says "Yes it definitely is powerful" and adds it on to what he was saying. I don't know why it bugs some people so much.
From the context of the interview, it is OBVIOUS that the interviewer knows more about "Hamlet" than the actor and that he is trying to pull a deeper conversation out of the actor to the extent he can. Bless his tiny heart, the actor knew who the interviewer was--which you apparently don't--and correctly respected him.
We saw this performance for the first time in 2019 as part of the City Cinema / National Theater program in the US and it was absolutely wonderful :) All of the actors did a fantastic job, Benedict was perfect as Hamlet, the set design, music and costumes were great and it was an unforgettable production :)
One of the best things about this particular production is the focus on war imagery, The war and it's affects are not often brought to the forefront, it's usually all about the relationships and Hamlet's decisions, or lack thereof. Almost no vanity in this production, which is really interesting.
I first saw Benedict Cumberbatch perform in 'Zoolander 2,' and I wondered to myself: "Who is this remarkable creature? So noble in performance, so sublime in movement and in diction!" And I know that, 400 years from now, whenever they perform Zoolander 2, the ghost of Benedict Cumberbatch will still hover, beguiling and enigmatic, over those cyber-hologram-productions of the future.
Yes I saw a glimpse of the same scene /a part of act played by him and Andrew Scott both,I think both are excellent ,it's a complex character so everyone who plays it does it in their way✌️
I was blown away by Benedict when I first saw him playing Sherlock Holmes. Most people think of him as Dr. Strange, but he’s so much more. Is he the greatest actor today?
I wish the interviewer would let Benedict- be INTERVIEWED! He's like "How does it feel to...." And Benedict will start to speak and then he's like, "I THINK THIS....." like. My dude. Chill or switch seats.
The "to be or not to be" soliloquy is his inner monologue, his decision making. I think Shakespeare, in inventing the soliloquy, either realized how alone people often are in general, or, in this play particularly, how alone Hamlet is.
This play is just so so hard to do well from an acting standpoint. From what I see here Benedict is "doing" Hamlet vs "living" Hamlet. Don't get me wrong this is no easy feat. Sometimes an actor does this with their work when he wants to really "do it" vs "give it". He may just need to get it out of his system. I love Benedict but his best acting in this video is when he's teary-eyed applauding the student interpretation. Shakespeare is so hard because the language can completely derail the spontaneity, and the thing doesn't "come alive" because it's actually been so processed. My theory is that this in-depth analysis of the "myth" is useful up to a point, but to focus on the character Hamlet as the play "Hamlet" is the first mistake. To perform this, or anything onstage, it can never be intellectual exercise - otherwise you're left with a dead performance. Good acting, the challenge of acting, is what I'm watching when Im completely convinced that the things that are happening to the characters have never happened until they did before me in the instant I'm seeing them. Where the character is completely vulnerable to the events transpiring because he/she cannot control or predict all or any of them. Hamlet having this relationship with "himself" turns into this self reflective narcissist melodrama that's really not that interesting. As an audience we don't really need to see characters relating to themselves - we are most interested in relationships that surround, and lay underneath the self, the relationships which drive the self reflection, vs the self reflection itself as a medium. I'm saying that "soliloquys" arent truly delivered in the absence of other characters. Our viewership doesnt increase in value unless we can sit back and become fascinated as we identify a character dealing with complex external relationships and the actual inner struggle. We can't get sucked into something that's not really there. Our brain wont let us believe in whats happening unless there's something (selfish) to be gained/discovered out of the genuine representation. Benedict should - create the neutral avatar of Hamlet, the character with zero knowledge of the plays events- and then like a puppet master, just place him down into the story, with an unconditioned mindset - meaning he should try not planning any parts of his performance in advance and just let them emerge through the organic forces of the writing/story. Before stylizing all the reactions he will reinact in the course of the play, he should instead let the events flow through the avatar, and react spontaneously, impulsively, trusting the organism as a whole, to pick up on subtleties he cannot sense while in his head- and let the reality of the events dictate and articulate how the character progresses, and allow the actual inner journey to take place. Over-manipulated- mechanical performances cannot give us the audience what we need or want - to have vulnerability and our human condition revealed to us, richly, on a personal level, that we can take home with us.
I thought the school children were fantastic!!! What a great idea to create a chorus, in the true Ancient Greek style. I agree Benedict, very beautiful!!! 👍👍💖💖
My mother had a deep understanding of Shakespeare. Clearly Benedict does as well. I wish that I were so perceptive. I love Shakespeare, but I struggle with it. I wonder how many actors have played Hamlet brilliantly who didn’t have such a deep understanding of what they were playing?
Years ago, I was so surprised and blown away by Mel Gibson’s Hamlet. The hint of manic insanity Gibson brought to the role was brilliant…and I’m not even a big Gibson fan. Never seen Chamberlin’s.
It's funny how while Benedict explains his opinions there will be the shots of interviewer's reactions, like it's the most interesting thing to see. I don't know if this is the editor's fault because it makes the interviewer look self-centered.
+Ylai Jah - the reaction shots of the interviewer are taken to cover up the cuts they made in Cumberbatch's answer (because otherwise you get very awkward jump cuts).
The music in the background at 18:16 is Serbian Military March ( March on the river Drina) from WW1 when Serbian Army defeated for the very first time AustroHungarian Empire in their first battle. Its the most famous Serbian Military March,and i find that this music contributing as a part of Hamlets circus acting or faking madness is really insulting. Note to the director: More history less free choice. PS. I enjoyed this interview very much Benedict is a such a great actor.
WoW I just realised I absolutely adore literature and just the arts in general, this is honestly so inspiring , I'm kind of confused because I have always been kind of a science person, but maybe my passion lies within music or theatre or literature?
They come from the same source - our need to understand the world and ourselves. They come at the questions from different perspectives but there is no contradiction. True art and true science complement each other, they do not compete.
Does anyone feel the tension between to two of them? It's as if Benedict is irritated with the interviewer who is so caught up in show off his intellect that he keeps forgetting he is actually there to interview someone else. But maybe I am reading too much into it lol.
I know I am wayy late but here’s my take on it: I think it’s not necessarily tension between the two but just a lack of “chemistry” Like Ben very obv has trouble reading Melvyn’s body language and inflection so he constantly interrupts him by accident. And Melvyn can’t read Ben’s inflection either. Ben often starts his answers quite slow and then gets into it and you seemingly just need to give him a little bit of time. But Melvyn seems to think that Ben’s completely lost and tries to help him. So I think there’s just constant misunderstandings between them. Tl,dr: they have trouble adjusting to the communication style of the other; the tension is there by accident and not bc they don’t like each other (obv just my humble opinion :))
Does anyone know where I can watch these plays online? I live in Asia and its not like I can fly over to another continent just to watch them. Hamlet, Richard III and others.
Ah yes, but Melvin Bragg predates Benedict Cumberbatch by many years, not just in his physical age but in his stature, a man of tremendous report. Cumberbatch knows this technique, of which, I admit you are correct, but Bragg's stature and admiration of Bragg's journalism reflects in Cumberbatch's admirational timing. Timing is all.
The goal is to dig deeper. I did some journalism myself. It's so important to ask provocative questions and to dig deeper rather than just skim the surface and the actor dance around questions and answers. The journalist helps tell a story and get the bigger picture. Why isn't Cumberbatch a dilettante? Why should he be serious? He set out to explore and go past simple identification and logical answers, and move on to the unpredictable, with deeper speculation and theorizing. Bragg is on a mission to help the audience discover Cumberbatch the Shakespearean actor. And acting is what Cumberbatch ultimately cares about as it was either lawyer or actor. He's trained in Classical acting and was broadcast worldwide for "Hamlet." This isn't an interview in Hollywood by Buzzfeed. This is a Shakespearean theatrical production.
He admire the shakespeare so much wich I guess . I wish he can act as Gim merlin in Jamaica inn, and Scarlet pimpernel . Scarlet pimpernel is suite him so much.
I'm seeing the broadcast of the production in a few days in a movie theater in the US. See if it's coming near you. ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/ntlout18-hamlet
Mel Gibson was a very physical and angry Hamlet. Not depressed or melancholic. For me it was very good and interesting. I loved Glenn Close as Gertrude and Paul Scofield as the father's ghost was real genious!
Every actor does it his own way, I liked Gibson because he wore a bemused bewildered expression most of the time as if he was struggling to maintain his sanity on the rack of powerful emotions over his dad's death and seeing his ghost, and swearing to avenge him.
If someone feels so inclined to answer these questions for me, go for it. 1. Why is Hamlet considered to be such a ‘beast’ of a play? 2. Cumberbatch says that the “trick of acting” is to find a reason for the character to say their lines in the moment. In theatre, we call this the “illusion of the first time,” meaning that it needs to appear the character is revealing the line for the first time ever. From and audience perspective, why is it it important for the actor to be successful with this? 3. What does Shakespeare gain in making the “To be, or not to be…” speech a soliloquy instead of a conversation? Do you agree? 4. There is discussion in the interview about the appearance of the the Ghost in King Hamlet. If you were a director for a stage production, how would you create the ghost’s appearance? What do you think of the idea that the memories of those who have passed contribute significantly to who we are today? 5. When does Benedict Cumberbatch say is, the first time Hamlet looks to himself and his role in the situation? Why does he believe this is an important moment? 6. Part of the purpose of theatre is to provide a mirror to ourselves and society. Do you agree that everyone has a Hamlet in them? Explain.
@@platinumjail3723 no exams running cause of COVID, but yeah, was just me being lazy for quiz questions. I find English very difficult, and I can’t stand Shakespeare stuff lmao
@@astrhix4391 aw well at least no exams then, a quiz isn't too bad. I will agree it takes a lot of mental energy to make answers for these kinda questions they want you to be all poetic and thoughtful lmao.
@@platinumjail3723 yeah it’s too much for me, I’ve always been someone to give simple straight forward answers cause it’s the most effective most of the time
@@astrhix4391 that comes in handy in a lot of jobs tho so thats good, its easier to talk to people who are straightforward. I'm 22 but my mind is still daydreaming most of the time, I always liked stories I suppose 😅😅
At the National Theatre Archive in London. You need to phone and book. It's a personal viewing, you have a screen and headphones, and it's free! ( Archive number is+4402074523135)
I have to admit it becomes more and more distracting. When Benedict is forced to nod and agree with the interviewer, then as an interviewer he has to realize that he's not letting Benedict talk enough.I want to hear Benedict's take and how he delved into such a complex character and how to make him unique when it has been portrayed so many times.
Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but I felt that interviewer Melvyn Bragg brought out many interesting points from BC. Bragg is an experienced broadcaster, an intellectual and a writer of some note. Consider the fact that, as he states, he has been watching versions of Hamlet for 50 years; surely he has earned the right to enquire and explore BC`s approach. The moments when they discuss the monosyllabic sequence was very enlightening and I felt that BC`s answers showed great understanding of the Bard`s intention.
One needs to listen to In Our Time for some time to understand and appreciate Bragg's interviewing style, and the fact that he is more than an interviewer in terms of his ability to ask probing questions, stating his opinions to prompt response, and generating some tensions to make it a serious exchange of ideas.
That's Melvyn Bragg for you. Like all television arts presenters, he is actually more interested in displaying his own knowledge and awareness of the given subject than those of the people he is talking to. So, what's new?
35:00 the pirates aren't a fanciful device, they're an account of what actually happened to the author, Edward de Vere--and the play is his autobiography
+brassholio and +penguin, I can tell you are fans of Benedict Cumberbatch. However, I am entirely surprised and sorry my question prompted this type of response. It's ok to be frustrated with the manner an interview is conducted. However, I do not like or agree with your word choice. I really hope that I can encourage you to refrain from this kind of language and challenge you to express yourself without sexist terminology. On an entirely different note, I sincerely got excited watching this interview! I appreciate the thorough and thoughtful investigation of character motives. It was fantastically insightful on a psychological and philosophical level. I look forward to supporting and watching more of Benedict Cumberbatch's work. He's an extraordinary actor and inspired role model.
lydia santoscoy Get off your moral high horse you sanctimonious, useless, oxygen thief. Who do you think you are trying to tell us how to express ourselves? Words are just that. Words. They don't reflect who we are as people, and I'm not going to take inspiration from an over sensitive, uptight, stickler about what I say and how I say it. You sound like an extremely bland and boring person to be around, and if you've chosen to venture through the turmoil that is the internet, especially RUclips, you're going to find yourself offended left right and centre. How about you take a leaf out of my book instead and stop taking everything so seriously. If something offends you, move on, who cares? What is the worst that can possibly happen? You get offended, so what? They're just words, they're doing nothing to you physically, they're not hurting your family or friends. You ma'am, are a cunt. A prolapsed anus on the cum stained floor of a whore house. A large diseased festering cock, fucking a corpse in a church. I can go on...but none of it means anything.
+brassholio, this reminds me of the Halloween costume issue at Yale lol. I'd like to clarify, I am not at all telling you 'how' to express yourself, but instead challenging and encouraging to do so without sexist terminology. I am hopeful you can discern the difference. It is invalid and false to claim that language and words are neutral, when in fact they have a resounding affect on the quality of a society's autonomy. Words are tools. This is not an opinion. It has been proven, from a multiplicity of interdisciplinary studies in fields such as linguistics, sociology, and psychology, that language actively produces adaptive preferences, which molds a society's attitudes and conduct in the private, public, and political spheres. "Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy" by Cohen, "The Public Sphere and Language" by Habermas, and "The Fraternal Social Contract" by Pateman are few of the works where I am drawing my conclusion from. This conversation is important to be having and I'm glad we are having it. In light of and in celebration of William Shakespear's art of language, it is fair to say that he would agree; word choice certainly matters and the delivery of an idea is just as powerful as the message itself.
+brassholio, I think we can agree, there is nothing bad or negative about the female anatomy. The word cunt originally means femininity and later took on the term referring to the vulva or vagina. My point is, the way you have used this word is sexist. You did not like the interviewer or the way he was conducting the interview. You called him a cunt in attempts to insult him or put him down. You have used it in an abusive manner intending to insult. By using female genitalia to infer an insult, is sexist. Another example would be, 'you ___ like a girl'. Sexist language is harmful because of the role it plays in adaptive preferences, which produce social attitudes, that perpetuates gender social disadvantages. Notice how you did not use a word like fool, which carries no sexist implications. Context, usage, and especially referencing is important, it matters and has a resounding affect on a culture's autonomy. Swear words are a great insight to a societies evolution. Its ok for someone to challenge your public conduct, thats how we as a human unit, a team of active problem solvers, progress. Notice how we have to actively do so every generation, phew. Also FYI, Benedict Cumberbatch didn't like the fan term 'Cumberbitches' and thought it set back feminism. brasholio, This was an important discussion, thanks. I'm signing off of this topic.
They showed us a version of this before the NTLive recording and the interviewer talked about how everyone in the audience thinks the line of "to be or not to be" in their heads together with Hamlet when he says them. Did I miss that part in the video or was it simply not there?
The interviewer clearly loves the sound of his own voice. He talks too much. And no, I don't say this because I'm a Benedict fangirl. I say this because is annoying when the interviewed wants to talk and develop an idea and the other keeps interrupting. Shut up.
+I Do Monologues You might like to know that the interviewer is Melvin Bragg, author, critic and journalist who is held in great esteem here in England. He presented the South Bank Show, an Arts programme for intelligent people who are interested in music, theatre and literature, for around 25 years. Of all the people who might have interviewed Cumberbatch, I think he was invited because of his knowledge and experience.
In the pieces that are shown of Cumberbatch's speaking, he is not doing a good job. He is completely overacting. Kenneth Branagh gets Hamlet a little better, except for his spitty speeches. "Transgenerational" talk is bullshit; "it hath made me mad." Study the play in school, with a good teacher, then read it again at least once a year for 30 years, and then you'll get what it all means, and how it should be performed.
They should show this to students who study hamlet. It's such a thought provoking discussion and Cumberbatch has an immense respect for this play and it shows every second
+JellyLovesFaith
Well, my English teacher suggested this to us a month ago. I was looking at Polonius but this is still helpful.
Sadly they did
What's funny is that Sherlock Holmes is the character that was portrayed by the most actors over the years. Guess who's the second? Hamlet.
oh. thank you! That is funny.!
And the most portrayed historical character on screen is Napoleon the Great. So in addition to the possibility of Benedict Cumberbatch playing the vampirised version of Vlad III before slipping into a bicorne hat and colonel's uniform, it's also funny how the BBC Sherlock series launched a fashion for slate grey overcoats. ;)
Pro trick : you can watch movies at flixzone. Been using them for watching a lot of movies during the lockdown.
@Lyle Andres yea, I have been watching on Flixzone for since november myself =)
@Lyle Andres Definitely, have been watching on flixzone for years myself :D
You can tell he is very passionate about acting and telling stories.
Would love to see more in depth interviews like this instead of the usual and boring interviews artists are forced to do.
I went to The Barbican in September of 2015, all the way from New York. Best thing I've seen in my life. Was worth the six months wait until I was in my seat, second row center. Benedict is phenomenal.
Agree, I think he is fabulous. I love his wife too.
I mean, I think they must be a beautiful couple and right, ...
Hamlet/Sherlock.
Batch moves in a lot of waves look him up '#talent
Thank you so much for uploading this! I saw the play at the Barbican in September and it was a life-changing experience. Lovely to listen to Benedict explain and analyze it. No other actor has ever shaken me to my core the way Benedict does.
absolutely flawless. not a second went by in which i wasn't completely fixated with my jaw hanging down. seeing such a legendary play brought to life with one of the biggest figures in my life is completely astonishing. just the way he talks about this play and every ounce of strength and breath and concentration he puts into these performances is absolutely beyond me. i always see him express such a definite and unconditional love for the things he does, he doesn't seize to express his own appreciation for the projects he is involved in and how much he values them and the stories they include. i'm forever regretting every second of thought that went into not deciding to see this in theatre, nevermind in cinema. i missed out of a pure, pure experience, glad i can finally live it to some sort of degree. hope to one day express my sincere admiration for this man in person one day. i hope to follow my own aspirations and be able to work alongside this perfect example of a talented, honest, beautiful human being. this comment will hardly be valued but i value benedict and this performing in such immense amounts.
Ben is a remarkable actor. I had no idea how talented he was until quite recently but wow I now see it big time.
Every actor who played Hamlet presented the character in their own unique way. Benedict did quite well. I have recently seen David Tennant and Andrew Scott's version. They were also mind blowing!
Oh man, I'm so excited for this movie. Benedict obviously cares very much about doing a good job as an actor, and thinks very hard about the philosophy and the psychology of it all. And I love how genuinely passionate he is, as an actor, but also as a person.
+LeakinBrolly Sorry to disappoint you, but this isn't a movie. It was a theatre production in London which has just ended.
+VHSfx it's both. It premieres in movie theatres after the physical show ends. I know, it's on the schedules for my local cinema.
+LeakinBrolly +VHSfx
Both of you can relax. It was a filmed live performance which was shown at cinemas.
I didn't mind the amount the interviewer talked, because it seemed more like a genuine and engaging intellectual discussion rather than a question-answer thing, which has always bugged me. I think a discussion format is so much more conducive to the kinds of rich conclusions drawn in this video. Plus, Benedict doesn't seem to mind the times that he gets interrupted. There's one moment where the interviewer interrupts and says something like "It's very powerful," and Benedict just says "Yes it definitely is powerful" and adds it on to what he was saying. I don't know why it bugs some people so much.
Holy Crap! Interrupted? It was almost a monologue. Mr. Cumberbatch was EXTREMELY gracious in allowing the baffoon to ramble endlessly on and on.
From the context of the interview, it is OBVIOUS that the interviewer knows more about "Hamlet" than the actor and that he is trying to pull a deeper conversation out of the actor to the extent he can. Bless his tiny heart, the actor knew who the interviewer was--which you apparently don't--and correctly respected him.
This is an excellent interview. An exchange of ideas between two very intelligent men who understand the play.
We saw this performance for the first time in 2019 as part of the City Cinema / National Theater program in the US and it was absolutely wonderful :) All of the actors did a fantastic job, Benedict was perfect as Hamlet, the set design, music and costumes were great and it was an unforgettable production :)
could i just borrow benedict to help me write my english essay
lmao everytime i listen to him I feel like my IQ gets higher
Hahahahaha
You'd be better off paying attention to the interviewer. He's smarter and a deeper thinker.
One of the best things about this particular production is the focus on war imagery, The war and it's affects are not often brought to the forefront, it's usually all about the relationships and Hamlet's decisions, or lack thereof. Almost no vanity in this production, which is really interesting.
Saw it on the big screen in Dallas. Gobsmacked. Still processing it. I will purchase it on DVD.
+Terry Mathews Will there be a DVD? I'd love to see it again.
I hope so. I've got all kinds of alerts set for it if they decide to release it. :)
I love him, I really do not only as an unbelievable good actor but as an human being...
Fiona Jackson
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Benedict is so kind with the kids!!! 😍
I first saw Benedict Cumberbatch perform in 'Zoolander 2,' and I wondered to myself: "Who is this remarkable creature? So noble in performance, so sublime in movement and in diction!" And I know that, 400 years from now, whenever they perform Zoolander 2, the ghost of Benedict Cumberbatch will still hover, beguiling and enigmatic, over those cyber-hologram-productions of the future.
I would love to see him play Macbeth. It's my favorite Shakespeare play.
Yes I saw a glimpse of the same scene /a part of act played by him and Andrew Scott both,I think both are excellent ,it's a complex character so everyone who plays it does it in their way✌️
Thanks so much for sharing this. Love Hamlet and love Ben.
Benedict is quite the gentleman with his rather headlong interviewer. Nicely done
I was blown away by Benedict when I first saw him playing Sherlock Holmes. Most people think of him as Dr. Strange, but he’s so much more. Is he the greatest actor today?
Love him so. Thank you for the inspiration Benedict.
I wish the interviewer would let Benedict- be INTERVIEWED! He's like "How does it feel to...."
And Benedict will start to speak and then he's like, "I THINK THIS....." like. My dude. Chill or switch seats.
He's like...stutter...He's like...stutter...My dudess!
Bless him. He’s a gem 💎
The "to be or not to be" soliloquy is his inner monologue, his decision making. I think Shakespeare, in inventing the soliloquy, either realized how alone people often are in general, or, in this play particularly, how alone Hamlet is.
Your insight is spot on and its perspective is interesting. Thank you from a FB fan.
I loved hamlet bennadict was amazing at this!
Thank you so much!!!
This play is just so so hard to do well from an acting standpoint.
From what I see here Benedict is "doing" Hamlet vs "living" Hamlet. Don't get me wrong this is no easy feat. Sometimes an actor does this with their work when he wants to really "do it" vs "give it". He may just need to get it out of his system. I love Benedict but his best acting in this video is when he's teary-eyed applauding the student interpretation.
Shakespeare is so hard because the language can completely derail the spontaneity, and the thing doesn't "come alive" because it's actually been so processed. My theory is that this in-depth analysis of the "myth" is useful up to a point, but to focus on the character Hamlet as the play "Hamlet" is the first mistake. To perform this, or anything onstage, it can never be intellectual exercise - otherwise you're left with a dead performance. Good acting, the challenge of acting, is what I'm watching when Im completely convinced that the things that are happening to the characters have never happened until they did before me in the instant I'm seeing them. Where the character is completely vulnerable to the events transpiring because he/she cannot control or predict all or any of them.
Hamlet having this relationship with "himself" turns into this self reflective narcissist melodrama that's really not that interesting. As an audience we don't really need to see characters relating to themselves - we are most interested in relationships that surround, and lay underneath the self, the relationships which drive the self reflection, vs the self reflection itself as a medium.
I'm saying that "soliloquys" arent truly delivered in the absence of other characters. Our viewership doesnt increase in value unless we can sit back and become fascinated as we identify a character dealing with complex external relationships and the actual inner struggle. We can't get sucked into something that's not really there. Our brain wont let us believe in whats happening unless there's something (selfish) to be gained/discovered out of the genuine representation.
Benedict should - create the neutral avatar of Hamlet, the character with zero knowledge of the plays events- and then like a puppet master, just place him down into the story, with an unconditioned mindset - meaning he should try not planning any parts of his performance in advance and just let them emerge through the organic forces of the writing/story.
Before stylizing all the reactions he will reinact in the course of the play, he should instead let the events flow through the avatar, and react spontaneously, impulsively, trusting the organism as a whole, to pick up on subtleties he cannot sense while in his head- and let the reality of the events dictate and articulate how the character progresses, and allow the actual inner journey to take place.
Over-manipulated- mechanical performances cannot give us the audience what we need or want - to have vulnerability and our human condition revealed to us, richly, on a personal level, that we can take home with us.
They showed the record in sony centre in Berlin for just one day, and I missed it. I will regret forever...
They're showing it again in November.
Cumberbatch is a perfect Hamlet.
Was watching this on the tv. Had to come here to comment that the interviewer needs to shut up and let Ben talk
I thought the school children were fantastic!!! What a great idea to create a chorus, in the true Ancient Greek style. I agree Benedict, very beautiful!!! 👍👍💖💖
This man is so Great!!!
CAN WE GET A ROLE CALL FOR THIS TO BE STREAMED AGAIN PLEASE I NEED IT IN MY LIFE I CANT BREATHE, #CUMBERBITCHESUNITE
girl do you really want it?
The school section is the best part of this interview!!!
My mother had a deep understanding of Shakespeare. Clearly Benedict does as well. I wish that I were so perceptive. I love Shakespeare, but I struggle with it. I wonder how many actors have played Hamlet brilliantly who didn’t have such a deep understanding of what they were playing?
Everything actor does it his own way. I love Lawrence Olivier and Mel Gibson performances, but the best for me is Richard Chamberlain🙂
Years ago, I was so surprised and blown away by Mel Gibson’s Hamlet. The hint of manic insanity Gibson brought to the role was brilliant…and I’m not even a big Gibson fan. Never seen Chamberlin’s.
Then you would like Richard's version too. This is the link but its a shame is in very poor quality.🥴
ruclips.net/video/CLoCQAu6iWg/видео.html
It's funny how while Benedict explains his opinions there will be the shots of interviewer's reactions, like it's the most interesting thing to see. I don't know if this is the editor's fault because it makes the interviewer look self-centered.
+Ylai Jah - the reaction shots of the interviewer are taken to cover up the cuts they made in Cumberbatch's answer (because otherwise you get very awkward jump cuts).
graciegelfling Ohhhh I see, thank you!
The music in the background at 18:16 is Serbian Military March ( March on the river Drina) from WW1 when Serbian Army defeated for the very first time AustroHungarian Empire in their first battle. Its the most famous Serbian Military March,and i find that this music contributing as a part of Hamlets circus acting or faking madness is really insulting.
Note to the director: More history less free choice.
PS. I enjoyed this interview very much Benedict is a such a great actor.
God, his voice!! No more translations!)
Well, I’m terrified of playing Hamlet in school now.
WoW I just realised I absolutely adore literature and just the arts in general, this is honestly so inspiring , I'm kind of confused because I have always been kind of a science person, but maybe my passion lies within music or theatre or literature?
emily kt You know they're not exclusive, right? You can like both!
Follow your passion but find a job to fall back on. If something doesn't feel right, question why and don't just go along with it!
They come from the same source - our need to understand the world and ourselves. They come at the questions from different perspectives but there is no contradiction. True art and true science complement each other, they do not compete.
Wunderbar
fascinating.
Cumberbatch is the spitting image of the late comedian Eric Morecambe. Cumbs mum Wanda Ventham used to guest on the Eric and Ern show..
Hmmm . . . .
Was that in one of the plays what Ernie wrote?
Does anyone feel the tension between to two of them? It's as if Benedict is irritated with the interviewer who is so caught up in show off his intellect that he keeps forgetting he is actually there to interview someone else. But maybe I am reading too much into it lol.
Darling, Melvyn Bragg is more intelligent than Benedict. He is challenging the actor to go deeper. Dah! Medgepad.
@@davidmerrifield1255 man shut it
I know I am wayy late but here’s my take on it:
I think it’s not necessarily tension between the two but just a lack of “chemistry”
Like Ben very obv has trouble reading Melvyn’s body language and inflection so he constantly interrupts him by accident. And Melvyn can’t read Ben’s inflection either. Ben often starts his answers quite slow and then gets into it and you seemingly just need to give him a little bit of time. But Melvyn seems to think that Ben’s completely lost and tries to help him.
So I think there’s just constant misunderstandings between them.
Tl,dr: they have trouble adjusting to the communication style of the other; the tension is there by accident and not bc they don’t like each other (obv just my humble opinion :))
@@clara_hp6254 My thoughts exactly, nothing ill here
Wonderful !,,❤️
I never knew Benetton Cumberbund once acted as Hamlet.
Doctor Vimo well now you do
Does anyone know where I can watch these plays online? I live in Asia and its not like I can fly over to another continent just to watch them. Hamlet, Richard III and others.
They unfortunately almost never actually record or film plays that are performed in London or the US
he is so fucking beautiful 😍
It’s so annoying when he talks over Benedict 😝
Ah yes, but Melvin Bragg predates Benedict Cumberbatch by many years, not just in his physical age but in his stature, a man of tremendous report. Cumberbatch knows this technique, of which, I admit you are correct, but Bragg's stature and admiration of Bragg's journalism reflects in Cumberbatch's admirational timing. Timing is all.
The goal is to dig deeper. I did some journalism myself. It's so important to ask provocative questions and to dig deeper rather than just skim the surface and the actor dance around questions and answers. The journalist helps tell a story and get the bigger picture. Why isn't Cumberbatch a dilettante? Why should he be serious? He set out to explore and go past simple identification and logical answers, and move on to the unpredictable, with deeper speculation and theorizing. Bragg is on a mission to help the audience discover Cumberbatch the Shakespearean actor. And acting is what Cumberbatch ultimately cares about as it was either lawyer or actor. He's trained in Classical acting and was broadcast worldwide for "Hamlet." This isn't an interview in Hollywood by Buzzfeed. This is a Shakespearean theatrical production.
Do you guys think this cast may have been recorded, because they are immeasurably talented. I'd love to see them act together.
Why isnt David Tennant even mentioned :/
I think they were talking about stage actors
OMG BLESS YOU
He admire the shakespeare so much wich I guess . I wish he can act as Gim merlin in Jamaica inn, and Scarlet pimpernel . Scarlet pimpernel is suite him so much.
Sadly I missed the live show. They obviously have recordings. Has it been released at all?
No.
I'm seeing the broadcast of the production in a few days in a movie theater in the US. See if it's coming near you. ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/ntlout18-hamlet
I'm in no way having a go at BC. But for me...my entry to Hamlet and amasing experience was Mel Gibson.
Gibson was quite good. It was a very well done production.
Mel Gibson was a very physical and angry Hamlet. Not depressed or melancholic. For me it was very good and interesting. I loved Glenn Close as Gertrude and Paul Scofield as the father's ghost was real genious!
Every actor does it his own way, I liked Gibson because he wore a bemused bewildered expression most of the time as if he was struggling to maintain his sanity on the rack of powerful emotions over his dad's death and seeing his ghost, and swearing to avenge him.
If someone feels so inclined to answer these questions for me, go for it.
1. Why is Hamlet considered to be such a ‘beast’ of a play?
2. Cumberbatch says that the “trick of acting” is to find a reason for the character to say their lines in the moment. In theatre, we call this the “illusion of the first time,” meaning that it needs to appear the character is revealing the line for the first time ever. From and audience perspective, why is it it important for the actor to be successful with this?
3. What does Shakespeare gain in making the “To be, or not to be…” speech a soliloquy instead of a conversation? Do you agree?
4. There is discussion in the interview about the appearance of the the Ghost in King Hamlet. If you were a director for a stage production, how would you create the ghost’s appearance? What do you think of the idea that the memories of those who have passed contribute significantly to who we are today?
5. When does Benedict Cumberbatch say is, the first time Hamlet looks to himself and his role in the situation? Why does he believe this is an important moment?
6. Part of the purpose of theatre is to provide a mirror to ourselves and society. Do you agree that everyone has a Hamlet in them? Explain.
Sounds like someone has exams coming up 🤣🤣 i remember doing Hamlet in school, loved it.
@@platinumjail3723 no exams running cause of COVID, but yeah, was just me being lazy for quiz questions. I find English very difficult, and I can’t stand Shakespeare stuff lmao
@@astrhix4391 aw well at least no exams then, a quiz isn't too bad. I will agree it takes a lot of mental energy to make answers for these kinda questions they want you to be all poetic and thoughtful lmao.
@@platinumjail3723 yeah it’s too much for me, I’ve always been someone to give simple straight forward answers cause it’s the most effective most of the time
@@astrhix4391 that comes in handy in a lot of jobs tho so thats good, its easier to talk to people who are straightforward. I'm 22 but my mind is still daydreaming most of the time, I always liked stories I suppose 😅😅
Where we can watch it? I wasn't lucky enough to see the show :(
He is the greatest actor in the Chinese speaking world
?? no he isn't.
where can I watch the full production
At the National Theatre Archive in London. You need to phone and book. It's a personal viewing, you have a screen and headphones, and it's free! ( Archive number is+4402074523135)
Shut you gob, and let the man speak! You're were there to conduct an interview, no spout out your incoherent thoughts.
I have to admit it becomes more and more distracting. When Benedict is forced to nod and agree with the interviewer, then as an interviewer he has to realize that he's not letting Benedict talk enough.I want to hear Benedict's take and how he delved into such a complex character and how to make him unique when it has been portrayed so many times.
Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but I felt that interviewer Melvyn Bragg brought out many interesting points from BC. Bragg is an experienced broadcaster, an intellectual and a writer of some note. Consider the fact that, as he states, he has been watching versions of Hamlet for 50 years; surely he has earned the right to enquire and explore BC`s approach. The moments when they discuss the monosyllabic sequence was very enlightening and I felt that BC`s answers showed great understanding of the Bard`s intention.
One needs to listen to In Our Time for some time to understand and appreciate Bragg's interviewing style, and the fact that he is more than an interviewer in terms of his ability to ask probing questions, stating his opinions to prompt response, and generating some tensions to make it a serious exchange of ideas.
I like and respect Bragg as a broadcaster and intellectual, but his diction has always been sloppy. It's maddening sometimes.
That's Melvyn Bragg for you. Like all television arts presenters, he is actually more interested in displaying his own knowledge and awareness of the given subject than those of the people he is talking to. So, what's new?
chapter 3 28:44 32:10
That interviewer is so bad, he should stop talking over the interviewee.
What does he say at 1:33? Something about shoots? Oh wait, it's "Your thinking about how you were parented shoots up."
Lovely quality thanks :) Any chance you might get the extended version?
+Evil Lynn This was the entire episode. What are you referring to?
18:18
Good grief! This interviewer just babbles on!!!
35:00 the pirates aren't a fanciful device, they're an account of what actually happened to the author, Edward de Vere--and the play is his autobiography
I fear you have fallen for nonsense.
Interesting 😃
Who is this interviewer?? He looks very familiar.
Melvyn Bragg
@@jeremywebb1374 Thanks. I did look him up and found his name.
What does Benedict Cumberbatch say at 42:15?
+brassholio and +penguin, I can tell you are fans of Benedict Cumberbatch. However, I am entirely surprised and sorry my question prompted this type of response. It's ok to be frustrated with the manner an interview is conducted. However, I do not like or agree with your word choice. I really hope that I can encourage you to refrain from this kind of language and challenge you to express yourself without sexist terminology. On an entirely different note, I sincerely got excited watching this interview! I appreciate the thorough and thoughtful investigation of character motives. It was fantastically insightful on a psychological and philosophical level. I look forward to supporting and watching more of Benedict Cumberbatch's work. He's an extraordinary actor and inspired role model.
lydia santoscoy Get off your moral high horse you sanctimonious, useless, oxygen thief. Who do you think you are trying to tell us how to express ourselves?
Words are just that. Words. They don't reflect who we are as people, and I'm not going to take inspiration from an over sensitive, uptight, stickler about what I say and how I say it.
You sound like an extremely bland and boring person to be around, and if you've chosen to venture through the turmoil that is the internet, especially RUclips, you're going to find yourself offended left right and centre.
How about you take a leaf out of my book instead and stop taking everything so seriously. If something offends you, move on, who cares? What is the worst that can possibly happen? You get offended, so what? They're just words, they're doing nothing to you physically, they're not hurting your family or friends.
You ma'am, are a cunt. A prolapsed anus on the cum stained floor of a whore house. A large diseased festering cock, fucking a corpse in a church. I can go on...but none of it means anything.
+brassholio, this reminds me of the Halloween costume issue at Yale lol. I'd like to clarify, I am not at all telling you 'how' to express yourself, but instead challenging and encouraging to do so without sexist terminology. I am hopeful you can discern the difference. It is invalid and false to claim that language and words are neutral, when in fact they have a resounding affect on the quality of a society's autonomy. Words are tools. This is not an opinion. It has been proven, from a multiplicity of interdisciplinary studies in fields such as linguistics, sociology, and psychology, that language actively produces adaptive preferences, which molds a society's attitudes and conduct in the private, public, and political spheres. "Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy" by Cohen, "The Public Sphere and Language" by Habermas, and "The Fraternal Social Contract" by Pateman are few of the works where I am drawing my conclusion from. This conversation is important to be having and I'm glad we are having it. In light of and in celebration of William Shakespear's art of language, it is fair to say that he would agree; word choice certainly matters and the delivery of an idea is just as powerful as the message itself.
+brassholio, I think we can agree, there is nothing bad or negative about the female anatomy. The word cunt originally means femininity and later took on the term referring to the vulva or vagina.
My point is, the way you have used this word is sexist. You did not like the interviewer or the way he was conducting the interview. You called him a cunt in attempts to insult him or put him down. You have used it in an abusive manner intending to insult. By using female genitalia to infer an insult, is sexist. Another example would be, 'you ___ like a girl'.
Sexist language is harmful because of the role it plays in adaptive preferences, which produce social attitudes, that perpetuates gender social disadvantages. Notice how you did not use a word like fool, which carries no sexist implications. Context, usage, and especially referencing is important, it matters and has a resounding affect on a culture's autonomy. Swear words are a great insight to a societies evolution.
Its ok for someone to challenge your public conduct, thats how we as a human unit, a team of active problem solvers, progress. Notice how we have to actively do so every generation, phew.
Also FYI, Benedict Cumberbatch didn't like the fan term 'Cumberbitches' and thought it set back feminism. brasholio, This was an important discussion, thanks. I'm signing off of this topic.
+Sherlock Holmes Fan SherlockHolmesFan Sherlock fandom unite against sexism !!
I still can't recognize some of the Hamlets from some of the clips, if anyone knows them all.
christopher plummer, lawrence olivier, derek jacobi, richard burton
They showed us a version of this before the NTLive recording and the interviewer talked about how everyone in the audience thinks the line of "to be or not to be" in their heads together with Hamlet when he says them. Did I miss that part in the video or was it simply not there?
+Severina S. You missed it -- that part is at 9:10 of the interview. :)
+sugarbaby1974 Jeez, how could I miss that?? thanks a bunch :D
The interviewer clearly loves the sound of his own voice. He talks too much. And no, I don't say this because I'm a Benedict fangirl. I say this because is annoying when the interviewed wants to talk and develop an idea and the other keeps interrupting. Shut up.
+Dian Schweitzer lol I know what you mean. He is a bit quick to give his own thoughts. Bit hard to tell who's being interviewed!
+I Do Monologues You might like to know that the interviewer is Melvin Bragg, author, critic and journalist who is held in great esteem here in England. He presented the South Bank Show, an Arts programme for intelligent people who are interested in music, theatre and literature, for around 25 years. Of all the people who might have interviewed Cumberbatch, I think he was invited because of his knowledge and experience.
+Susan Rumens Very helpful Susan, thank you.
Dian.....God bless you my dear you are soooooooo correct.
@@susanrumens8598 Proud of you for knowing that. Almost none of the commenters does.
DOCTOR STRANGEE :O
Who is the actor at 23:37?
Christopher plummer?
@@dreamer7770 Yes, of course it is...
@@enigmamelodies Glad to know I have resolved the question that has plagued you for the past 3 years.
Give me 1 year and i will become hamlet.
Really now? Well then, I wish you the best of luck.
It's the pandemic. The perfect time to be Hamlet.
I thought Polonius was the chief counselor of the king, not a courtier. Or...is chief counselor a type of courtier?
The description of the character written by Shakespeare is "Lord Chamberlain of the Court"
VHS?
fishmonger
ВГПУшникам привет, всем остальным- соболезную
АВВХХВХВАХАВАХВАХВАХВАХ
Переведите пж, он чет на английском говорит, я ничего не понимаю
Omg stop lol
3 lbs
Needs to reed more EM forester
So impregnated by tom and live w Ben fun lol actually somehow seems completely natural and normal at this point lol
In the pieces that are shown of Cumberbatch's speaking, he is not doing a good job. He is completely overacting. Kenneth Branagh gets Hamlet a little better, except for his spitty speeches. "Transgenerational" talk is bullshit; "it hath made me mad." Study the play in school, with a good teacher, then read it again at least once a year for 30 years, and then you'll get what it all means, and how it should be performed.
likespurple Well I’m sorry that Benedict hasn’t done that his whole life.
Who is the actor at around 15:30?
Johnathan Price as Hamlet in Richard Eyre's production?
@@sharonmiller2224 Yes! I didn't recognize him until you said who he was because he's changed so much.