This week, I'm recommending the bizarrely entertaining 1990 film "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," written and directed by Tom Stoppard. Starring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, respectively, the film tells the tale of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, "Hamlet," but from the perspective of those two minor characters.
The real star of the show, however, is the script by Tom Stoppard. Originally a play, Stoppard's take on the material is a fiendishly clever existentialist back and forth between the two title characters as they meander their way through the saga of Shakespeare's doomed Danish prince. It's full of tremendous dialog scenes that are masterfully played my Oldman and Roth, as well as a bombastically theatrical performance from Richard Dreyfuss as the manic leader of a roaming theater company.
The costuming and art direction are all appropriately Shakespearean, and it is rather obvious that the script originated as a play. The direction by Stoppard (who is primarily a man of the theater), is rather pedestrian, and the film does come across as a bit dated (especially when it comes to the score), but given the script's focus on dialog and performance, these are minor issues overall.
Both Roth and Oldman are delightful, and there is one particularly clever scene where they are engaged in a sort of verbal tennis match, rallying witty conversation back and forth over a literal net and court. I've never seen Gary Oldman give a performance quite as lovable as his portrayal "gentle Rosencrantz," and it's fantastic to see further proof of his seemingly limitless range as an actor.
In the end, I can't help but feel like the best way to see this story would be on the stage, as the electricity of a live performance would lend itself quite well to the long and witty verbal sparring of the two leads. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find a good theater performance, and especially difficult to find one headlined by actors as engaging as Tim Roth and Gary Oldman. Therefore, in the absence of a good live performance, Stoppard's film is an excellent substitute, and an easy recommendation for Shakespeare fans and non-fans alike.
