The plays of William Shakespeare continue to be a source of inspiration for filmmakers with such recent offerings in evidence as O (2001), a hip-hop version of Othello, and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), a thinly disguised rip-off of The Taming of the Shrew. But among all of the plays written by the Bard, Hamlet must surely rank at the top of the list in terms of alternate film versions. In 2000, Ethan Hawke appeared in a modern update filmed in New York City by Michael Almereyda, director of the cult vampire drama, Nadja (1994). While Almereyda's Hamlet was an imaginative interpretation of Shakespeare's tragedy that retained the original language of the play, it wasn't as ambitious as, say, Edgar Ulmer's Strange Illusion (1945), made fifty-five years ago and filmed as a low-budget film noir! Designed as a mystery thriller, the movie opens with Paul Cartwright having a portentous dream that sets the stage for the sinister events that follow. In keeping with the basic revenge plot of Hamlet, Ulmer effectively creates a claustrophobic universe where Paul appears unable to alter his family's tragic fate despite frequent attempts to prevent his widowed mother from marrying a potential stranger (a man who may or may not have engineered his father's death in a traffic accident).

While Strange Illusion is by no means completely faithful to Shakespeare's original storyline - the Ophelia character is omitted for example and the tragic climax is replaced with a happy ending! - it remains a fascinating attempt to reimagine Hamlet as an impulsive teenager living in sunny Southern California amid the affluent trappings of country clubs and private schools. The added subplot of Paul volunteering to admit himself to a sanatorium for psychiatric evaluation (He is observed through a one-way mirror in his room by the phony psychiatrist-in-residence) gives Ulmer a chance to generate some additional tension, which he accomplishes quite nicely with atmospheric cinematography and moody lighting effects.

The down side is a rather lackluster performance by James Lydon as the Hamlet stand-in. He's simply unable to lose the goofy juvenile persona he brought to his previous role as Henry Aldrich, the main character in a long-running series of films for Paramount (It was their answer to MGM's Andy Hardy series). At least former Warner Brothers contract player Warren William is on hand to spice things up with his wonderfully sleazy performance as Brett Curtis, Paul's potential step dad.

Producer: Leon Fromkess
Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Screenplay: Adele Comandini
Cinematography: Philip Tannura
Film Editing:
Art Direction: Paul Palmentola
Music: Leo Erdody
Cast: Jimmy Lydon (Paul Cartwright), Warren William (Brett Curtis), Sally Eilers (Virginia Cartwright), Regis Toomey (Dr. Martin Vincent), Charles Arnt (Prof. Muhlbach), George Reed (Benjamin), Jayne Hazard (Dorothy Cartwright).
BW-86m.

by Jeff Stafford