Gary Oldman’s performance as Jackson Lamb inSlow Horseslit up the screen this fall and even garnered him a Golden Globe nomination. Time and time again, Oldman proves that he is a great dramatic actor. But one of his lesser-known and underrated roles was playing Rosencrantz in the 1990 comedyRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, opposite the equally legendaryTim Rothas Guildenstern.Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Deadis a hilariously witty film that mixesbuddy comedies,Shakespeareand absurditytogether into a creation entirely its own, and if you haven’t seen it already, you need to.
Directed byTom Stoppard,Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Deadis an adaptation of Stoppard’s 1966 play of the same name. In the film,Oldman and Roth portray two minor characters from Shakespeare’sHamlet. In the original Shakespeare play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Hamlet’s friends, sent for by his mother and stepfather to help him get out of a depression. While they have very little significance inHamlet,Stoppard re-imagines the play and puts the spotlight on these two background characters(Charles YuandTaika Watitirecently experimented with the same concept for Yu’sInterior Chinatownseries).
In Stoppard’smeta-theatrical takeonHamlet, Oldman and Roth spend most of their time wandering around Hamlet’s castle confused about what is going on, watching the royal drama ensue, and contemplating philosophical questions. They even repeatedly forget who is who and confuse themselves for each other. If you are unfamiliar with the basic plot ofHamlet, this film will likely make very little sense. Buteven with backstory, it probably won’t make much sense, and that’s part of the point.Absurdity is the heart of the film.In the first scene, Rosencrantz repeatedly flips a coin, and it lands on heads 92 times in a row. These repetitive details do lead the film to feel a bit idle at times, but that seems an intentional choice. Maybe a story doesn’t have to involve much action to be interesting, andmaybe while Hamlet was busy giving soliloquies,Rosencrantz and Guildenstern really were just wandering whimsically around the castle.
InRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Oldman and Rothare an excellent comedic duo. The actors usean entertainingmix of slapstick and witty humor, like in a scene where their characters challenge each other to a game of conversation tennis across a net from each other. In the game, they attempt to volley questions back and forth, and the first to accidentally use a statement loses the round.They keep adding rules as they go,like no hesitations, no non sequiturs, and no repetitions. This scene is the perfect encapsulation of the way the play combines physical and intellectual comedy in interesting and very silly ways.
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Roth’s character is more analytical and brooding, while Oldman’s character spends most of his time playing with random objects he sees with childlike wonder and often falling or tripping in the process. The dynamicchemistry between their characters is a testament to the actors' comedic skills.The dark comedy tone ofRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Deaddefinitely prepared Roth well for hisnumerous collaborations withQuentin Tarantino. And yet, even with all its goofiness, the Stoppard play has atragic and existential undertonethat gets more obvious towards the end. Oldman and Roth’splayful but loving dynamic makes friendship the most important part of this film.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Deadis available to watch on Prime Video in the U.S.
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Watch on Prime Video
