Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

7.3PG118 minDirector: Tom Stoppard

1990 film by Tom Stoppard

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is a 1990 period black comedy film written and directed by Tom Stoppard based on his 1966 play. Like the play, the film depicts two minor characters from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who find themselves on the road to Elsinore Castle at the behest of the King of Denmark.

They encounter a band of players before arriving to find that they are needed to try to discern what troubles the prince Hamlet. Meanwhile, they ponder the meaning of their existence.

Filmed around Zagreb, Croatia, and in Brežice Castle, Slovenia, the movie won the Golden Lion at the 47th Venice International Film Festival.

The film stars Gary Oldman as Rosencrantz and Tim Roth as Guildenstern, although a running theme throughout has many characters, themselves included, uncertain as to which is which. It also features Richard Dreyfuss as the leading player, Iain Glen as Hamlet, Ian Richardson as Polonius, Joanna Miles as Gertrude, and Donald Sumpter as King Claudius. This was Stoppard's only film as a director.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead about?
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) — Showing events from the point of view of two minor characters from Hamlet, men who have no control over their destiny, this film examines fate and asks, Can we ever really know what's going on? Are answers as important as questions? Will Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (or Guildenst
Is Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead scary?
Content rating: PG. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.