The challenge of adapting William Shakespeare’s Hamlet for the screen has preoccupied cinema from its earliest days. After a survey of the silent Hamlet productions, the paper critically examines Asta Nielsen’s Hamlet: The Drama of Vengeance by noting how her main character is really a woman. My discussion of the modern productions of Shakespeare begins with a critical discussion of Lawrence Olivier’s seminal production of 1948. The Russian Hamlet of 1964, directed by Grigori Kozintsev, is shown to combine a psychological interpretation of the hero without disregarding its socio-political context. The action-film genre deployed by Franco Zeffirelli in his 1990 adaptation of the play, through a moving performance by Mel Gibson, is analysed. Kenneth Branagh’s ambitious and well-financed production of 1996 is shown to be somewhat marred by its excesses. Michael Almereyda’s attempt to present Shakespeare’s hero in a contemporary setting is shown to have powerful moments despite its flaws. The paper concludes that Shakespeare’s masterpiece will continue to fascinate future generations of directors, actors and audiences.