The Hamlet Syndrome review – soldiers turn to Shakespeare as Ukrainians deal with the war

A searingly intimate observation of an alternative production of Hamlet, where many of the actors are soldiers from the frontline

What is the use of art in time of war? Shot a few months prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosołowski’s documentary probes this thorny question with a searing intimacy. The film observes an alternative production of Hamlet, which brings together a group of Ukrainian performers from all walks of life and as volatile emotions are spilled on to the stage, performance becomes a conduit for personal catharsis as well as artistic expression.

In the film, scenes of the rehearsal process are interspersed with revelations about the actors’ backgrounds. Many of them are soldiers on the frontline: Slavik and Katia, for example, have endured the bloodshed of combat as well as the horrors of captivity. Roman, a trained actor, was thrust on to the battlefield as a medic, a responsibility for which he was both professionally and emotionally ill-equipped. As the actors battle inner demons, the stage transforms into a common ground for understanding. Hailing from a conservative region of the country, Slavik admits to having his preconceptions erased through meeting Rodion, who proudly incorporates his traumatic experience as a queer person into his performance. The rigid parameters of national pride are also up for debate, as Oksana, a feminist actor, raises important inquiries about the place of women in Ukrainian society.