Hamlet

Hamlet has been filmed many times, but few can hold a candle to Olivier's portrayal of the Danish prince in 1948. For one thing, this version was actually filmed in Elsinore, the Scandinavian setting for the play, and for another this seems to be the role that Olivier was born to play (he won an Oscar for his troubles). His turn as the tragic royal who discovers the truth about his dead dad, has a seriously dodgy relationship with his mother, sends his would-be girlfriend insane, and utters all manner of famous iambic pentameters ('to be or not to be') is a true Shakespeare masterclass.