Scarlet: Shakespeare's Hamlet Gets Daring Anime Makeover

Mamoru Hosoda's latest anime feature, "Scarlet," delivers a bold and gender-swapped interpretation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The film transposes the classic revenge tragedy into the afterlife, with Princess Scarlet embarking on a quest for vengeance against her uncle, Claudius, who murdered her father and married her mother.

In this unique afterlife setting, where time holds no meaning, Scarlet scours Purgatory for Claudius, who is amassing an army of the dead. She forms an unlikely alliance with Hijiri, a pacifist paramedic from the 21st century, as they navigate the timeless realm. The film uses this fantastical premise to explore profound philosophical questions about the inevitability of conflict.

"Scarlet" argues that current conflicts are direct descendants of past battles and the stories we tell about violence. Unlike Shakespeare's tragic conclusion, Hosoda's adaptation begins with death and offers a hopeful perspective, celebrating life and the potential for peace and love over misery and pain.