The quintessential concern of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is moral paralysis. Is what I’m doing meaningful? Does my life have any meaning? In one of the most famous soliloquies of all time, Hamlet considers this question with poetic precision—to be, or not to be?
“Squad Leader TD-73028 Soliloquy” combines that famous speech with the aesthetics and mood of Star Wars. Creator Maxime-Claude L’Ecuyer places Hamlet’s words in the mouth of a distraught Stormtrooper, alone in the desert, lost and exhausted and uncertain about the meaningfulness of his life. It’s a fantastic connection, and will make you forget (for at least a few minutes) all about Star Trek’s small monopoly on scifi versions of Hamlet.
It’s also, well, pretty dark, with a grim subject matter and a couple of grim twists of its own. If works centered around suicide and the consideration thereof—which is what the “to be or not to be” speech is all about—upset you, be careful with this one. But it is still an artful, subtle, sad little fan film. Watch it below.
If you or someone you know is having a crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
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