 In January 1947 Olivier began working on his second film as a director , Hamlet ( 1948 ) , in which he also took the lead role . The original play was heavily cut to focus on the relationships , rather than the political intrigue . The film became a critical and commercial success in Britain and abroad , although Lejeune , in The Observer , considered it " less effective than [ Olivier 's ] stage work . ... He speaks the lines nobly , and with the caress of one who loves them , but he nullifies his own thesis by never , for a moment , leaving the impression of a man who cannot make up his own mind ; here , you feel rather , is an actor @-@ producer @-@ director who , in every circumstance , knows exactly what he wants , and gets it " . Campbell Dixon , the critic for The Daily Telegraph thought the film " brilliant ... one of the masterpieces of the stage has been made into one of the greatest of films . " Hamlet became the first non @-@ American film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture , while Olivier won the Award for Best Actor . 
 In January 1947 Olivier began working on his second film as a director , Hamlet ( 1948 ) , in which he also took the lead role . The original play was heavily cut to focus on the relationships , rather than the political intrigue . The film became a critical and commercial success in Britain and abroad , although Lejeune , in The Observer , considered it " less effective than [ Olivier <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>] stage work . ... He <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>speaks</mark></a> the lines nobly , and with the caress of one <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>loves</mark></a> them , but he <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>nullifies</mark></a> his own thesis by never , for a moment , leaving the impression of a man <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>who</mark></a>cannot make up his own mind ; here , you feel rather , <a href='drop_aux' title='7'><mark>is</mark></a>an actor @-@ producer @-@ director <a href='null_relcl' title='8'><mark>who</mark></a>, in every circumstance , <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>knows</mark></a> exactly what he <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>wants</mark></a> , and <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>gets</mark></a> it " . Campbell Dixon , the critic for The Daily Telegraph thought the film " brilliant ... one of the masterpieces of the stage <a href='been_done' title='12'><mark>has</mark></a> been made into one of the greatest of films . " Hamlet became the first non @-@ American film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture , while Olivier won the Award for Best Actor . 
In January 1947 Olivier began working on his second film as a director , Hamlet ( 1948 ) , in which he also took da lead role . The original play was heavily cut to focus on the relationships , rather than the political intrigue . Tdafilm became a critical and commercial success in Britain and abroad , although Lejeune , in The Observer , considered it " less effective den [ Olivier  ] stage work . ... He speak thdaines nobly , and with thedaress of one love em , but he nullify his own thesis by never , fa a moment , leaving the impression of a man cannot make up his own mind ; here , you feel rather , an actor @-@ producer @-@ director , in every circumstance , know exactly what he want , and get it " . Campbell Dixon , the critic for The Daily Telegraph thought the dam " brilliant ... one of the masterpieces of the sdae done been made into one of the greatest of films . " Hamlet became the first non @-@ American film to win the Academy Award for Best pic , while Olivier won the Award for Best Actor .