Hamlet, one of the most intricate and influential plays by Shakespeare, debatably of all time. It has inspired not only appreciative readers and writing critiques but continuous generations of people. The inspiration led to the fabrication of many great movies, which wasn’t achievable until the 20th century. Before cinema was the prevalent method of sharing appreciation and spilling emotion for a specific subject, art portrayed what would fly through our minds such as the many interpretations of Ophelia’s death. With the imagery put into motion we can try and pick apart how certain people might view the play being portrayed and choose what best suits our expectation of this tragedy. Other things that only film has been able to present to us is the various camera angles, a setting that isn’t restricted to a stage and an audience that can be reached anywhere in the world. Also who is casted and how they will be dressed is crucial to the success of the movie although sometimes overlooked during the production process. Some movies represent these elements of mise-en-scene in an excellent matter such as the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet, while others would seem to disappoint my expectations for a great re-visualization of our suicidal hero like Micheal Almereyda’s Hamlet staring Ethan Hawke. Admirably though every Hamlet film to date has its own unique style, something that will please all audiences, with its unique pros and cons.
We can start off with something that we all easily take granted for in movies and that is the imagery. We all have imaginations that can produce an accurate image depending on what we read or see, but something the books or plays couldn’t accomplish is give the image to us. So we wouldn’t have to seco...
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...cused at a younger age group, but many of the younger age groups are not interested in the plays of Shakespeare, so they lose out both ways.
Although each movie has its own identity, there are some specific elements of the mise-en-scene that are apparent throughout every film. Some movies are better able to represent there elements such as the wardrobe, imagery, camera work and casting. After going through the main parts of each Hamlet film in my opinion the Hamlet by Kenneth Branagh was the most successful and the least successful was Almereyda’s version with Ethan Hawke. It didn’t seem like it would appeal to most Hamlet viewers. The element of the mise-en-scene stack up for Branagh’s Hamlet and makes it the best one. Hamlet has come a long way since first being written and these movies have only pushed it in a forward direction for many generations to enjoy.
What can we say about Hamlet that has not being said before? Almost nothing and we do not consider ourselves worthy of even commenting on such an incredible play. What we can say for sure is that its tragic tones still serve as a referent for the modern theater. The play has approximately 4,000 lines, and since the story is tightly knit, it is hard to choose parts to cull, as it has to be done carefully in order to the play keep its original meaning. In the same way, it will depend on which format we are planning on presenting the play, if it will be presented at a theater, we might keep closer to the original. On the other hand, if the cuts would have to be done for a movie, we would have to cull it severely, so it fits the timeframe.
...ter development was sophisticated and artisitic. In this version, the audience was absorbed with Hamlet’s character. This introduced a variety of thought and reflection making the film more appealing to a widespread audience.
During class we have reviewed many versions of the play Hamlet. The two movie versions that I chose to compare on the play Hamlet are the David Tennant version and the Kenneth Branagh version. I chose these two versions because these were the two that most interested me. I believe that some scenes from each movie were better than the other, but overall I liked these two versions just as equally. The three main scenes that stood out to me that I will be comparing are ‘Ophelia’s Mad Scene’, the ‘Hamlet Kills Polonius’ scene, and Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ scene.
In act I scene ii Hamlet,his mother, and father/uncle were discussing how Hamlet should remain in Denmark and not go back to school in Wittenberg. This scene is crucial in the play because it takes the quote "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" very literal. By asking Hamlet to stay Claudius is getting the upper hand with having the ability of keeping his eye on Hamlet.The main character Hamlet is viewed as a recently become madman because of his rejected love from Ophelia. He is also seen a inexperienced prince by his stepfather, Claudius and Polonius. In Hamlet's soliloquies we can see that he disapproves of his mothers marriage to Claudius[uncle/stepfather] because she married him so soon after his fathers death.Along with
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the longest of his tragedies, has been continuously performed since it was written, including in numerous film adaptations. In addition to the lack of restrictive stage directions in Hamlet, the conversion from the original medium to film allows for directors to impart their artistic decisions and add depth with the use of music, lighting, and camera angles. For instance, Gregory Doran’s adaptation of Act III, Scene IV communicates his directorial vision through the use of props, as well as through the portrayal of Hamlet and Gertrude’s characters. Doran uses props to his advantage in order to emphasize several ideas. For instance, when Hamlet kills Polonius, he shoots the latter through a mirror, which shatters, reflecting the situation that Hamlet faces.
Hamlet the Play and the Movie Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a story about a king that was murdered by his brother and the prince has been asked by his father?s ghost to avenge his murder. The original story line has been altered a few times since it has been written. The original Hamlet the play and the altered Hamlet the movie are shown differently in many different ways. Hamlet the movie with Mel Gibson shows different things than the play, but there are three major differences between the two. The three major differences are in the way both of the productions start out, differences in the scene that the players put on a play, and differences in the way the productions end.
It is said that Shakespeare wrote plays, not scripts. His work was meant to be read aloud and not just read. This became apparent while I watching the BBC 's 2009 version of Hamlet. I choose this version because the director Gregory Doran put a modern twist on the classic tale. The director’s display of contemporary technology, dress, and presentation of relationships enhanced the idea that Hamlet’s madness was simply a dramatic act.
Zeffirelli’s filmic Hamlet evidently interprets the original play especially considering Mel Gibson’s performance making it easy for the audience to understand Shakespearean dialect. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a man with friends who proves to be much more reserved, and manipulative than someone might imagine today. His hamlet is considerate in his plans, but with no tact interpersonally. Zeffirelli’s audience is required to focus on the troubles, and character of Hamlet, who is nonstop, and unfriendly, but a sensitive loner when the time is right. Zeffirelli accomplishes this mixture while staying faithful to his starting place my maintaining solid screenplay with a constant flow supporting his own take on the story. Concisely, Zeffirelli’s Hamlet is both a free and a loyal understanding of its source, which is, for today’s viewers, a Hamlet in its own right.
The video with Mel Gibson acting as Hamlet is the best one. Both the actors are great and they're what makes it more interesting to me. I think the next best video is the one with David Tennant playing as Hamlet. The actors are both good, but what I didn't like is that Claudius and Polonius were watching Ophelia and Hamlet through a camera. The 3rd best video is the one with Kenneth Branagh. He's a good Hamlet, but I didn't think the kissing part fit the scene. Lastly, the modern version was the least most interesting. I didn't like the actors or the way the theme of it was set up.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most produced plays of all time. Written during the height of Shakespeare’s fame—1600—Hamlet has been read, produced, and researched by more individuals now than during Shakespeare’s own lifetime. It is has very few stage directions, because Shakespeare served as the director, even though no such official position existed at the time. Throughout its over 400 years of production history, Hamlet has seen several changes. Several textual cuts have been made, in addition to the liberties taken through each production. In recent years, Hamlet has seen character changes, plot changes, gender role reversals, alternate endings, time period shifts, and thematic alternations, to name only a few creative liberties modern productions of Hamlet have taken.
“I like the movie but it was not as good as the book” is a saying that is said by most people. In most cases, a movie changes drastically from the book it is based on. Hamlet is one of those cases. Although it does not change completely, there are some big differences and similarities within the book and movie. Reading the play and then watching the movie makes it easier to pick out the differences and similarities. Being able to compare and contrast the movie and play of Hamlet might make it easier to decide which one is better or which one gives a better story. The movie and play of Hamlet are different because of the chronological order, parts being left out and parts being added. They are the same in ways through dialogue, characters,
Different adaptations of William Shakespeare’s works have taken various forms. Through the creative license that artists, directors, and actors take, diverse incarnations of his classic works continue to arise. Gregory Doran’s Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet bring William Shakespeare’s work by the same title to the screen. These two film adaptations take different approaches in presenting the turmoil of Hamlet. From the diverging takes on atmosphere to the characterization of the characters themselves, the many possible readings of Hamlet create the ability for the modification of the presentation and the meaning of the play itself. Doran presents David Tenant as Hamlet in a dark, eerie, and minimal setting; his direction highlighting the
The movie of Hamlet was an excellent, as far as book-movies go. I believe it was produced with focus, reason, and logic. The characters were also portrayed with a good interpretation. There were several changes to the play compared to the book, although the movie was done in such a way that they were not particularly missed, from the movie's point of view.
Instead of a grand tragedy of a royal house, the modern Hamlet is a detective story about a dead rich guy and his son the beginner detective. Yet, the acting of the actors and the special effects more or less manage to make up for the flaw. Bill Murray who plays Polonious is harsh and tight. Ethan Hawke is illustrated as a weak and normal prince. Julia Stiles does not do Ophelia any justice. Ther...
While Hamlet’s singular soliloquy may lead the unwary reader to focus on one singular meaning, the addition of setting, camera movements and even the physical portrayal of Hamlet can lead to a different and unique interpretation, especially in Zeffirelli’s 1990 adaptation of Hamlet. Despite the smallness of these aspects, by combining all of them, the overall impression of the scene becomes darker and a strong commentary on the lamentations of Shakespeare’s