Hamlet

Analyze
Using the three versions of the ghost scene that we watched in class, offer your commentary on each film. Consider some of the following points in your critique:

How did the actors portray the characters?
Was there music?
What was the lighting like?
Were there special effects?
How did the director use visual elements (such as flashback) to add depth to the scene?
Overall what was the effect of these choices? Do you agree or disagree with the choices the director made? Which version resonated with you the most?

Extend
If you were to interpret this scene through film yourself, how would you approach it? What in particular would you focus on? What in your opinion, is important about this scene and how would you want to convey that?

For example, what do you want to leave your audience with after watching this scene? Is it the despair that the ghost feels? Or Hamlet's frustration? Do you find fault with Gertrude, and want to cast doubt about her involvement? Or is Hamlet imagining this scene? Could you, through directorial choices, convey that Hamlet is imagining all this?

Assignment
Address these questions, or other topics which you feel are relevant, in no less than 3-4 paragraphs. Draw from what observed in the first three, as well as what you have seen in other films. Consider also, some of the things we talked about, when discussing An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. When you refer to movies you should use the director's last name, and when you refer to the characters, use the actor's last names.

First Version
Director: (Franco) Zeffirelli Hamlet: (Mel) Gibson

Second Version
Director: (Kenneth) Branagh Hamlet: (Kenneth) Branagh

Third Version
Director: (Michael) Almereyda Hamlet: (Ethan) Hawke

Mel Gibson by far was the best actor and played the best role in my oppinion. The movie that Franco Zeffirelli created was the closed resembling one to the play. In my oppinion it protrays fully what shakespeare wanted his aduoance to think of Hamlet. First he was scared and then he realized that his father was murdered unjustly and he vowed to get revenge, at th end of the secne he gave a soloiquiy which was wonderfully expressed, it expressed his anger while he was looking down at the man that took his father away and yet he was still confused and upset that his mother had moved on so quickly marrying the one man that murdered his father. The background was gloomgy it was dusk almost. I lighting was dark to set the mood of suspense and tradity. The music was low and it was sort of haunting like. The choises that this director made where wonderful, he stuck to the script and amazed his audioance with giving them a visual of the play so perfectly.
Branagh's version with him playing as Hamlet was wonderfully unique, i do however perfer the first version but this version was taken out of its original contex and was played around with a little bit. There was fog, smoke, dark lighting, Hamlet and his father met in the forest insted of the Castle. Although hamlet was almost fearful of his father, his father was sort of a "Demon, Devil" like figure. I did not like this atall, in my oppinion Hamlets father was supposed to be pleeding with him to avange him, not scaring his son. Other then that the music was hollow and gloomly along with everything else around them, so I do beleive that Branagh's vision of being diffrent was achived and over all the sence wasn't bad at all, after all the father was wearng armour and there was flashbacks that actually gave us a visual of what happened which made is easier to undrestand, that I appreciated.
Almereyda directed the last version, who's Hamlet was played by Hawke. It was sort of a morden twist to the classical Hamlet play and it was beautifully played out. When the father came in to talk to Hamlet, ofcourse he was not wearing any aroumor but he was dabbing his ear a lot to show what happened, to show that he is cursed to stay on this earth without being able to confess his sins. In this modern day Hamlet was amazing. Although you have to think about the fact that since it is modern day most of the elements, the visual elements in the play had to be taken out for example the armour was replaced with a suite and the background was in Hamlets apartment in a city, cisties in Hamlets time wheren't as modernized as they are now. So many aspects have changed to make this so called modern day Hamlet, but this movie makes you look at Hamlet as if he where here modern day and what would happen. It is an execllent protral of modern day Hamlet although the lack of armour does bother me.
If I had to inertprut this to my own film I would try my best to see what Shakespeare saw and protray it according to how he would of wanted it to. I would go back to the play and re-analize everythnig to see where and when things take place, what the mood of everything is, how certin characters should say things. After seeing this secene I want the audience to feel what Hamlet is feeling, betrayed by his family memeber, hurt that his mother has moved on so quickly, upset and a little crayzed that he talked to his Dad from the dead and how he had just lost him. I would want my aduience to feel Hamlets pain.