Zeffirelli version of Hamlet was very windy, bleak and dark, I guess he was trying to portray to us how that time period would look. The music was very scary and the scene when Hamlet was looking for the ghost foreshadowed something horrifying was coming. Hamlet seemed to be both scared and anxious at the same time find the ghost. The ghost was very enclosed because he really didn't show himself to Hamlet. The scene moved from scared to sadness to anger which is probably three of the most used emotions. Throughout his father's speech of on he really died Hamlet felt sorrow but in the end when his father said he should revenge his death, Hamlet showed anger as he begin to plot his revenge. The ghost portrayed his anger towards his murderer which was his brother. This version was mostly face to face interaction; I guess the director wanted you to focus more on what the ghost was saying rather than what was going on around them.
Branagh version is more colorful and musical until it became really scary. The music was very triumphant and it made you very anxious to see the ghost scene. Of all the three versions the ghost was more scary and angry with his current situation. This scene is not that dark so you can see the ghost more clearly with his battle armor on. This ghost looks like what anyone would imagine how a ghost would look, he looks very demonic. The ghost seems to have breathing problems. This version is really weird and more modern than Zeffirelli version. Of all the versions this is the only one that shows you a flashback of how king Hamlet died; I think this was done to make you feel like you were there when the ghost was murdered. This version made it really easy for you to understand the scene because it shows you how happiness is short lived. This version went from anxiousness to panic to sadness. I believe the director made this version like this because he believed that it would be easier for the audience to understand when there are flashbacks.
Almereyda version is by far the most modern one of all the three versions. This version is not at all dark because it is filled with lights that brightened the room. The director uses the scene around the room as a way to foreshadow the terror that will come, along with the TV that was showing somewhere burning. The music was really loud and foreshadowing. The tone of the music is getting you ready for the conversion that is about to begin. The ghost is clothed with clothes that shows his importance and his high class with no evidence that he was in a battle. The ghost was very angry and he was very touchy. Hamlet was really scared because his father was really loud and angry. There was a lot of physical contact between Hamlet and the ghost. Unlike the other versions you can actually see the ghost full body from head to toe rather than just seeing his face. The ghost kept on dabbing his ears with a towel, which shows us that he was in pain. I think the ghost was trying to hint to Hamlet that he was poisoned in the ear. I really think there is no point of modernizing the film if you are not going to modernize the words. I understand that it is hard to decode some of Shakespeare words, but it is really weird to be speaking Elizabethan English in a 20th century movie.
All three versions are portraying that the point of the ghost scene is to let Hamlet know how his father really died and to start plotting revenge on his uncle. How can some one kill their own brother? We can all say that Hamlet's uncle is genuinely a evil person that deserves whatever revenge that comes his way.
Almereyda version is by far the most modern one of all the three versions. This version is not at all dark because it is filled with lights that brightened the room. The director uses the scene around the room as a way to foreshadow the terror that will come, along with the TV that was showing somewhere burning. The music was really loud and foreshadowing. The tone of the music is getting you ready for the conversion that is about to begin. The ghost is clothed with clothes that shows his importance and his high class with no evidence that he was in a battle. The ghost was very angry and he was very touchy. Hamlet was really scared because his father was really loud and angry. There was a lot of physical contact between Hamlet and the ghost. Unlike the other versions you can actually see the ghost full body from head to toe rather than just seeing his face. The ghost kept on dabbing his ears with a towel, which shows us that he was in pain. I think the ghost was trying to hint to Hamlet that he was poisoned in the ear. I really think there is no point of modernizing the film if you are not going to modernize the words. I understand that it is hard to decode some of Shakespeare words, but it is really weird to be speaking Elizabethan English in a 20th century movie.
All three versions are portraying that the point of the ghost scene is to let Hamlet know how his father really died and to start plotting revenge on his uncle. How can some one kill their own brother? We can all say that Hamlet's uncle is genuinely a evil person that deserves whatever revenge that comes his way.
I agree that the Zeffirelli version was darker in terms of lighting and tone, plus it made thorough transitions between the emotions Hamlet displayed. Branagh's version of the Ghost scene had more color, especially in the flashbacks, and Branagh seemed to accentuate the scary elements of his movie. But I did find very helpful to visually see what King Hamlet was describing. Then in the Almereyda version, which was modernized, the ghost seemed to be more intimidating to Hamlet because there was much more physical contact between the two. However I did find it very hard to overlook the fact that Almereyda still used Shakespearian English with his actors, even though his version of Hamlet was modernized.
ReplyDeleteIt did seem as though Hamlet looked scared meet the ghost, but i feel like there might have been some sort of excitement knowing that the ghost was his deceased father. The Branagh version was definitely more creative in portraying the ghost scene. The ghost was well done and the most scary out of the three! They should really consider recreating shakespear's plays in modern time with modern langauge. The Almereyda version would have had more of an impact if it did.
ReplyDeleteGreat point, Devin! Since you will be creating your own interpretation of a scene, maybe your group can translate the scene into more modern dialogue.
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