Wednesday, May 4, 2011
something is rotten in the state of BHS...
Out of the three versions, I definitely liked the Ken Branagh version the best. The Branagh version followed the written Hamlet exactly, where the Zefferelli and Almeryeda versions had a new "twist." The Branagh version started out dark and scary which created a mysterious mood, like Shakespeare intended to do. Scenes such as: the wedding of Claudis and Gertrude and the appearance of the Ghost really stood out because of the colors. I liked the Branagh version because he used more brighter colors compared to the Zefferelli which was a lot more darker. Also the character choice was perfect! In the Almeryeda version, Claudis and Gertrude look way to young to be the parents of Hamlet. However in this version, I think they looked the way they should. The camera work was awesome in this version, compared to the other versions. I loved how everyone goes out of the ballroom celebrating the wedding, and Hamlet is left alone with the two chairs. The part where the camera glides from the celebrations to dark, lonely, and depressed Hamlet is nicely done. Overall I felt the Branagh version came through for me. I liked the colors, camera work, and how closely it followed the book.
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Although this was a great version of the play Hamlet, I don't agree that the Branagh version was the best of the three for a few reasons. For instance, I feel like Hamlet's character just doesn't fit right. And, as far as acting goes, it seemed like the characters just rushed through their lines at some points without even giving them meaning or putting emotion into what they were saying- it was almost as though they were reading straight from a piece of paper for the most part. However, when the characters finally did put some emotion into what they were reciting, it became a bit too much. Too much drama was displayed through Hamlet's first soliloquy and that made it hard to concentrate and comprehend what he was actually saying. This film had too many extremes that took away from the validity of the true play.
ReplyDeleteI liked the version of Ken Branagh after Franco Zefferelli version of Hamlet. However, it is not my favorite because it does not convey the feelings and the suspense naturally. For example, in Franco Zefferelli’s version with the eye contact between Claudius and Gertrude covers the whole conspiracy question. However, there is no such scene in Ken Branagh’s version. I also think its a little bit too colorful for a movie like Hamlet. I like the how dark the setting was in Zefferelli’s version and how they played with the shadows of light. Another thing, just because they followed all of their line does not mean that they did a good job. Take Polonius, he rushed over an important line when he was taking to Hamlet. Hamlet insulted Polonius but Polonius did not even get the insult so he said, “though this be madness, yet there is method isn’t.” This was an important line but the actor just rushed through it. This shows that the actor did not always portray Hamlet correctly. Overall, this version is not horrible but I would not say that it is the best either.
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