Thursday, May 5, 2011

Something is rotten in the state of BHS!

       My favorite version of Hamlet is Ken Branagh version. The way the director chose to contrast Hamlet's dark character with the colors of the castle makes Hamlet's dark character stick out more. The other two versions' Hamlets were set in dark scenery, so Hamlet's dark mood almost blended in with the rest of everything instead of being more prominent. The other versions of Hamlet seemed to focus too much on him just being depressed. The Branagh version makes a Hamlet a more dynamic character with his changes in mood from depressed, to passionate, to angry and anything in between. Branagh's good acting lends itself to his dynamic character. Also, the choice to contrast the setting with Hamlet makes the movie easier to watch. The dark mood and settings of the other versions were so dark and bogged that it made them tough to watch. 
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1 comment:

  1. Priya P.May 5, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    The dark scenery of the Zeffirelli version was meant to accurately portray Denmark's state of depression due to the death of the King. Hamlet's superb acting skills in the Zeffirelli version allowed him to pop more, as oppose to blend in with the dismal setting. I feel as though Zeffirelli was more creative with the camera than Branagh since Zeffirelli's version changed around the lighting and camera angles. Zeffirelli used lighting to portray the good and evil within Hamlet during his soliloquy. Also, Zeffirelli was able to use juxtaposition to reveal underlying themes. Although the Branagh version was easier on the eyes, the Zeffirelli version truly captured the authenticity of the orginal play without over doing the modern day differences.

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