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Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Something is Rotten in the State of BHS: Favorite Version of Hamlet
Choosing from the three film versions of hamlet which we viewed in class, I was automatically drawn to Franco Zeffirelli's version of the timeless play. It begins with a scene of some of the main characters, such as, Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude; all of them mourning the King. A brilliant camera angle gathers an image of Gertrude looking across her late husband's body at his brother, Claudius. It goes straight to the heart of the conflict without any annoying background information clogging up the opening scenes. Also the mindfulness of color, shadow, and lighting was evident within the first couple of seconds. I feel like the deep blues and blacks utilized created a beautifully dark, and gloomy backdrop for the stoic, haunted expressions of the battle-ready soldiers. Furthermore, the acting was just the right amount of "woe is me" and "forget the world" without being overly histrionic and whiny. Overall, the characters were casted well, the acting is balanced, the setting is superb, and the plot is paced brilliantly.
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I agree that the Branagh version certainly employs a more dramatic reading of the lines, but wait until I show you the major argument between Hamlet and Gertrude (Zeffirelli; you may change your mind :).
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the camera angle with the Gertrude scene was perfect, but the colors used are a little to dark for me. The play is mysterious in the beginning which explains some of the darkness, however it continues throughout which I don't find appealing. Also this version went of a little from the novel, but the Branagh version follows it exactly. Since the Branagh version follows it so closely it is easier, for me, to understand the play better.
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