Hamlet Film Journal: Entry #3

I think that Hamlet’s monologue after the performance is very important. Especially, the last moment when he hits that little miniature figure of the king. It is an interesting way to show how Hamlet is very much in control of the situation and he knows exactly what to do to revenge on Claudius. Branagh did an excellent job expressing all the emotions and feelings that the character has at this point, and that’s why it was very entertaining to watch that scene. Hamlet starts to lose control, and he seems to be really angry at himself because he is not doing enough to find out the truth about the death of his father. When he starts to hit all the objects in the room, the audience starts to wonder whether Hamlet is still in control or if he is going crazy.

Another moment that I would focus on is when Hamlet talks to all the actors in the room.  There were lots of tracking shots and the camera was rotating around and was following Hamlet. This spinning makes people dizzy and sick, and the audience does not understand what is going on. It was probably intentional, because the director wanted to show how mentally unstable Hamlet is. Basically, the audience saw the world through Hamlet’s eyes. I also noticed how fake and empty were all the actors. They were just pretending to be amused and entertained, because of Hamlet’s position. They looked like some robots that were programmed to smile, laugh and clap when it was necessary. It is also an important moment when you talk about the “Pretense & Performance” theme.

I did not like the performance that Hamlet was so inspired by to plot against Claudius. It was way too long, and the flashbacks were not even that interesting. It was just a poor woman crying the whole time. I counted every single wrinkle on her face before the director finally decided to show the audience something more entertaining. I would also cut a few a moments from the conversation between Hamlet and his friends. I don’t think that it was necessary to quote the whole play, even though it is very interesting because Hamlet is literally performing. 

Hamlet Film Journal: Entry #2

            Zeffirelli's mise-en-scene is distinctly different from Branagh's. Zeffirelli’s adaptation looks very realistic and medieval, while Branagh’s looks modern, because the setting is in the middle of 19th century. The castle in the Branagh’s version looks very posh, rich and there was a lot more lighting inside the building. In the medieval castle, on the other hand, the audience can notice really poor lighting which creates this really dark, mysterious and depressing atmosphere. In the Branagh’s version the actors have really interesting and colorful costumes while in the other version everyone wears simple and conservative clothing. Overall, Branagh’s adaptation is a lot more positive and exciting, because of the use of the harsh lighting and bright colors in the decorations. Zeffirelli’s, on the other hand, is very negative, dark and sad. The majority wears black clothing and people do not seem to have any hope in life, especially Hamlet. It is a lot more pleasing to watch Branagh’s adaptation because even though the setting is not quite realistic, I still very much enjoy watching this stylish movie with lots of details and symbols.

 The original play begins with the guards seeing the ghost of Hamlet Senior, and I think that it would have been a lot better if everything started from the funeral of the late King of Denmark just like in Zeffirelli’s adaptation. A lot of directors start off their movies with a key event that will draw everyone’s attention. The funeral setting is a lot more powerful, and the director gets to introduce all the key characters and some of their distinct characteristics. Even though, the director cuts a lot of significant moments and interactions from the original play, everything is still very clear for the audience because of the use of this technique. Zeffirelli’s made this particular alteration to create this suspense and uncertainty about what may happen next, save time and have an opportunity to show the reactions of each character to the death of Senior Hamlet. 

Hamlet Film Journal: Entry #1

       Act I, Scene 2  

      1) In scene two, people celebrate and congratulate Claudius for becoming a new king. Everyone was really excited and most people wore really bright cloth to show how happy they are with this decision. Everyone, but Hamlet. Even though he is one of the representatives of the royal family and he had to stand next to his parents, Branagh decides to isolate him from everyone else and Hamlet is the only person who wears all black in the whole crowd. Hamlet is clearly disappointed with his mother’s decision to marry his uncle and he does not want to be a part of this wedding.  I think that it was a wise decision because the audience understands how different Hamlet is from his family.

      2) I think that it was not a wise decision to have Claudius, Gertrude and Hamlet to have this conversation about the death of Hamlet Senior in the middle of the wedding. It is a really important problem and I think it would have been better if they had this family time alone and not in front of this huge group of people. I don’t think it is possible to be honest with someone about your feelings if they are other people listening to what you are saying. But I guess Branagh highlights “Pretense & Performance” theme by having the actors participate in this discussion at such an inconvenient time; because Claudius and Gertrude can say really encouraging things in front of the whole kingdom, but they do not have to necessarily mean that. They can just pretend that they really care about Hamlet’s position and his feelings.  It looked like they were lying, because Gertrude had a really rapid eye movement, and there was no eye contact between Hamlet and Claudius.

      Act I, Scene 3

      1) At the end of scene three, Ophelia says: “I shall obey my lord”. She did not address this line to her father. Before she said that sentence, the audience saw a few shock cuts of Ophelia having sex with Hamlet. In my opinion, it is a very clever technique that Branagh used to deliver this line. Everything was more than just flirting between Ophelia and Hamlet. After Polonius hit his daughter and talked to her in such a demanding way, Ophelia decided to continue being this rebellious teenager and not follow her fathers’ orders.

2) I think that Laertes should have never kissed Ophelia’s lips, because it looked creepy and weird. Laertes looked really attracted to his sister. He was really close to her and stared at her lips the whole time. He was very playful and that was just wrong.