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.