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Shakespeare's "Hamlet" - A Comparison of The Movie And Play
For years high school students have studied Hamlet. Some love it, but most get bored by the language and find it boring. Boring? Hamlet should never be described as boring. There is of course, murder, betrayal, love – all the components of a modern box office blast. However, I have learned that the direction a movie takes, the actors, direction, costumes, and setting, can play a major role in it’s enjoyment and success. I watched two versions of Hamlet – the Kenneth Branagh version where he plays Hamlet, and the Hamlet directed by Micheal Almereyda , starring Ethan Hawke as Hamlet. Surprisingly enough, while both movies were semi-recently made they took completely different directions. I cannot say which movie I enjoyed more because they both had very good features, and some not so great ones.
Hamlet, directed by and starring Kenneth Brannagh, was set in the traditional Shakespearean period. The costumes were accurate to the time they represented. The setting was a realstic appearing old castle; there were attendants, servants, and everything you would expect from the period. His Hamlet appears completely accurate from the written play. It is very long, so long infact, that at some point it becomes monotonous, and can be boring. My favorite acting was Kate Winslet, who plays Ophelia.
Almereyda’s Hamlet is a modern day portrayal of the classic play. I did not know until I went to the video store that a Hamlet like this had been made. It is in many ways similar to the Romeo and Juliet, starring Claire Danes and LeonardoDiCaprio. This Hamlet is full of big name celebrities, Bill Murray, Ethan Hawke, Julie Stiles, and many more. This Hamlet is set in modern-day Denmark, with Hamlet’s father being the CEO of a company. I enjoy how they make it parallel but not exact to the original story. Ophelia is a photographer and Hamlet is a student. While, I think they changes to the story line are brilliant, I didn’t enjoy the movie as much as I thought I would. They used the original language as used in the play, and it seemed out of place to me with the hairstyles and fashion of modern times. There are several noticeable metaphors. For example, the portrayal of Hamlet’s father, who is the king in the play, as a CEO. In modern times, isn’t a CEO very much like a king? Instead of Hamlet showing the play in his father’s court, it is in a board room used for meetings. Ophelia is a photographer, interesting, because she knows and sees everything. There are several subtle differences. In the movie, Hamlet has his own apartment in the city instead of living in the castle.
While the movies do share the same story line, characters, and author, these directors have created remarkably different movies with each. Using costumes, setting, and character roles, they have created unique interpretations for the audience to enjoy.