Many different directors have made Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, into a movie. In this case, I am going to compare a scene from Hamlet directed by Kenneth Branaugh to another scene from Hamlet starring Mel Gibson. The scene I am comparing is when Laerties is giving Ophelia advice about Hamlet’s love for her.
In Kenneth Branaugh’s version, Laerties and Ophelia are outside the castle in the snow-covered garden. The camera stays very close up to their faces as they walk arm in arm and discuss Hamlet. They are wearing Modern English clothes and as they walk, they talk very close to each other’s faces and at one point they kiss. The director uses the full dialogue from the original Hamlet play. Also, the director chose to show us Hamlet fencing outside as they walk by. That is foreshadowing Hamlet and Laerties duel in the end of the play. When they meet with their father, Polonius, he gives Laerties advice about going to college. The are now inside the castle and sitting on a wooden bench in front of some paintings. There are also candles lit in the background to give it a warm, loving atmosphere. His father speaks closely and slowly so he is sure that his son gets all that he is saying to him. Full dialogue is also used here too. Then when Laerties goes to leave, he gets a hug from his father and sister as they bid him good bye. The Director made sure that there was more love and affection between the family.
In the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet, we find Laerties and Ophelia in a castle in the Elizabethan times. She is in front of a tapestry and her brother is scolding her about Hamlet and the scene is very short with a very abridged version of the dialogue. Then they are shown outside on a rocky courtyard and they walk quickly through town as their father discusses college. He and his son walk as Ophelia hurries behind them as she is ignored. There are allot of extras in the background with farm animals, townsfolk, carts, and allot of noise. Polonius seems to just be talking quickly to get the advice over with and he seems not very loving or caring. He then leaves on a horse quickly with a short goodbye.
Hamlet Essay 3
IS THE SOURCE OF HAMLET S GRIEF THE LOSS OF EVERYTHING THAT HE HOLDS DEAR? There is no doubt at all that the source of Hamlet s grief was associated with all of the different traumas he experienced during his life. His perfect little world crumbled, Leaving but a lonely and unhappy man, with the promise of avenging his father s death. Everyone that Hamlet cared for let him down in one way or ...
As you can see, it all depends on how the director interprets the scene as to how he portrays it in the movie he makes.
