I believe that the Branagh's version of Hamlet was the best out of the three films viewed. What stood out to me the most was that his film uses the lines of the play verbatim. I appreciate the authenticity that this element brings to the movie. It also shows Branagh's respect for Shakespeare's piece. The other movies tampered with the lines by moving them around, adding new ones, and/or completing omitting them such as the Zefirelli's adaptation when Hamlet leaves out incredibly important lines in his first soliloquy. The part I enjoyed the most in Branagh's film is the setting. It gave a new twist to Hamlet. This shows the versatility of Shakespeare's plays and their timeless universal themes. This concept is also seen in Almereyda's version; however, I believe that his film was too far off of the mark. Branagh's film stays true to the play and creates a sense of freshness, without going too far astray, that the other two movies lack.
Artistically, I enjoyed Branagh's camera angles and stark color contrasts. The scene with the wedding is the best example of both of these traits. The camera's view is that of Hamlets, giving the viewer more of his perspective. Hamlet is also the only one in this scene wearing all black; in stark contrast to the rest of the brightly colored clothing and room decor. When the people exit the hall and the petals rain down, there is a fade in color, leaving everything gray and Hamlet alone. This emphasizes the difference in mentalities that exist in the play. Hamlet is grieving his father's death and for him the world is colorless. Everyone else is celebrating with the wedding and brightly colored to match their cheery demeanor. I think that these elements really help to illustrate Hamlet's isolation.
A final minor detail that has led me to favor Branagh's version is how similar his character's appearances are to those that I imagined they would have. The setting is Denmark, so I would assume that Hamlet and the majority of the royal family would be blond and blue eyed. The other movies portray Hamlet with darker features that I do not think match his heredity.
Although I enjoyed each film (what little of each I have viewed), my favorite by far is Branagh's. It has more attributes that qualify it as not only a good movie, but the best of the three.
Artistically, I enjoyed Branagh's camera angles and stark color contrasts. The scene with the wedding is the best example of both of these traits. The camera's view is that of Hamlets, giving the viewer more of his perspective. Hamlet is also the only one in this scene wearing all black; in stark contrast to the rest of the brightly colored clothing and room decor. When the people exit the hall and the petals rain down, there is a fade in color, leaving everything gray and Hamlet alone. This emphasizes the difference in mentalities that exist in the play. Hamlet is grieving his father's death and for him the world is colorless. Everyone else is celebrating with the wedding and brightly colored to match their cheery demeanor. I think that these elements really help to illustrate Hamlet's isolation.
A final minor detail that has led me to favor Branagh's version is how similar his character's appearances are to those that I imagined they would have. The setting is Denmark, so I would assume that Hamlet and the majority of the royal family would be blond and blue eyed. The other movies portray Hamlet with darker features that I do not think match his heredity.
Although I enjoyed each film (what little of each I have viewed), my favorite by far is Branagh's. It has more attributes that qualify it as not only a good movie, but the best of the three.
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