Ophelia's madness

In the first version directed by Zeffirelli they really stressed the madness of Ophelia after Polonious died. The director of this version really made a strong effort to show how broken up she was about his death. At various points in the movie she is seen babbling to herself and making crazy hand jesters. One scene that shows her true breaking point is when she is in the court yard holding some twigs and chicken bones talking about them being flowers.Other points in the video she gets very aggressive towards people and she flips out with a crazy high pitched toned voice or no reason at all. This version focuses a lot on the madness of Ophelia before her death.

In the second version directed by  Branagh is way more extreme then the other too versions of Ophelia before her death. In one scene she is locked up in a stray jacket on the floor blurting out complete words of madness. Ophelia looked completely mad to this highest extent in this version of Hamlet. The director really wanted to stress the insanity that she was going through. In the book their is a scene where Ophelia is holding flowers and saying what they represent and in all the other versions she is hold something but in this version she  not holding anything at all. This scene was very dramatic and i think that for the movie it was in it played in accordance with everything else. But yet again if you go for the stereotypical version of Hamlet it is completely over dramatic. 

In the third version directed by  Almereyda  The events leading up to Ophelias madness were not as dramatic as the other two versions of Hamlet that we have previously viewed. She did show a short of madness but it was more of a crazy depressions stage in her life then a psychotic stage like the other two versions displayed. The other two films also had a scene where Ophelia was holding "flowers" and mumbling on and on about what they meant. This modern version of Hamlet changed those flowers to pictures which probably showed pictures that she had taken. This version had a more sentimental meaning then the other two version because they pictures where probably of things that meant something special to her and not just a bunch of straw and chicken bones or even nothing at all. This version of Ophelias death scene was completely different from the other two they took a more depressing road to her death. This way of organizing  her death scene really flowed with the movie. 

To be or not to be?

The first version Directed by Zeffirelli  the to be or not to be scene was set in a tomb under the castle. The mood was set right and Hamlet was all alone. Their was dark and light patches of light that helped to  really expressed what Hamlet was talking about. When he first started the  soliloquy he seemed kind of sad and up set, and then when he began to get more depth in to the speech his tone changed. Over all the passion and intensity he put in to the soliloquy were great. The symbols pointed out in class Helped to really point out how Hamlets actions made his soliloquy more intensified with out being to dramatic.

The second version directed by Branagh  the to be or not to be soliloquy is in a very different place as most would say a room like the great room of a castle in front of a mirror.  Behind that mirror hides to people listening in on Hamlets speech to himself. Their light in the room is very bright and does not contrast with the real meaning of the speech at all. The use of  a knife as a prop gives the speech a little extra to the  real meaning of the speech. This version is less dramatic and doesn't really show the true meaning of the to be or not to be speech.

Third version Directed by Almereyda is the more modern version. The director chooses to act out the scene in a video store . While in the video store little symbols add to the to be or not to be speech. While walking around in the video store Hamlet is in the action section of the store. Also the T.V's in the back show an action scene of fire and ice. The speech is rehersed mostley in Hamlets mind more then it is spoken. The scene is not fit for the true meaning of the speech. They could of done it in a more symbolic place then a video store.

 Over all the first version really shows the to be or not to be speach the best out of the three. The little movements that hamlet makes help to understand important parts of the speach. The tomb is a very symbolic place especially to be talking about living and dying. Mel Gibson plays a great Hamlet he plays the true part , and  if i had to direct halmet it would be similar to this version. This verion is directed like the classical version of Hamlet.

Hamlet: The First Ghost Scene

The first version of Halmet Director:Director: (Franco) Zeferrelli   Hamlet: (Mel) Gibson. This version is the prefect ideal version of Hamlet. The secene choice and time period that they movie is set in gives the complete experience of Hamlet. The Ghost scene seems to go along with the play.If i was a director i would director the scene the same way the director of this movie added the whole feeling of Hamlet in to this version. Between the clothes , tone of voice in the character, the setting and the little effects like lighting this movie was on key. They added little elements in to the movie that made it feel like the real Hamlet. They left out one thing but they rest of the details made up for the one lacking part. And that part is where the ghost is in armor but you would only know that if you actually read Hamlet. Besides that one flaw the movie was over all on key.

The second version of Halmet Director: (Kenneth) Branagh  Hamlet: (Kenneth) is complete different from the first version. It is more modernized and gives off the vibe of a Harry Potter movie. Based off the play the scene in the second movie contributes most small elements such as the ghost wearing armor and the how Hamlets father actually died. It also add additional flash back moments that help see show he was killed. The flash back moments also show how Hamlets uncle seduced Hamlets mother right in front of their eyes. This version is very dramatic and fast pace. The special effects of the scene give it a very eerie feeling. The blue lights, fog, trees, and secluded area make it very mysterious. The language of the ghost is very creppy and gives off a very ghostly vibe. Hamlets tone is very determined at first and then changes in to a very compassionate tone. The setting in the scene over all is dreary , it would be better off  being on top of a castle like the other version but that's what makes this version unique.

The third verison that we saw was Directed by : (Michael) Almyreda and  Hamlet: (Ethan) Hawke. This version is a more modernized verison that takes place in the city of Manhattan. It does not  really give the vibe of Hamlet off at al but still displays the over all message of Hamlet. To show the comparison between Hamlet in Denmark being king this New York city version shows Hamlet as the son of very wealth people. Hamlet is played by a very melancholia character. The ghost scene doesn't  give off the ghostly feeling it kind of feels like their is just a stranger standing out on the balcony that he welcome's in like a friend. But you know its a ghost because its his father and we know that his father is deceased  already. In each video  his father goes to grab at his face and in this version he actually does to give a more force full effect to the what he is telling his son.In this version on the t.v their is fire which adds a symbolic feeling to the scene.