In class we watched three different versions of the Ghost Scene from Hamlet. Each one brought its own unique traits. Whether the traits are how the actors portrayed their characters, how the mood was set, or the overall direction the films' directors take it.
The first adaptation watched was created director Franco Zeffirelli, who led Med Gibson as Hamlet and Paul Scofield as Ghost King Hamlet. I enjoyed this version because it did not seem to take many leniencies from the original play; the setting was accurate and I felt the same emotions from the characters on screen as I did when reading their lines from the playbook. Some may argue the Ghost had far too emotion for a supernatural creature, but I liked how you could his emotions play off of what he was saying. The anger when talking about his brother and the truth of his murder, but crying when talking about Gertrude and wanting his death to be avenged. In historical times, a king on his death bed would summon his heir to speak with him (seeing as the heir was usually a male). The King would speak with his son about the leader he was expected to be, before having some final words with each other. The emotions conveyed in the conversation between Ghost King Hamlet and his son reminded me of those father/son moments Hamlet was refused due to his father's murder. While the acting was, in my opinion, fantastic, the background was at times distracting. Considering the sun was on the horizon I would expect some more light, even just enough to be able to see the characters. I like how the background music had a somber tone to it, and eve created suspense in the beginning, but at times was overdone. The camera panned back and forth between the characters, almost reminding me of someone listening in on a conversation and moving their head back and forth. The feel I got from that reminded me of reading the play; delving into a story but not a part of it. Just silently observing.
In Branagh's adaptation of Hamlet I still had some favorable moments, while others threw me off. I preferred how in this version there was a realistic color to the sky for the time of night. Not only did it follow the play but it made it easier to see. The acting was well done by both Hamlet (Branagh) and Ghost King Hamlet (Brian Blessed). The emotion portrayed by Hamlet was more excited to speak to the ghost, compared to acting frantic beforehand. While once hearing the truth he seemed unphased by the news. The look of the ghost reminded me of a character from a 1970s-1980s Horror film rather than a Shakespearean era play, which made me uneasy at first. What I absolutely loved about Branagh's version was that he included flashbacks to the murder, allowing for a better intake of information and for the audience to see Claudius in a more human light. The look of regret after murdering his brother opened a gateway that directed the audience to feeling differently about the characters compared to just seeing what we create in our heads while reading.
In the final version we watched in class, Almereyda took a 180 degree turn with his adaptation. It was set in modern day NYC while keeping the traditional language Shakespeare spoke and had written in. The director worked with the props department to add physical symbolism into the scene, such as a light or lamp always being focused in on when the Ghost revealed another piece of information about his murder. Although, I could of course as a viewer read too far into such a minute detail. As a stand alone film I can highly appreciate the product created by the actors, screenplay writers, and director. It may have been an entertaining film if I was home bored one day. When compared and analyzed alongside more faithful adaptations, it does not stand up to the beloved Shakespeare play.
Each of the three adaptations had positive attributions and showcase the talent of film's team. Like mentioned previously, there were also details I was not particularly fond of. Considering how each adaptation portrayed the highly remembered Ghost Scene of Hamlet, I find director Franco Zeffirelli's version to be my favorite. I enjoyed it while watching it and looking back at my notes to write this analysis blog post.
