Hamlet in Film: Analyzing the Costume and Setting

770 Words4 Pages
Today I am going to be discussing the importance of setting and costumes in film and how the two Hamlet film adaptations, though similar in plotline, are different from each other due to the difference in the setting and the costumes. Film directors all have their own personal visions for adapting the play to the movie screen. Each decision a director makes contributes to the overall effect of the whole scene. One of the most crucial aspect in any film is the setting and costume. Setting can be critical to all the film. It can help convey the theme of a film, creates the atmosphere and makes the story credible. It creates a sense of place and a mood and it may also reflect a character’s emotional state of mind Hamlet, the play written by Shakespeare was set in the late medieval period mostly in and around the royal palace in Elsinore, a city in Denmark. The disparities between the two films outweigh any similarities that exist. The first and most obvious difference between the two films is the setting. In Branagh’s version the entire play is updated to the 19th century. The architecture is more modern, there are sweeping staircases, electricity and a train that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ride in on. The modernized setting is best illustrated by the castle of Elsinore. Branagh set the internal scenes in a vibrantly colourful setting, featuring a throne room dominated by mirrors. The high-Victorian setting works extraordinarily well in creating a sense of the private corruption simmering beneath the glittering surfaces of public decorum. The castle was built a regal setting with marbled floors and beautiful decorations mostly white in colour. The overall whiteness of the setting and the props expressed the pureness and peace that Denmark is in which only hamlet knows is false. The mirrored doors, white trim, elaborate staircase and lighting all share a
Open Document