Hamlet Movie Review

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Hamlet Movie Review Hamlet is considered one of Shakespeare’s classic works, and as a result, there have been many interpretations of it in the form of movies. The three different films viewed in class were directed by Brannagh, Zeffirelli, and Almereyda. All three interpretations were very different, and had their own unique twist to them. Although they can all be considered great films, only one can be considered the “Classic movie version of Hamlet.” The version which should be considered the Classic version of Hamlet is the version directed by Franco Zeffirelli. This movie starred Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, and Alan Bates. All acting in it was more than adequate, and the casting was well done. Each actor portrayed their role appropriately, and the directing was fantastic. The one element that sets this movie apart from the rest is the setting. Franco Zeffirelli is the only director of the three films we viewed who kept the setting true to how Shakespeare wrote it – in medieval Denmark. The fact that Almereyda and Brannagh’s versions are not set in the same time period really take away from the overall quality of the movie. In a good movie, setting is everything. You can have a great cast, great music, great cinematography, but if the setting is not perfect, the movie cannot be great. This is why the greatest of the three is Zeffirelli’s version. The film takes place in medieval Denmark, which allows the rest of the plot to fit. In the other two film versions of hamlet, the setting and the text did not work well together at all times. This created continuity problems, and made the film less effective in portraying the story of Hamlet properly. The story is full of dark, spooky moments, and neither the Almereyda or Brannagh version bring those moments to life as well. Brannagh’s, set in the Victorian era, is full of majestic looking rooms, and people. This

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