TO BE OR NOT TO BE

This week it has been our mission to compare and contrast each directors version of the classic "To Be or Not To Be" speech. As seen from my previous post, my favorite version of Hamlet is the Almereyda version, but while watching this clip, I found it to be distracting and not as easy to understand compared to the Zeffireilli version. The Zeffirelli version with Mel Gibson was dramatic and made the viewers understand exactly what Hamlet was feeling. The setting was in the catacombs under the castle, which provided a sense of eeriness. Gibson looked as if he was talking to the dead people, as if to look for an answer or a sign. Branaugh's version, which took place in front of a two-sided mirror with Claudius behind it, was slightly over dramatic. I liked the effect of the mirror though, because it gave the viewers a feeling of Hamlet talking to himself. All in all though, the speech was boring and did not keep my attention. One thing I did notice about the Olivier's version was the fact that the speech was given as if we were inside his thoughts. He did not speak at first, he thought and we heard his voice as a though. I loved that effect. All in all, the Zeffireilli version was my favorite

First Ghost Scene Analysis

     In the Zeffirelli version with Mel Gibson, the mood was drastically darker than the other two. There was more of a dramatic touch than the Amlereyda one, but was less emotional than the one by Branagh. Personally, I find myself enjoying the modern version of Hamlet because it is easier to understand, making it a better watch. I thought the version by Branagh depicted the death scene better than either of the other two because it showed a visual of the murder, giving a greater depth and intamacy towards Hamlet. It is almost as though you felt Old Hamlet's pain and upset. The version with Ethan Hawke used more props than the other two versions. In that scene, Old Hamlet was constantly dabbing his ear with a hankerchief, giving the viewer as a hint as to what happened, just in case the dialogue wasn't fully understood. All three of the moives had excellent music, it was very dark and intense. I can already tell that any of these version of this classic is going to be good.