Critiques on Hamlet Films .

Franco Zeffirelli, Kenneth Branagh, and Michael Almereyda interpreted the play Hamlet very diferently as directors. In Zeffirelli's film, the actors portrayed their character in a very emotional way. Mel Gibson who plays Hamlet convinvingly portrays a very melancholy man who has suffered a great loss. As his father's ghost speaks to him, he weeps and shows pain in his eyes. The mood is also very spooky due to the dark setting and the wind blowing in the background. This first film left the audience feeling eerie which was really effective. Branagh uses other methods to make his film effective. He uses flashback to allow the audience to interpret Hamlet in different ways. For example, someone who has read the play might not have thought that Claudius and Gertrude were having an affair while King Hamlet was still alive. However Branagh hinted that in his film. Branagh's film is also creepy its own way. As the ghost speaks to Hamlet, the audience gets a sense of urgency for the yelling and the music. This film was much more dramatic than the other two. Lastly, Almereyda's film is extremely different. It takes place in modern times but the language is the same as the play which I find very ineffective. Also, the ghost does not resemble a ghost; it seems like a person having a conversation with another person. This is the only film where the ghost touches Hamlet which also makes the ghost seem less ghastly and spooky. The setting is not very spooky at all either. Therefore I don't like this last version of the film. In my opinion, the second version is the best one.