There certainly
is no one way to depict William Shakespeare’s Hamlet on the “big screen,” as there have been over a hundred
versions of the play on film, including ones in which Kenneth Branagh and Derek
Jacobi star as Hamlet. While both
of these films actually cast Jacobi, this is the only similarity between the
two versions of the film. The difference between these versions comes down to
more than just the fact that Branagh’s is in color and Jacobi’s is not. Both directors of the films made decisions,
some less obviously seen than others, in order to promote what they feel is the
most innovative representation of the life and toils of Hamlet, while not
veering too far away from Shakespeare’s original In the Derek Jacobi and
Kenneth Branagh versions of Hamlet, there are certain directorial choices
regarding the setting, tone, and dispositions of Hamlet, Claudius, and
Gertrude, that creates two identities for the film. Branagh's take on the play focuses more on the modern and
contemporary aspects, while Jacobi's depicts a more conservative portrayal of Hamlet.
Kenneth Branagh’s
version is visually appealing.
With its extravagant palace laced with red, gold, and white, and bright
lighting, the viewer feels as if there are thousands of spotlights gleaming
onto each one of the actors. The
director of the film has done what no other film has done, depicting the
wedding of Claudius and Gertrude.
Here, the people of Denmark have flocked to see the ceremony and are
wearing bright red and white garments.
However, when Hamlet walks in, one can truly sense his loss and the fact
that he is still deeply grieving about the loss of his father. The director wants to make it obvious
to the audience that this is the case, so he has Branagh dress in all black,
the color of death and funerals, instead of wearing white, the color of
celebration and purity. Branagh
truly is wearing a “solemn suit of black,” but the director not only wants the
audience to see Hamlet’s pain (with the black attire), but to sense his
suffering. Branagh’s pain can be
heard in his voice as he sarcastically responds to Claudius claim that he has
been grieving for far too long:
“Not so, my lord; I am too much i’ the sun” (1.2 line 69). Branagh is on the verge of tears, as he
cannot stand to watch his mother take his murdering uncle’s hand in
marriage. Additionally, there is an
immense and vivid contrast of the joyous wedding and Hamlet’s disgruntled and
unsettled disposition. Branagh’s
portrayal of Hamlet allows to the audience to delve into the character’s inner
emotions, as Hamlet is portrayed as an “open book” wen it comes to his
expression. One can hear the gut
wrenching pain in his voice and see his head droop down when he watches
Claudius and Gertrude intimately hold hands, all the while seeming to be
constantly on the verge of bawling because he cannot stand to watch his beloved
mother marry an evil and manipulative man. Additionally, Gertrude and Claudius are depicted much
differently in the Branagh version than in Jacobi’s. In this film, Claudius is represented as a so-called caring
stepfather; he speaks in a gentle manner to Hamlet because he wants to create a
“healthy” relationship with him.
Claudius states the phrase, “Tis’ unmanly grief,” because he is
attempting to teach Hamlet that his actions are unfit for that of royalty. Claudius “babying” Hamlet is a sign of
false caring, and Hamlet sees right through it. What
really perturbs Hamlet is that his mother stands in union with a man who
obviously has anything but good intentions, yet is steadfast in supporting him,
with no sign of wavering. Branagh’s
Hamlet feels as if he is old news and cannot stand Claudius receiving more
attention than he receives.
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