Crazy Ophelia

   Ophelia is portrayed by Hamlet as a very calm, but troubled young lady in the beginning of the book.  She has her problems, but she deals with them in a very lady like way.  As it gets closer to the death of Laertes, Ophelia seems to be effected heavily by this.  Then once it gets closer to her own death, she begins to act a little bit crazier than normal.  The sense of suicide is left once we realize that Ophelia is dead.
   In the painting, Ophelia looks very hopeless.  It looks like she drowned, but don't most people face down when they drown.  Her being faced up adds to the suspense.  I still think that suicide was the way she died, but the painting adds a matter of suspense to the girl's death.
   Now in the films, I think that Ophelia's death is the death.  The visual of her going insane makes everything better.  My understanding of her death is clearer after seeing the film versions.  Also, the variety of ways her attitude is portrayed in each makes it better as well.  In one scene, she's very creepy.  In another, she's in a straight jacket to add to the insanity.  In the first, she was just over the top as well.  The common thing I found though was, she just disappeared with no one knowing.  This also adds to her committing suicide.  I think the films were the best way to show Ophelia's death, it's portrayed well and it puts the best image in my head.

Hamlet: "To Be Or Not To Be"

    Zeffirelli's version of this scene in Hamlet is the best to me.  I like it the most because it puts the best sense of death in my mind.  To be or not to be is the scene where Hamlet contemplates whether he should live or die.  The lighting was a very dark and gloomy setting.  Gibson plays the role in this scene stupendously, with the right emotion and the perfect actions.  Another thing that I commend Zeffirelli on is the fact that he puts Hamlet in a basement kind of setting in this scene.  There's no music, but that adds to the sorrow; You can hear the feeling in his words.  It's very old and dirty, with the sarcophagus of the fallen king in the middle.  Not only that, but the dead bodies surrounding Hamlet gives him a feel for how death is and he realizes that no one comes back.
   Branaugh's version is very disappointing to me.  There's good and bad in the scene, but it's by far, the worst.  Hamlet's mood is totally different in this version.  Instead of having a sorrowful attitude, his demeanor is more psychotic in my opinion.  The lighting is very bright and doesn't go with the words in the scene at all.  Another flaw I think was made was the music choice.  The music does nothing for the scene itself.  If anything, it's irrelevant and stupid.  The only good thing in this version was the way Hamlet talked and delivered the message.  His deliverance makes it seem like he knows Claudius and Polonius are watching him.  Not only that, but as he gets closer to the mirror, Claudius and Polonius became frightened and very shaky.  Other than that, this version was worst of the three.
   Almereyda's version of this scene was very well constructed as well.  it isn't the best in my opinion, but it is good.  The setting is a bright setting like the second version, but the music and the tone in Hawke's voice is much better.  The fact that the scene is about life and death, and it's mixed with the fact that he's walking through the action section of Blockbuster is very good.  The TVs in the background playing the infamous: Terminator, puts a good sense in the film as well.  The best part to me is when the fire comes onto the screen as he walks around.  The fire is significant of hell.  If Hamlet chooses to live or die determines where he will end up in the afterlife.  The music was suspenseful and it fit the scene the best.  Although it wasn't my favorite, I liked this version very much as well.
   All of these different versions show that Hamlet is very universal.  Different directors can take the play and shift it different ways, to make it how they want to.  It can be set in Puritan time period, Medieval time period, or even modern day New York.  The idea of Hamlet is so controversial that it can be thousands of versions of Hamlet worldwide. 
  

Hamlet Ghost Scenes

   The first film version of Hamlet, directed by Zeffireli, was my second favorite.  Gibson did a very good job in portraying Hamlet.  He was left in frustration and anger.  His astonishment at the situation leaves a suspenseful mark of what will he do next.  As for the ghost, the ghost was very good as well.  His deliverance of the message was with sadness.  As he talks, his eyes are dark and gloomy, the same as the background.  The night is a dark; full of sadness and sorrow.  The ghost coming towards Hamlet's face creates a suspenseful mood as well.  I would've liked to see the armor on the ghost and a little more flashback moments, but besides that, Zeffirelli did a very good job in constructing this scene.
   The construction of the ghost scene in the second film version; directed by Branagh, is my favorite of the three.  The ghost is just like how he's described in the the book.  He has his armor and his voice projects the message in the strongest way.  I see flashbacks in this version very frequently.  Hamlet is still mad at his uncle, for what he has been told, but he is left in more so a sorrow mood than an angry mood.  The ghost's eyes show darkness as well, but he doesn't really reach towards Hamlet's face.  This version was a personal favorite, but there are still few imperfects that could have been fixed.
   The third version of Hamlet which was directed by Almereyda was the worst in my  opinion.  Putting a story like Hamlet, in a time period such as this does not work.  The ghost looks nothing like a ghost, just a normal man in a suit.  Hawke does play Hamlet well, but he does not speak too much after the ghost scene, unlike the first two versions.  He is in tears, with nothing to really say.  The one thing that I commend the director on, is using the props in this version.  The handkerchief was very significant in the deliverance of the message.  The ghost groping Hamlet's hair also adds emphasis to the message, but I just think that the time period does not coincide with the message.  The mix of the old language with the New York time period, does not do it for me.
   My interpretation of Hamlet, would be a mix of the first and second versions.  I would like to see: the ghost from the second version, with more of the scary voice, mixed with Hamlet's rage from the first version.  Also, I'd like to see the flashbacks from the second version in there as well.  The third version is very good because the time period makes it kind of easier to understand, but the mix doesn't seem to come together in my opinion.  I think that all of the directors did a very good job in constructing their films, I'd use all three ideas and put them into one.  Twenty years from now you will see a new Hamlet by Quran Kelly-Battle