Mel Gibson vs. Kenneth Branaugh as Hamlet Essay

The recent box office reincarnation of Englands favorite bard has left Hollywood with much to do about interpreting Shakespeares classic dramas. The grammatical cases of Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the gravedigger, and of course settlement himself birth new life, as the greatest actors of our time assume these timeless roles.Produced in 1990, Mel Gibsons critical point is a more straightforward, highly edited magnetic declination of the original text in comparison to Kenneth Brannaghs lavish translation of the same tale. At unless 135 minutes, Gibsons Hamlet world agent be considered Shakespeare Light, the cinematic equivalent of Cliffs Notes. However, although Brannagh should be commended for sticking to the text, be forewarned about this Hamlet-by including every railroad of the original play, this pic clocks in at exactly 242 minutes.The setting chosen for Brannaghs and Gibsons Elsinore Castle are as different as twenty-four hour period and night, quite li terally. And these bright and dark castle settings symbolically reinforce the peculiar(prenominal) mood or themes each director emphasizes.For instance, the lugubrious Gibson feels perfectly at home in his dark and dank mansion, an ideal place for a grieving soul to maintain its ruefull descent. Conversely, the introspective Brannagh is continuously catching glimpses of himself and others (and into their rightful(a) souls) in the mirror-lined ballrooms of his glistening castle.Since Hamlet is, in its essence, truly a weirdo story (so apropos for Halloween week), each director has handled these picky do quite differently. Gibson gives a more stage-like handling of the ghost ofHamlets father, using only lighting to cast an eerie glow or flickering shadows on its actors. Brannagh, on the other hand, seeks to use every movie makers device possible, including the light blue glowing eyes of Hamlets father and the dry ice forest, (both of which stretched the limits of viewing audien ce imagination). One special effect that worked very effectively was the use of flashbacks in a characters memory, specifically in scenes which show Hamlet and Ophelias amorous (yet clandestine) relationship developing.The greatest aspect of watching the Gibson and Brannagh spuds together is nonicing the subtle differences mingled with each actors expression of the same character. Both versions address, or evade, some of the most controversial issues in interpreting this play Hamlets possible madness, his seemingly Oedipal relationship with his mother, and Ophelias suicidal demise.Mel Gibson portrays a brooding, sullen-browed young Hamletmoody, miserable yet clever and cunning, and always lurking in the dark corners of this ever-somber castle. By contrast, Brannagh commands the screen with a Hamlet more edgy and emboldened than Gibsons, a determined young man whose bright and specious surroundings reflect a very intellectual, socially and politically discriminating strategist (not to mention pretentious snob). Both tiptoe the line between sanity and madness, without ever fully crossing over into a psychological abyss.With Glenn cozy playing Gertrude, Hamlets mother, Gibson intensifies the Oedipal overtones between the queen regnant mother and her son. Beautiful, elegant, and intensely emotional, Gertrude exudes an exuberant yet refined sensuality throughout the early scenes of the film. Does she linger a little overly long on the lips of Hamlet, or is this merely a joyous display of affection for her only son? The famous, and perhaps infamous, bedroom scene eventually shows the glamorous suspender of Close and Gibson struggling against one another, and the final fencing scene alike emphasizes this pair, their constant awareness of the others situation.By casting the animated Close alongside the handsome Hamlet, Gibson focuseson the mother-son relationship versus the Ophelia-Hamlet romance, as capital of Montana Bonham-Carter presents an overly pas sive, almost prepubescent and one-dimensional performance of Ophelia. Too young, too much manipulated by her father, Ophelia in her madness scene merely shows a weak young woman overcome by her own distressing plight. Because her relationship with Hamlet is never developed in Gibsons Hamlet, Ophelias suicide is a merely an action that furthers the plot of Hamlets fateit is not given consideration as the fate of Ophelia herself, a complex, passionate, and three-dimensional character in the play.Brannaghs casting of Shakespeares women gives an altogether different variant. To begin with, Julie Christie (as Gertrude) is downright homely in comparison to Glenn Close (check out the differences between the early consoling scene of each film in which Gertrude tells Hamlet that death is common). Thus, Christie is perfect for Brannaghs interpretationHamlet seeks to avenge his fathers death not because of his Oedipal draw to his mother (which would be too emotional and adolescent for this prince), but alternatively for some higher sense of truth and justice (perfect for the philosophical Brannagh). Christie is not the amiable, all-loving (or sensual) mother that we saw Close to be, and thus Gertrudes motivation to tie the brother of her dead husband seems more about politics and power than pure passion. Her role in the movie and the sympathy she evokes in the viewers diminishes greatly as we view her (and her second husband) with suspicion and even aversion. so far Kate Winslet (also starring in Sense and Sensibility, Heavenly Creatures), cast as Ophelia, is obviously breathtaking. Her presence on the screen commands the full attention of viewers, and Brannagh uses her charisma to bring forth perhaps the most fully developed representation of Ophelia to be brought to whatsoever film. She is shown as a strong-willed, intelligent and independent young woman who is turbulently in love (and lust) with her eccentric prince. If you have seen and heard her grief exp ressed in Heavenly Creatures, then you will know that her insanity scene is the most harrowing display of a hearts devastation that you might ever see. Her ethereal voice, her song of sadness, will be hard for viewersto forget.With a cast of characters including Billy Crystal, Charlton Heston, Robin Williams and horseshit Lemmon, Kenneth Brannaghs Hamlet is a sure-hit among devoted Shakespeare-philes. Yet, the dynamic performances of the characters in Gibsons Hamlet guarantee that both movies are even better comprehended when viewed, and compared, together.One of the greatest aspects about Shakespeares plays is the never-ending interpretations and expressions that can be madenot only by film makers with their elaborate aspect and all-star casts, but also by each of us as viewers and, hopefully, as readers too.