Something is Rotten in the State of BHS!

      After having viewed the three versions of Hamlet on tape, one immediately caught my attention; the Franco Zefferelli version. Because the Ken Branagh version did not accurately highlight the darkness, suspicion, and corruption of Hamlet, and the Mike Almereyda version seemed too abstract to grasp its plot and meaning, the Zefferelli version seemed to serve as a happy medium. The opening of the movie was an attention grabber as it starts off with a distant view of the castle, where flags flowed and torches burned. The solemn soldiers on horses that lined the castle inferred that something was wrong and the foreboding music that played in the background only added to the tension of the opening scene. The mood is set at dark and serious, and already made me curious as to what was happening. As the camera was brought to the Queen and showed her weeping over the body of her late husband, Zefferelli has her look up at Claudius. This one glance of the Queen can be interpreted many different ways- which is a huge reason why I enjoyed this scene so much. To add to that, the beginning of this version was so amazing because it cut right to the chase. While the real Hamlet play takes pages upon pages to set the tone, mood, and setting, Zefferelli does a phenomenal job of getting to the mystery and suspense right away. 

        In addition, the camera angles and zooming of the cameras played a crucial role in why this version is my favorite. For instance, when Claudius is speaking to Hamlet about being his father, there is a prominent shadow that hides half of his face; a symbol of his masked corruption. Also, whenever extreme emotion is displayed by a character, the camera zooms in on them, emphasizing the importance of their feelings.

     As far as characters go, I feel as though Mel Gibson made for the best Hamlet out of all the three versions. Also, Claudius' character has a natural suspicion to him that complements the true corruptness of his character. Although all three versions were interesting and a tribute to Shakespeare's ingeniousness, the Franco Zefferrli version definitely blew the other two away.