Michael Almereyda Hamlet Analysis

Michael Almereyda’s Hamlet is one of the most critically debated Shakespeare adaptations due to Almereyda’s stylistic choices for the film. Critics argue over nearly every aspect of the film: Does it successfully translate the central themes found in Shakespeare’s original text? Does the modernization of the plot hinder the audience’s comprehension of the play? Does Almereyda’s decision to cut sixty percent of the original text and replace it with technology prove to be a suitable substitute for the outdated yet meaningful text? Regardless of the difference in opinions, it is undeniable that Almereyda succeeds in presenting his modern, technology-ruled vision of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy – if you know where to look. By cutting so much of the script, Almereyda gives himself the freedom to reconstruct Hamlet in a way that allows …show more content…
Almereyda enhances this scene by allowing the audience to see it through Hamlet’s “grainy Pixelvision” camera, further cementing the technological focus of his adaptation. Hamlet’s soliloquies tend to be presented through the lens of his video camera or in voiceover as he toys with his video camera (i.e. Hamlet’s “Frailty thy name is woman” soliloquy, which is presented in voiceover as Hamlet watches footage of his mother, father, and Ophelia on his television and camera screens.) This method helps the audience visualize Hamlet’s torment as quickly and efficiently as possible. Rather than listen to lengthy soliloquies full of outdated language, the audience is shown Hamlet’s state of mind through his obsession with technology and how he surrounds himself with as many forms of it as