Kenneth Branagh Hamlet Comparison Essay

Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is not only the longest version but also the most extravagant version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In the film, Branagh used all of the main texts, rather than editing a specific version. Many Shakespearians have named this film the most comprehensive adaptation as compared to both its predecessors and subsequent versions.
The film is based out of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England and features a cast of recognizable actors. In comparison to other film adaptations, this film contains elements of fantasy, which its predecessors did not. Further, the film is based in the lavish baroque era, which focuses more on the film’s surroundings than that of many other film adaptions of Hamlet, which includes a ballroom, lined with mirrored doors. The final product is unquestionably lush including the costumes and scores. Interestingly, actor Kenneth Branagh portrayed Hamlet as a less sympathetic figure than that of his predecessors. He utilizes the character’s fabricated madness as a mere prop, and controls the luxurious sets and actors. In this adaptation of the film, …show more content…
Once Hamlet’s father finally appears, the background music starts to pick up again with a slow and light sound of an instrument sounding like a flute and the steam flows from the ground again. The darkness, fog, and trees makes it terrifying to be in the forest alone, while the destruction, music, the frantic camera gives the feeling of uneasiness. Branagh was able to create the uneasy feeling with just the stage setting alone. Based on this scene alone, there can be no question as to why Hamlet is motivated to do something as heinous as committing the act of murder based on this scene in the movie; the play as written has a much less intense