Almereyda Hamlet Analysis

One more interesting aspect of Almereyda’s film is his portrayal of Ophelia’s flowers. In both the film and the play, Ophelia is declared mad while giving away flowers. While reading the original play, written by Shakespeare, we can pull out many interpretation of what could have happen in this scene. In some portrayals we have Ophelia giving out real flowers to the actors, while in other portrayals, the flowers are imagery only symbolized as Ophelia fantasizes, or in some interpretation Ophelia pretends to hand the flowers away with nothing in her hands. In the film Hamlet, directed by Almereyda, Ophelia is an admirable photographer. Instead of providing real flowers, or pretending to use imaginary flowers, she uses photographs as flowers. Ophelia’s madness is a sign of “self- subsistent” and “self-consuming intellect” says Maurice Hindle, in study of Shakespeare on film.
Rosemary were given to Laertes or Hamlet, Pansies to possibly Laertes, Fennels and columbines possibly to Gertrude, Rue and Daisies possibly to Claudius and herself, and Violets were given to no one for they “withered” away when her father dead . For the people of the Elizabethan age, …show more content…
In the play she dies in flowers and song alongside the water. Almost “Mermaid- like” as the water consumes her to a “muddy death” according to Gertrude (4.7.175-183). Both in the film and in the play, Ophelia death is taken off screen. However, in the play Laertes emphasizes that on her grave “may violets spring” to express that she did not commit suicide in his eyes or god eyes. Yet, in the film we miss this portion. Almereyda instead provided bit of clips where Ophelia stares at her reflection the water, imaging herself jump in, and walking along the side of pools and fountains. In Almereyda lack of garden reference, we can see his view on Ophelia’s death as well. That it was suicide. A sin cause by a women, like Eve again from the Garden of