Movies

The versions of Hamlet Franco Zeffireli (1990) primarily show the relationship between the Ghost and the prince, Hamlet old and new and maintaining personal veracity while estimating with debts to the past. Laurence Oliviers version focuses on related readings of Shakespeare play, which lead to the revision of his interpretation of the story.  A thorough analysis of this version will indicate that Olivier (main character of the movie) seemed to be credited with the creation of the story. However, the versions of both films are superior to the original story.

Olivier strikes a bit of a mischievous and swaggering note. He broods well and fails to touch on the hint of desperation and insanity. He excises the political aspect of the movie in favor of a strongly psychological performance. He also plays up the Oedipal overtones up to the point of casting the 28-year-old Hamlets mother as an opposite of the original story of Shakespeare. Some scholars pointed that the particular scene where the queen is dressed in low-cut gowns is synonymous to a love scene.

Furthermore, Olivier instinctively uses the power of the images to create and sustain thematic atmosphere, reflecting on the character state of mind which cut right to the heart of the story. It should be noted that the ever present mist of the ghost of Hamlets father is located in the opening moment of the story. This is uncommon to a black and white production during that time to keep the scene looks monochromatic. This kind of element seems to direct the characters this can be noted in the scene where Hamlet deals with Ophelia (beautiful 18-year old girl). Initially, Hamlets reservation seems to be at work, but eventually, this leads to a more surprising sense of humiliation in the end. He internalizes much of the difference, until it is no longer probable, pouring  forth with unbelievable emotion.

However, the play of Olivier has had become controversial after the characters of Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Fortinbras are omitted in the story. Also, there are missing famous quotes like, a little more than kin, and less than kind, the lady doth protest too much, methinks and many other insightful monologues. Thus, he referred this film as a study of Hamlet rather than remake of the original story. He also focuses on the internal conflict of that drove the original character of the story.
On the other hand, an anecdote from the play directed by Zeffirelli communicates Shakespeares moving image. Furthermore, he trims down the story of Hamlet to a more manageable length (135 minute film compares to the 153 minute version of Olivier) to keep the story unique in its own way and to keep the story fresh in the long run of entire movie. Also, he rearranges scene order and transposing specific lines of dialogue from one scene to another. This is Hamlet for a creation of unaccustomed audiences to the slower rhythms of theater and a cut-to-the chase on television and cinema.

The movie primarily borrows action film genre that made Mel Gibson (played the role of Hamlet) prominent. Also, in casting Mel Gibson, the director primarily encourages the audience to see the real nature of the main character. As a result, this is a unique style that males enjoyable violence acceptable to the audience. The incest theme of the story highlights in the story as it leaves little of Freudian imagination.

The application of film techniques, compared to the Olivier film, permits numerous dramatic developments in the story, giving different pace and creating a new dynamic scene. Moreover, the director uses the originality of the dialogue of the original text and gives more interpretation in the depth of each of the character. Zeffirelli, also employed an amazing tribute to the original writer.  Through this, he gives in an noticeable existence to the movie which moves well from beginning to end.

Although, Gibson is younger that Olivier, many still complains that he is too old for the role (just like Olivier). His passion clearly establishes a son who has gone through madness over his fathers death, murdering his uncle and incestuous relationship with his mother. Moreover, he gives a credible representation of Hamlets concealing of insanity. He also portraits an extreme anxiety of the character in his calm moments as he could not make up his mind, but rather make up with uncertainty. Thus in over all, the director through the portrayal of the lead actor (Mel Gibson) spends much of the film flashing between mania-induced recklessness and paralyzing incapability to function with sanity.

The two versions of Hamlet established differences and similarities in terms of the uniqueness of the director to portrait his own interpretation of Shakespeare original story. Although fully aware of the contributions Olivier made to the tradition of Shakespearean film, Franco Zeffirelli has never been ready to accept Olivier as a predecessor. Although some of the scenes are deleted from the story, the exquisiteness of the two movies lies in the different interpretations that can be pulled from these versions. Therefore, these two versions of Hamlet simply manipulated its viewer to further understand the original versions in their own way.