11/10/09
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Who best performs the "To be or not to be" soliloquy?
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I thought Mel Gibson was an interesting choice for Hamlet, especially considering his relative age in comparison to the other characters. I was surprised by how convincingly Gibson portrayed an emotionally disturbed prince and how in certian scenes he was able to invest some humor into his lunacy. This protrayal of Hamlet led to some interesting questions, such as how close are we supposed to believe Hamlet and his mother the Queen. In scenes such as the bedroom scene they act almost like lovers, with the Queen appoligizing for sleeping with Hamlet's uncle, like it was wrong because it was cheating on Hamlet, not because of her husbands memory. That weird son mother relationship, not to mention Hamlet's behavior explains Ophelia's lunacy and death.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Mel Gibson was great. I do agree on the relationship between him and his mother it did seem off.
ReplyDeleteI really like this version of Hamlet. I have seen it once before during my senior year in high school and although almost 4 years ago, I could really remember certain parts. One character I really recognized was Ophelia. She was cast very well. I thought she really did seem like a girl that had lost her mind and she really was odd in the movie. I agree that Mel Gibson's age did seem a bit off and I almost wish Hamlet was played by a younger male. Overall i did like this version, it was easy to follow and comical.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that the portrayal of Hamlet led to some interesting questions between the relationship of him and his mother. I found it very interesting/weird of the scene in the bedroom with his mother.
ReplyDeleteFirst I would to agree that Hamlet and his mother's relationship was not of ordinary. Though Hamlet's erradict and lunatic behavior in Shakespeare's Hamlet is brought to life in the weird and disturbing portayal of Hamlet by Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson does as he always does playing a rogue character with a vital confliction.
ReplyDeleteHilary Ingram said...
ReplyDeleteI think that this movie was created and acted out really well. I agree with Olivia that Ophelia did a really good job acting crazy. I also agree that it would have been better if Hamlet was played by a younger character. I think that Zach was right when he said that the bedroom scene with Hamlet and Gertrude was a bit awkward. I couldn't tell if thats just how people acted then or if they had a thing. But, their kiss with each other seemed to be more intense than a kiss between a son and a mother should be. Overall i think this was a really good movie and I liked it a lot.
I feel like Mel Gibson was the perfect actor to play Hamlet. He made this version so much more entertaining to watch and the passion he had really made me enjoy it more. I feel like the incredible actors in this version made it better and gave a new spin on the play. I throughly enjoyed the movie :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amandurz. I feel that the terrific cast made the film much more enjoyable. Mel Gibson did a wonderful job as Hamlet. ANd I greatly enjoyed Helena Bonham Carter and Glenn Close as well. Hilary is right about the bedroom scene, it was a little awkward, but I feel that that was just how people were with each other back then. Remember Merchant of Venice when the two men kissed? I greatly enjoyed this film.
ReplyDeleteRachael Draper said...
ReplyDeleteSomething about this play has never made sense to me. i read the play in high school and other than this version i believe i've seen the kenneth branagh one (whatever one has kate winslet in it as ophelia) and non of them make sense to me. i feel like everyone goes crazy over little things. i can understand him being upset his mom married so quickly and to someone who turned out to be his fathers murderer but his obsession with incest donts make sense. perhaps its something that was true to shakespeares time, but marrying your husbands brother isnt incest. and i can understand being unhappy but seriously, going crazy and making your life even worse? it just seems silly. you're unhappy so rather than trying to improve it i'm just going to make it worse. i also couldnt stand the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia. he is a total jerk to her for no reason! she didnt do anything wrong, and he breaks her heart. then when she dies he tries to say to her brother that he loved her more than him. yah right if you loved her you wouldnt have broken her heart and then killed her father. in my mind actions speak louder than words and he may say he loves her but he acts like she's a pebble in his shoe.
Like Olivia and Rachael Draper, I had also seen this version of Hamlet my senior year of high school, (as well as the Branagh version) but my teacher stopped the film every five minutes and had us analyze what had just happened. At the time, I loathed the woman and was annoyed by the mere mentioning of the name Hamlet, but now I am extremely thankful for her because I remember/understood/enjoyed everything. I remember discussing Hamlet and Gertrude's relationship and everyone thought it was a bit odd for Glenn Close(43) and Mel Gibson(34) to be so seemingly "into" each other for a mother/son relationship, but that's how it was back in those days. I am a gigantic fan of Helena Bonham Carter and I will watch anything with her in it, so naturally, I think she did a spectacular job as Ophelia. She portrayed crazy so well, especially when she was giving out "flowers" to various people.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I thought this film was great. I think Mel Gibson did a great job, and actaully brought some humor to such a heavy plot, as ChemGirl said above. In doing the selected reading from the book, I wasn't fully able to grasp the difficulties Hamlet had with his father's death and his mother's eventual remarriage to his Uncle. But I thought the director, Franco Zeffirelli, and Mel Gibson, as well as Glenn Close did such a great job portraying the internal struggle that was externalized. As many people noted above, the mother/son dyad was creepy, as it is something we see so little in modern stories. Another classic from Shakespeare.
ReplyDelete"To be or not to be, that is the question." I have heard those words countless times, usually when someone is attempting to be sarcastically dramatic. I never payed much attention to the meaning of the soliloquy until I watched Zeffirelli's Hamlet recently. We all have our own ideas about what will happen to us after we die. However, none of us have ever experienced the afterlife, or talked to anyone who has, so this makes it impossible for any of us to know for sure what's to come. What Hamlet is trying to say in his soliloquy is that we would all wish to die if it were not for the fact that we are scared of the afterlife. He says the only thing stopping him from killing himself is that it is an offense against God. I would like to draw attention to a question that is indirectly raised here. If suicide were not considered by the church to be an offense against God, would everyone who belonged to that particular church kill themselves in order to get to the heavenly afterlife which the church promises awaits them? My opinion is the overwhelming majority would not, for the reason of uncertainty and fear of what is to come. If the church did not teach that suicide is a sin, and my opinion is correct, wouldn't that mean that all who did not kill themselves lacked complete faith in their churches teachings? This would be the same lack of complete faith which Hamlet exposes in himself when he thinks aloud comparing death to sleep, and talks about what dreams might come after we die. He shows that he is unsure that the afterlife which the church promises to its faithful exists for him. He believes in his church enough keep him from killing himself because he fears the punishment for this offense against God, but he does not have enough faith to be sure the afterlife promised him exists. To Hamlet, and I believe to most others as well, following the rules of the church is a decision based not on knowing, but on thinking and making a rational decision based on risks and rewards. The fact that the church teaches that suicide is an offense against God keeps this from being exposed.
ReplyDeleteTo fully appreciate the "To be or not to be" soliloquy one must understand Hamlet's character. Hamlet is a passionate character with an amazing capacity for emotion. He is also very intellectual and intelligent. His "To be or not to be" soliloquy is a product of his passion and his intelligence. It is a passionate, emotional, intelligent man, speaking from the heart about life and death. This is a recipe for a classic soliloquy. His passion causes him to lose sight of the big picture and think and act solely on his feelings at that particular time. This trait is most apparent later on when he kills Polonious without blinking an eye, but it shows in his soliloquy as well. Most people, even when they are going through a rough time, understand that things are going to get better. They do not experience a desire to kill themselves because they know that life has its ups and downs and things will get better. Hamlet's emotional capacity causes him to think and act only in the moment. I believe this is why he is experiencing a desire for death.
I've seen both versions of Hamlet and I have to say I enjoyed Branagh's film over Zeffirelli's. Branagh depicted a much more contemplative Hamlet than Mel Gibson's version of the character. While Mel Gibson did a great job of portraying Hamlet's insanity, Branagh played a more intense more extreme Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the movie was very interesting. I agree with LMW that Mel Gibson did a good job, but I am kind of biased because I like Mel Gibson as and actor. I also agree that the mother son thing was a little weird. I did have a little trouble with the movie because at some points I was a little confused, but I think I got the overall point. It was god though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with VKM, the mother son relationship was pretty awkward at points. It seemed to push the limits of a safe mother-child relationship. I believe Mel Gibson did a fantastic job in this movie, i went in thinking ahh its Mel Gibson this will be wierd but came out loving him. Easily the best scene in the movie was the play scene, such a creative way to get the guilt out of someone.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed to me that Hamlet and his mother shared an intimate bond with each other that could be seen as more than what a mother and son should feel. It could be that Hamlet's mother felt guilty for moving on to quickly to his uncle that she was overly compensating to make it up to Hamlet
ReplyDeleteI think Mel Gibson captured Hamlet's tragic flaws very well. He was able to express his indecisiveness with out drawing it out.
ReplyDeletei agree with Farley99 how it was weird how hamlet and his mother seemed to share a more intimate bond together than most sons and mother's. i think the reason for hamlet obsessing over getting revenge is because his relationship with his mother. i feel there might be a jealousy factor in it.
ReplyDeletei think rbaker is head on, there is definitely a huge jealousy issue going on, hamlet wants to keep his mother all to himself!
ReplyDeleteI feel like Mel Gibson did a really good job as hamlet because Mel seems to always portray action movies and tragedy movies very well. I had never seen this movie before, but I knew it was going to be a good, high-budget film once I saw Mel Gibson
ReplyDeleteI thought that the ghost was portrayed very well. I really liked how they showed it and didn't look as cheesy as I thought it would. Actually really liked this film.
ReplyDeleteI thought Mel Gibson did a very good job playing Hamlet and I belive Zeffirelli's verison protrayed the tragedy of Hamlet very well.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Mel Gibson played a good Hamlet but Zeffirelli's take on the play really put into question the real relationship between Hamlet and his mother.
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson seemed too old as Hamlet and Glenn Close seemed too young to be his mother. Gibson was convincing none the less.
ReplyDeleteI found it different Zeffirelli chose to interpret the murder of Polonius as a minor offense, but something
ReplyDeletethat would force Hamlet to speak his mind to his mother. Ophelia's craziness is interpreted
gloomy and devilish. Finally, Zeffirelli chose a dark, gothic effect to give the play a more
mournful atmosphere, as displayed in Ophelia's behavior. I think the movie shouldn't have been so dark and gloomy
Mel Gibson was casted to play “Hamlet.” He played Hamlet so well and so passionately, it was truly great to watch him become so involved and engaged in his character. He was emotional, strong yet weak, and extremely passionate about what he was feeling. Helena Bonham Carter is one of my favorite actresses and she played “Ophelia” in Zeffirelli’s Hamlet. Carter did an amazing job with Ophelia and captured the essence of going insane perfectly as well as Ophelia’s innocence. Glenn Close was casted to play Hamlet’s mother “Gertrude.” I believe she did a great job as well and it was interesting to see how Zeffirelli portrayed Gertrude and Hamlet’s relationship in this film. They almost seemed in love because they would kiss each other on the lips quite frequently and their body language showed that.
ReplyDeleteThe scene when Hamlet talks with the ghost of his father was portrayed amazingly by Zeffirelli. It is very sad and Mel Gibson does a fantastic job taking the news the ghost gives him with so much emotion and heartache. I enjoyed the scenes with Hamlet and Ophelia as well because you can see how odd their relationship has become and how Hamlet plays mind games with her, but we can tell he does truly love her.
The first reason that I wanted to see this film was because Mel Gibson was in it. I love him as an actor so this made me even more eager to see the film. I thought it was interesting but overall I thought it was really good. I thought that he did a good job at summing the whole play into a movie. There were lines cut and scenes that were altered such as the beginning scene when in the play Hamlet see's his fathers ghost, and in the movie it just shows his fathers funeral. Shakespeares Hamlet and Zefferelli's Hamlet were different at some points but I thought that it was a really good remake.
ReplyDeleteThe movie was really passionate and showed a good range of emotion. I think using a big name actor like Mel Gibson makes people more willing to watch it, which was a good move by the director. I do agree with the people that Hamlet and his mother seemed too close in age, but overall very pleased with the movie.
ReplyDeleteRachael Draper said...
ReplyDeleteThank you MER! i totally agree, Hamlet is a such a pathetic complainer! i O'brien kept saying he was supposed to be some kind of action star, but i didnt think there was anything about him that said action star until the end when he had a very short fight scene. he totally over-reacts to everything. maybe he has a chemical imbalance that causes him to exagerate everything in his head. i agree, that worse things could happen to a person, and he didnt have to be such a jerk to everyone.
I feel that Mel Gibson played the part of Hamlet very well and it made made Zefferelli's film that much better. I agree with what the previous comments had to say about the type of character was and i remember talking about in class how he was the opposite of Shakespeare's other main characters. In this Film, Hamlet is quite dramatic, although it makes the film better that his mothers sudden marriage had that effect for hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching Mel Gibson play Hamlet. I agree with previous comments about how i was unsure of how i would like him as that character, but overall he did well. I enjoyed the drama in the movie, and agree that Hamlet complains a lot.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching Mel Gibson play Hamlet. I agree with previous comments about how i was unsure of how i would like him as the character, but overall he did well. I enjoyed the drama in the movie, and agreet hat Hamlet complains a lot.
ReplyDeletei quiet throughly enjoyed zeferlli's version of Hamlet alot more than branghs version. Due to how zeferlli captured the esscence of how shakespeare would have thought of the play to be. From the props, camera lighting to the actors and actresses he chose to cast in this classical tradgedie it was all very tradtional and shakespearian. Unlike in brangh's where it was much more modern with more modern arcitechture and clothing more extravegent then the would have actually had.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I enjoyed this movie very much. As much as I don't really like Mel Gibson as an actor, he did an amazing job portraying Hamlet. I found it interesting how the majority of the characters represented the original shakespearian era, unlike Zeferlli's version.
ReplyDeleteharatyk said...
ReplyDeleteI thought this version of Hamlet was very interesting, I love Mel Gibson and he played the dark roll wonderfully. Throughout the movie I noticed Hamlet was a disturbed individual who after losing his father seemed to lose his own mind. There were some interesting questions that arose in my mind, mainly the relationship between him and his mother, it was weird and seemed to cross the line of motherly affection. The bedroom scenes I believe were the most inappropriate and weird between Hamlet and his mother. I also thought the Queens character was very interesting shortly after her husband the king dies she marries his brother which leads to the question where they secretly together before, did that kill the king so that they could be together.
I am not a big Mel Gibson fan but I believe he did a pretty decent job as Hamlet in this film. I also do not really like the story of Hamlet, wtih the odd relationship between mother and son, the son going insane or just pretending and once again Shakespeare's favor "power-hungry" theme with the uncle. I think that there is a little too much drama going on for one film.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Mel Gibson as Hamlet, i thought he did a great job as a son going through depression after his father's death. As well as acting crazy as he tried to prove his father's death was not an accident but that he was murdered by his uncle. I thought that Glen Close did an interesting job as Gertrude. The relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude seems to be a bit more than just son and mother. The way Glen Close portrays Gertrude as she kisses and talks about and to Hamlet is different than a mother-son relationship today. But it is common for Shakespeare's characters to act differently and a little more touchy, kissy than people currently do, such as the women in a Midsummer Night's Dream. Overall I enjoyed the film and all the drama and craziness it had to offer.
ReplyDeleteI felt that mel gibson did a good job portraying hamlet. After all a lot of his movies are about people seeking revenge, lethal weapon and brave heart to name a couple. IN particular i thought mel gibson did a good job at acting crazy through the movie. Storming about the castle constantly ranting a raving.
ReplyDeleteThis play contains the most famous lines of all, however I think I expected more out of this famous play. This adaptation did not do the play all its justice. Mel Gibson however did a great job and displayed his character well however the whole thin g felt was lacking something.
ReplyDeleteEAI
ReplyDeleteI had never seen this version of Hamlet, but I definately enjoyed it! I liked watching Mel Gibson play Hamlet and watching how he interacted witht he other characters was interesting. I thought it was a little odd of the relationship that Hamlet had with his mother, but that must have been how it was back then. In response to LEO above, it is very interesting to know that the lion king is based off of Hamlet, I had never heard of that, so thanks for the info!
I felt that this movie was somewhat entertaining. It definitely isn't one one my favorite Shakespeare movies but, it had some good qualities about it. Mel Gibson's portrayal of Hamlet is above average in my opinion. He does a good job in making Hamlet believable and it does not seem as if the character is over acted.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was very good and it pretty much kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the movie. It kept me on the edge of my seat more than most of the other movies that we have watched so far. I thought Mel Gibson was a great choice of actor for the role of hamlet and he played it very well.
ReplyDeleteI thought Mel Gibson did a great job in this role. It was a very strange role but he adapted to the character very well. He does a good job portraying the struggles that Hamlet goes through. He deals with many different hardships from his father's murder to his strange relationship with his mother.
ReplyDeleteI loved this versoin of Hamlet. I felt that from the very first scene he lets us know about his disgust of the new and sudden marriage of his mother and his father's brother. I knew from right then that Hamlet would stop at nothing to seek his revenge.
ReplyDeleteCH said..
ReplyDeleteI liked this movie because Mel Gibson was in this movie. I like when these movies have people i know in them because i feel like i enjoy them more. I liked this verison of hamlet because i feel like it was alot different from other plays. It was interesting to watch i and enjoyed it very much!!!!!!!
I think that mel gibson did well in portraying a true image of hamlet. It was kind of interesting to see him as an actor imitate the way hamlets thought process works
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well done version of Hamlet but I personally like Branagh's version better. The only thing that I really liked better than Branagh's is the setting...I feel like it was truly somewhere Hamlet could have lived.
ReplyDeleteHamlet was a very deep and broding film, and I thought Mel Gibson was excellently casted. In this film he is young, and the only movies he was known for at the time was Mad Max and his Lethal Weapon series, so it must have been surprising to see him in such a complex and emotional role. This film was very dark and ambiguous and i thought the very controversial incest scene was very disturbing.
ReplyDeleteJsosine2
ReplyDeleteHamlet
This was the first introduction I have had with hamlet besides hearing here or there the infamous words of “to be or not to be”. This was a very entertaining especially since Mel Gipson was used for the character. The mother son relationship portrayed in this movie was a little odd, I felt as though they were something more than just family, they carried themselves as lovers instead. This relationship seemed like it was a little different than it was portrayed in the readings. This was a very awkward relationship to view on film. I feel that the relationship may have wanted to portray that they were more than what was thought but that they were not actually lovers they just had a sick and twisted relationship.
There was a lot of anger and hatred from and toward Hamlet in this movie, this movie seemed like he was always a little miss tempered and someone seemed to always be mad at him. In the film Claudius hated this Hamlet for certain reasons and seemed to think that life would be better if Hamlet was not around. Hamlet was kind of a jerk to Gertrude a lot of the movie and seemed to disrespect her a lot with hitting and words that aren’t the kindest. Mel Gipson at the time was a very popular actor and is still regarded as one but he was too old for this part, I think that most scenes would have been more effective at what they wanted to portray if they had a twenty something.
After reading everyone's comments about this movie, I do agree with everyone, however I am rather disappointed that only 1 or 2 other people seemed to mention Glenn Close's performance as Gertude. I think she had one of the more powerful performances of all of the movies we have seen this year. I also believe she helped make this movie one of the better that we have watched.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was an intresting film, not only because Mel Gibson was in a Shakespeare film but that i thought it was an easy way to understand Hamlet. I thought the directer did a really good job by makeing the movie appeal to both adults and kids which, made the movie intresting and really never made me to be bored.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorite films of the year that we have seen. Mel Gibson did an excellent job as Macbeth. The interaction he had with other characters made the movie very accurate to the original play
ReplyDeletethis version of hamlet seemed to have much less gore than i thought there was going to be. yes everyone dies but it was done in a relatively clean manner which i never got when reading the original version of hamlet. as for mel gibson's job of playing hamlet it felt that he did the character justice, it was not a stellar performance but it was a solid one. an actress that i thought was perfect was to play her part was helena bonham carter as ophelia. she does crazy almost too well.
ReplyDeleteI liked watching Mel Gibson but his acting was exaggerated so i thought it was a little cheesy but it made the movie less serious. Ophelia did a wonderful job of seeming crazy after her father's death. I agree that Hamlet's relationship with his mother was unusual.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was pretty good, and it was cool because I was able to recognize some of the actors. Usually, I am not a big fan of Mel Gibson, but ti thought he did a pretty good job. I also agree with the person above me who said that Glenn Close did an amazing job portraying Gertrude. I also think that Helene Bonham Carter did a great job as Opehlia, and it was nice to see her in a movie outside of Harry Potter or something Tim Burton directed.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with the user chocolate shake(speare. Hamlet and Gertrude are depicted as very close. I did to notice the touchy love aspect of both of them. The scene when Hamlet is confronting Gertrude about his overall madness in the bedroom is very powerful. Hamlet is forceful and his mother is almost helpless by what she hear. I think Zeffirelli showed these two characters close to show how both Hamlet and Gertrude are connected to each other.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this movie and Zeffirelli's version of the play. Mel Gibson made the movie fun to watch and easy to understand the play. Zeffirelli does an excellent job at juggling with updating Hamlet, while staying close to the classic play.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was quite an emotional and crazy roller coaster to be on! Hamlet seems to lose it as the movie continues. The beginning scene when king Hamlet has passed you see the mother crying hysterically and then it cuts to Hamlet who seems to be stone cold. That scene alone speaks a million words.
ReplyDeletei really enjoyed this film, having it still a slightly modern fillm from the 90s it was an easy version to understand. I agree with Beth C. saying, "Zeffirelli does an excellent job at juggling with updating Hamlet, while staying close to the classic play." i found this to be very honest and true. I also enjoyed watching Mel Gibson it is always nice to see very famous actors playing in a Shakespeare film.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Mel Gibson is a very good choice for Hamlet. he plays the part in such a way that we are not used to. it's a newer hamlet, for sure, but it still is shakespeare. the soliloquies were astounding. the movie really focused on hamlet. i think it all worked and it was a great film
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was an interesting version of Hamlet and I especially liked the ghost scene. I get so sick of how dramatic some of the movies have made the ghost scene and seeing this simpler version kind of worked a little bit more for me at least. I also thought that the role of Ophelia was a perfect casting. Mel Gibson was also not ridiculous like I thought he would be... I like it
ReplyDeletei really enjoyed this play, Mel Gibson takes on such a different role than what we are used to seeing. The 'to be or nor to be " speech is so important to the relevance of the theme. This speech ties the concepts of the play together as Hamlet dabbles in the idea of suicide, acting on thoughts, and the search of truth in an uncertain world. We also see how hamlet is split between is logistical thought of mind and his caring and real feelings. He is always trying to make sense in a methodical way to things that are not so precise.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the best play ever written I believe, the” to be or not to be” soliloquy was perfection. It was perfect for Hamlet because he was in the state to where should he be alive or should he not. He had lost his father and mother to the man that killed his own blood. He was determining why do I need to bare my life through this pain when it could simply just go away. It was a powerful story and the movie with Mel Gibson was very much amazing.This has by far been the best movie I have seen in this class. Just the amount of pain Hamlet went through was amazing. At the end he got what he wanted to take out Claudius for all that he put upon his family.
ReplyDeleteI think Mel Gibson was perfect in this film. He was able to capture the disturbed Hamlet without being too over the top, which is probably a very difficult thing to do. I'm not going to lie, the confrontation scene between Hamlet and his mother made my skin crawl; that kiss was a little to intimate for me! I'm not sure if Shakespeare originally intended to portray this relationship as Oedipus-like, but I guess that depends on interpretation.
ReplyDelete-GMW
This is the second time I’ve seen Hamlet, so I attempted to pay closer attention to the details this time around. The music in the beginning of the film had a strong sense of power, strength, and supremacy behind it. In this film, more then any of the others I’ve seen this semester, I felt like the costumes looked more along the lines of something that would have been actually been worn during the times of Shakespeare. What captured me most were the looks in all the characters eyes. There was passion and drive present in all the characters. From the first scene, you could learn a lot about a character by what was being shown though his or her eyes. Unlike other Shakespeare films, I felt as is the acting in Hamlet came natural to the characters. The actors weren’t trying to do more then they had to.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I thought this movie was one of the best movies we have seen all semester. I love Mel Gibson and I loved him as Hamlet. Even though the ghost was not as ghostly as it could be, but you could see that Hamlets father was a ghost. There was a lot of darkness to the movie and all of the dark parts of the movie were demonstrated by the colors of the movie.
ReplyDeletei thought this film was alright. i saw a different version of it in high school and i thought that one was better. the scene where ophelia goes mad is definitely better in the other one but hamlet was acted out better in this film.
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was really good. Mel Gibson played a really good Hamlet, and even though he seemed a little old for the part, he pulled it off really well and made you forget about his age. One thing that I didnt like was the mother-son relationship. It seemed as though they were involved and it made me uncomfortable while watching.
ReplyDeleteHarrison 33:
ReplyDeleteThis is by far one of my favorite plays by Shakespeare. I wasn't sure how well Mel Gibson would do as playing Hamlet, but he didn't do all that bad. I really enjoyed the movie and the deceit that took place. Couldn't be more pleased.
Mel Gibson did an excellent job of portraying Hamlet in this film. He was able to portray his emotional disturbance without making it seem to fake. Although the film was great I have to agree that the mother-son relationship was weird. It seemed as though they were involved when I didn't get that from the reading. I guess it all just depends on your intersretation.
ReplyDelete-JSR
i did not like Mel Gibson as Hamlet. i thought he was too old and i don't usually like him in other movies and this film did not change my mind at all.I understand he is to portray lunacy and a range of emotions but i just thought he spent the entire play being angry at people. i also thought eh relationship between he and his mother was very strange. the one character i did like and thought did a wonderful job was Ophelia
ReplyDeleteNicole R
i did not like this film at all. i would not have chose mel gibson to play Hamlet, i thought he was much to old and i dont think he did a good job, i felt like he spend the entire time being angry with people. i also thought the relationship with his mother was very strange and far to intimate. the only character i liked in this film and thought did well was Ophelia.
ReplyDeleteNicole R
Dana Zimpelmann said...
ReplyDeleteThe most intriguing thing about the movie was the character of Hamlet. He is a very dramatic character, Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions; he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. His father's death caused him to be consumed with outrage , yet he shows no remorse when he himself is responsible for the deaths of the meddling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, lord chamberlain or Polonius
I liked this Version of Hamlet a lot more than the other one. I felt Mel Gibson brought a new but recognizable face to prince Hamlet. This mad the movie interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteThis version of Hamlet is done very well. I dont really like Mel Gibson but thought he did an excellent job in this movie. The Oedipus complex between him and Gertrude is definitely something worth talking about. I also thought that Ophelia was tragically well played. The scene with her and the flowers is so symbolic yet seemingly innocent if you dont understand the meaning behind the flowers she gives. The ending sword fight scene is very dramatic, but when is Shakespeare not? That is what he is famous for. Its so ironic that the poison Claudius used to kill his brother and become King is eventually what kills his love Gertrude and himself. Great movie all and all.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Mel Gibson and Helen Bohnam Carter were very well cast in this film. Hamlet's madness was very convincing and at times, terrifying. Ophelia seemed much more like a little girl than I had pictured her, and I think that it made her madness more sad. When she is wandering around signing, I wondered if she had chosen that song because she could relate to its content and thought that Hamlet had ruined and abandoned her. Hamlet never really lets Ophelia in on his plan and she dies as a consequence.
ReplyDeleteI really loved Mel Gibson's version of the To Be or Not To Be speech. He does a really good job with nonverbal communication and really shows a great portrayal of deep thinking and it even looks as if Mel has some thoughts he is not sharing with the audience.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I wasn't expecting Mel Gibsonto be able to pull off this role, he definatly suprised me and mad and pretty good Hamlet. In reading, I pervceived a different idea in my head of what the charachters would be like, along with the scenes and what not, but I think overall the film was very well put together. The charachters I think were very well cast, with Helena Bonham as Ophelia, she can pull off such a variety of roles and can has a look that fits into so many different time periods. Through this film, it has been proven the cast is very versitile.
ReplyDeleteLike most other people's comments I have read, I was also shocked at first the Mel Gibson was going to be playing the role of Hamlet. Before watching the film I really did not think he would be able to pull it off. To my surprise, he did very well I think. Honestly it was hard to recognize him at first, because he looks so different. I also think Helena Bonham did well as Ophelia, except for her "mad scene". I my self found that hard to watch, it was like she was possessed by something, not that she has gone mad.
ReplyDeletei think that this is the best work mel gibson has done. he did a great job of playing the part of hamlet. he was great in every scene. he really was a great fit for this character because he had so much emotion you could really feel what he was feeling.
ReplyDeleteI was extremely impressed with Mel Gibson in this movie, which I was not expecting. I actually loved this film and the messages behind the scenes. Most specifically was in the to be or no tto be soliloqui which shows me why it is so famoud and well known, for the thought of what comes after death is something that truly puzzles me. The rest of the acting is very well done as well, Helena/Ophelia was also perfectly chosen, and everything about this film speleed tragedy. The setting and choice of dark colors, the choice of characters music and lighting. I will definitely watch this film again!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the film. Mel Gibson did a great job of portraying the rageful Hamlet, who eventually lost it. Also, Ophelia was great when she went made, really convincing. Also the shots were great, in an old dusty castle. It really helped set the scene.
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson as Hamlet was suprisingly realistic. The setting, the clothing, the overall performance was stunning. Although, what stole the show for me was Ophelia's mad seen. Carter was incredible, after that scence I had tingle in my spine.
ReplyDeleteThe actors that played Hamlet and Ophelia both did a great job at acting crazy and insane. I don't think they made it clear enough that Hamlet was still in love with Ophelia, but it all made sense when she was being buried. The place where this film was shot made it seem more realistic.
ReplyDeleteZeffirelli’s version of Hamlet was an interesting one.I love seeing Mel Gibson in this movie. He was full of emotion and rage and yet, still a bit comical. I think he does an excellent job in movies that entertain revenge and action.
ReplyDeleteRevenge was a big theme in this play. I love how Hamlet stayed true to his father and after finding out his death was a murder, promised revenge on his father’s murder, Claudius. I was very intrigued to see the ghost of Hamlet’s father show up. One thing I noted about it was the fear that everyone felt, and how they wanted to almost run away. Although it would be creepy so see a ghost, I feel like if it were one of my parents I would embrace the chance of getting to see them again.
After watching clips from other versions of this play I like Zeffirelli's version the most. I think the Mel Gibson's portray of the play is great and what I pictured when i saw read the play.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting play. It follows a man as he falls deep into madness. I found the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude to be interesting as well. They seemed to have an Oedipus like relationship. The way they responded to each other in the movie was too affectionate for mother and son.
ReplyDeleteI loved Mel Gibson's portrayel of Hamlet in this version of the film. He represents the insane son very well and adds that extra bit of touch with his acting. His "To be, or not to be" solilique was definitely the pinnacle of the movie for me. He just put so much emotion and feeling into it. The woman who played Ophelia also brought that great touch of craziness to the movie and made sure the audience knew that she isn't playing around, she's really insane.
ReplyDeleteLuckily i have read this play before but it was still somewhat difficult for me to stay on top of. However, i was able to depict how out of the ordinary Hamlet and his mother's relationship was and that I thought it was strange having Mel Gibson play Hamlet. It just didnt seem like the best fit to me.
ReplyDeleteI found this movie (Hamlet) to be most enjoyable due to the movies wit and clever twist. I thought Mel Gibson did a great job-portraying Hamlet because he had great facial expressions and made the movie flow. It was interesting the way King Hamlet came back from the dead in a ghost like figure to tell Hamlet to kill Claudius for he is deceiving King Hamlets wife (Gertrude). Claudius really killed King Hamlet and it is up to Hamlet to take revenge. With death being the main symbol of this movie (Suicide, murder, and natural death) it made the ending very conclusive and deep.
ReplyDeleteMany people do not like Zefirelli's choice of Mel Gibson as Hamlet. I liked his choice. Many of us have seen another film or performance of this play, and it seems that Hamlet's character is always portrayed in the way that Lawrence Olivier acted in his film of Hamlet. Mel Gibson brought something new. He is a much darker, much sneakier Hamlet. I think that without Mel Gibson, this different vision of Hamlet would be more difficult to present.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Zeffirellis version, I feel that he wanted to make the movie available to a wider audience. The costumes and the sets of the movie were done beautifully, and the setting helps add an atmosphere to the film. Scenes from the play are cut into different scenes in the movie, and the dialogue from the movie isn't exact with with Shakespeare’s original play. That might make it less appealing to a fan who wanted to stick to the original script, but commercial success is what film makers are going for.
ReplyDeleteHamlet was quite a disturbing, yet meaningful film. The way Hamlet gets haunted by the king’s ghost proves to be a daunting experience for him, one in which contributes to his change in character. Also, the drastic change in Ophelia’s character, who in the beginning is seen as a young innocent girl transforms to a victim of madness. So much loss and heartbreak is presented in this film, making it one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Zeffirelli's version, I felt that he made a better version of the play in that he gave each character in the movie more emotion like you are right there with them unlike the other versions where they seem to be saying it ut there is a lack of emotions., But as I have also noticed a few things about the play have changed like for example there is no mention of Fortinbras or his son at all and that there are a few things added like Hamlet opening thhe lettters that Guildenstern and Rosencrantz had brought with them from Claudius.
ReplyDeleteThe star power that Gibson offers the film gives it a mainstream quality. Like in Luhrmen's Romeo and Juliet, the use of popular actors in Shakespeare's plays deffinately enhances the viewership for this film. By having a familiar and well liked face on in the movie it allows people to more easily relate to the film.
ReplyDeleteI throughly enjoyed Zeffirelli's version of Hamlet. The director was very successful in making this very long and complex story into a film. He was able to gain interest in the film by casting very popular actors, such as Mel Gibson and Glenn Close. This movie has some very intense scenes. The scene where Hamlet is arguing and being very physical with his mother, Ophelia, is very disturbing to watch.
ReplyDeleteThis version of Hamlet i thought was very dark and effectively showed how Hamlet was losing his mind and going crazy with the thought of revenge i liked how even the lighting made it dark and added to the dark aspect of the film to get across the image that this version of Hamlet is not to be take lightly what so ever
ReplyDeleteAfter researching the film online, one thing that really stands out to me from watching the film was how the director, Franco Zeffirelli, seemed to attempt to make the movie a highly dramatic version of the play. He had an actor in Mel Gibson with a flair for the dramatic side. Zeffirelli actually cast Gibson after seeing his performance in the film Lethal Weapon. Another thing I learned after researching online was that the average shot length for the film was under six seconds. This fact points to the fact that this film was supposed to look like an action movie. This is definitely something that I observed while watching in class so the statistic certainly backs my observations up. I also really enjoyed the setting of the film. The locations where they filmed were beautiful and I felt as though I was in the setting, which was in Denmark. This film probably could have been done a bit better, not because the film was bad but just because of how good the original play was. I did like the movie though, but it probably could have been done better. They say Shakespeare was the greatest screenwriter ever. This is yet another example. We see a great play inspire a good film. The play was written so well and is so perfect to be adapted as a movie that it could not possibly have been made a bad play.
ReplyDeleteFor never reading or watching Hamlet, I thought this movie was good. I was impressed with the acting in the film and overall plot. This movie shows how Hamlet has modeled many movies and shows today. The story is relatively easily to follow and has many twists which makes it a Shakespeare classic.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Mel Gibson did a great job of portraying Hamlet. The first thing that got me so interested in the film was the first meeting hamlet had with his dead fathers spirit. I think he did a good job of showing the rage that would come if you found out your father was poisoned by an uncle. I did find it a bit strange the relationship that Hamlet and his mother had.
ReplyDeleteThis was by far the most difficult movie to pay attention to that was shown in class. Perhaps it was the transfer from Comedies to Tragedies that made it so difficult to digest this movie. I found Mel Gibson hard to watch as Hamlet because I am not so sure he played off the "madness" of Hamlet well enough. Then again, as with most Shakespeare films I tend to get lost in the language and miss important lines.
ReplyDeleteThe bedroom scene between Hamlet and his mother seemed out of place and context because incest is normally looked down upon. Within that scene Hamlet and his mother first experience a fight that turns into sexual tension between them. The scene ends with a passionate kiss only to be interrupted by Hamlet’s vision of his father. Zefirelli took a risk in directing this scene that way because it became so uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteI think Mel Gibson was too old to pull off Hamlet Junior. However, Hamlets age has always been an issue with this play. In the text he is in his thirties, but this would make his relationship with Ophelia seem pedophiliac. Yet Gibsons good acting plays an important part in making the story come to life, clearly portraying a son going mad with vengeance and torn by his mother’s request.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this film because I felt that Mel Gibson did an excellent job portraying Hamlet. It was nice to have a familiar face play the main character because at this time Mel Gibson was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, so that aspect alone probably garnered a lot of attention from fans who went on to see Hamlet. The famous "to be or not to be" scene will always be a classic and I think that Mel Gibson did an excellent job re-enacting it.
ReplyDeleteGone out of his mind, Hamlet's crazy mind lead him to avenge his fathers death. Mel Gibson, who is a great action actor, did a great job playing hamlet. His expressions were priceless and i could definitely hear the sarcasm in his voice when he talked to his uncle. The movie did good to the play.
ReplyDeleteOverall i thought this version of the film was pretty good. Im not sure it was my favorite version of Hamlet but i felt Zefferalli did a good job. I thought Mel Gibson had a pretty good performance but i feel Glen Close seemed to have the most profound performance. I thought the movie was all around good.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between hamlet and Gertrude was purposely made to be more intement in this version. The director wanted to play up the Oedipal complex sigmund Freud developed, which says when born, men are attracted to their mother and want to be there father because their desire for their mother. Hamlet wants to kill his uncle not only because he wants to avenge his fathers murder, but out of jealousy. The Oedipal complex in Shakespeares hamlet wasnt as obvious as the Mel Gibson version though.
ReplyDeleteZeffirelli's version of Hamlet offers a different look on the characters and text of the original. I have seen the version of Hamlet that was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who actually plays Hamlet himself. To me this version was more enjoyable and familiar because of the actors that are used and the overall appearance of the film. For example Kate Winslet plays the role of Ophelia, and is very impressive at doing so. Branagh depicts Hamlet the way I would imagine Hamlet to be, rather than how Gibson does in Zeffirelli's movie. Gibson is more cocky than dark and mad. Both are successful but Zeffirelli does not follow the original as well.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this version of Hamlet mainly because Mel Gibson Playing Hamlet makes all the difference. Mel Gibson is accustomed to the dramatic lead role he played here as you can see from his many films.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I had seen in before in high school, so I was happy to know that we would be watching something I already knew i enjoyed. In this play Hamlet deals with a lot of tragedy. His father dies, his mother gets remarried to his uncle, and Hamlet then finds out the real reason for his father's death. Hamlet's uncle has killed his father and married his mother for the sole purpose of becoming the next king. Hamlet of course is not please by this news he gets from his father's ghost. Overall, I think that this movie was easy to understand and very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson made this movie what it was. The other actors werent as good i thought
ReplyDeleteI thought this version of Hamlet was good. I, too, liked Mel Gibson as Hamlet. He did a really good job of being over dramatic and powerful. I also thought that Helena Bonham Carter did an excellent job playing Ophelia. She did a very good job convincing viewers that she was going insane. This wasn't one of my favorite movies, but it was still enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThis movie we see a better interpretation of the play of hamlet. The ending was different in the other movies of hamlet. For example with the one where arnold schwarzenegger is hamlet, he throws the king that murdered his father out the window and does not die, unlike this one where he dies at the end. I think it would have been better if Gertrude died since she (in this version) died to because she killed her husband, or at least something bad should have happen to her.
ReplyDeletethis was a very well done movie of hamlet. i felt mel gibson was a great actor and was the bright spot of this film.
ReplyDelete-slightlystoopid
Franco's version of the film was different in a lot of aspects. First of all, Mel Gibson brought a more upbeat attitude to the film than other actors have. Secondly, the ending in this film was different than others. It was different from the one with Schwarzenegger as Hamlet in that when he throws the king out of the window and he does not die; in this film he does die.
ReplyDeletei liked the Mel Gibson version of this play much better than the Branagh version. It much more action and the scenery made me feel more into the movie compared to Branagh because i felt his whole movie was in the one room with mirrors and the checkered floor. Also, Mel Gibson was a much better hamlet than Branagh was because Gibson was much more composed and wasn't so full of himself as compared to Branagh.Hamlet is a very poised man and Mel Gibson played it wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree and state that Mel Gibson was not a good choice for Hamlet. It completely threw me off that they used him for this role. The older version of Hamlet is definitely preferred over Zeffirelli's. I thought the acting was simply horrible!
ReplyDeleteI lovede this film, i really enjoyed the self conflict that occured in the characters.
ReplyDeleteThis may be a first for me, but I really did not like the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet compared to Franco Zeffirelli’s with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close. Mel managed to make Shakespeare’s Hamlet come to life with an almost manic depressive vibe while still coming across somewhat sane. It was by far one of the best versions of Hamlet that I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoyed Mel Gibson in Hamlet. It was very entertaining. I think that Hamlet was played very well. The whole movie was relatively easy to follow for a Shakespeare. There was a lot going on. Many people were very corrupt. The father-uncle, mother-aunt, was very comical yet twisted situation.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite version of Hamlet by far. Zeffirelli was able to take this centuries old play and make it modern and easier to understand however it did not lose any aspects. I thought Gibson play the character perfectly. Hamlet is a very dynamic Character and you never know what he is going or capable of doing I think thats what keeps this play interesting along with the wonderful fight scenes.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that I agree with Amanda A. and Hannah on the part of Mel Gibson playing a fantastic role as Hamlet. I felt that it was a very interesting pick to have Mel Gibson perform this role, but it worked out perfectly in Zeffirelli's film. I also felt that having this old play take place in a more modern era really makes this film come to life. I found Hamlet to be very easy to fallow along with. I understood the whole entire film. As Hamlet being a very poised character I felt that Mel portrayed it perfectly. This is by far one of my favorite films that we have watched all semester.
ReplyDeleteI actually found this movie to be very well directed. As a true tragedy it was set up very well by the director. While watching it I was not expecting some things to happen, but i actually found myself feeling sad for Hamlet. It felt as if he was the only one trying to make things right because the death of his father had been a lie. I agree with everyone that said Mel Gibson did great in playing this role. At first i never imagined him playing it, but as i was watching i was more drawn in and thought it was greatly played. I also agree that the movie was easy to follow. Even though it was a tragedy i really thought it was a great movie.
ReplyDeleteI liked this film a lot mainly because Mel Gibson is one of my favorite actors. It was interesting how Zeffirelli was able to completely omit the character of Fortinbras without affecting the story line at all. The directors decision to have Mel Gibson star in his film opened it up to a broader audience because Mel Gibson is a familiar and famous actor that many people know about.
ReplyDeleteThis film was very fun to watch because it had actors in it that are wonderful, such as Mel Gibson. The movie was directed with passion and talent. Even though Hamlet wasn't the most genuine person, I had compassion for him because he was such a good actor.
ReplyDeleteAlthough i never saw the Branagh version of Hamlet, this screenplay was done very well. Mel Gibson led an excellent cast in a well directed screenplay. The character of Hamlet is exciting, outgoing, vengeful, and very emotional in Zefferelli's version of Hamlet. The story is spot on, but unique compared to many other screenplay's of Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good version of Hamlet but i would say Branagh's is better. Mel Gibson's role becomes cheesy at some points and seems a little over exaggerated
ReplyDeleteI felt that this version of Hamlet was good but lacked a lot of information in comparison to Branagh's rendition. Because of the cuts the movie, in my opinion, felt like a Mel Gibson action flick. However the film did manage to make great use of setting by utilizing various real world Mediaeval Castles.
ReplyDeleteThis version of Hamlet was very well done and I think one reason is because of Mel Gibson. Hamlet is already an intense character and Mel Gibson is the actor to play the role cause he has a commanding presence on film.
ReplyDeleteMP said...
ReplyDeleteI could not imagine having my uncle kill my father and then marrying my mother, espically just to become king. This is absolutely crazy. I do not blame Hamlet for becoming depressed and going crazy. However, I do give him props for avenging his fathers death. I think that sucks that he dies in the end. I really thought that Helena Bonham-Carter did an excellent job playing the roll of Ophelia. In this film she was so young and at the start of acting career and she nailed this complex role of a character.
I felt that Mel Gibson did not do a very good job at desribing the role of Hamlet. I felt that older version of Hamlet did a better job. But none the less, it was interesting to see a different view of the character of Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteIt was no surprise to me that Mel Gibson was casted for the role of Hamlet. The underlying sexual relationship between Hamlet and his mother Queen Gertrude made the character's roles eve
ReplyDeleten more interesting. I did think that the film was very hard to follow though.
Nicola Lore
I enjoyed this movie mainly because I love Mel Gibson. It was fun to watch Glenn Close. I thought the relationship between Hamlet and his mother was odd, this was one thing I didn't have trouble understanding in the plot. Other than that, I was confused most the time I watched it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how Mel Gibson was cast as Hamlet, it is far more intriquing to watch when a popular and known actor is involved. At the end of the film why is all the nobility of Denmark, fighting and killing each other instead of trying to defend their country? Throughout the play they talk about wars with Norway and how Fortinbras is going to invade, but still do nothing about it. Even at the very end when they know Fortinbras and his army is near, there is no Denmark army or any person able to lead the country. I thought it was all leading up to some epic battle but was disappointed just to see all the main characters die and for it to be wrapped up to quickly.
ReplyDeleteI liked Mel Gibsons part in this movie, it kept me interested and really had no dull moments throughout the move. I really enjoyed the action that took place, overall one of my favorite films
ReplyDeleteMel Gipson was surprisingly good at acting like a crazy person, and showed good emotion throughout, perhaps a testament to the actor’s versatility. The scenes with his mother were often too intimate in my opinion. I’ve never behaved remotely that way with my mother, what’s your thinking Zefferelli?
ReplyDeleteZeffirelli’s casting of Gibson was very risky and I think a lot of people were skeptical of it, yet I feel he captured some of Hamlet’s most crucial characteristics. He was so passionate in his speeches it was very effective to the audience. Zeffirelli put a kind of box office spin on Shakespeare’s work and made it super modern. It was kind of an action packed basis of Shakespeare’s play that cut a lot of lengthy dialogue and had extremely short camera clips to make it more active.
ReplyDeleteThis version of Hamlet has probably been my favorite interpretation of this play that i have seen. What really made this movie for me was the acting. I thought that Mel Gibson played a really great Hamlet, which made the overall movie quite enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Hamlet and his mother was very strange. I was not sure if that was a real portrayal of family relationships back in that era or if it was just the spin the director and/or Shakespeare put on the characters. When his mother was apologizing to him for sleeping with his uncle it almost looked like they were much more than just family. Although the relationship was strange it made for very interesting viewing.
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson ending up playing a better part of Hamlet than I expected. He had a weird and strange relationship with his mother and I think most of the audience was thrown off by it. Other than that it was a good movie even though I did get confused a lot
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was very confusing because you did not the past of certain characters, Mel Gibson i thought did a great job as Hamlet because he is already crazy as it is.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with most all of the posts above stating that Mel Gibson did a fantastic job acting as Hamlet! However, I do feel that he was a bit over kill from time to time. Surprising to me, this film was relatively easy to follow in comparison to other plays written by William Shakespeare. One question I was left with was: how is Hamlet and his mothers relationship going to continue? All in all an excellent film!!
ReplyDeletehuh?
ReplyDeleteThis movie was much better than reading the book in highschool! I usually don't like Mel Gibson but in my opinion he did a great job of being in character and portraying the Shakespearean feel. Most shakespeare films we watch are hard to follow , for example when titus andronicus switched backa and forth from modern day with soldiers and guns to ancient times with chariets and swords. overall Good movie!
ReplyDeleteI definitely would have to agree with Laura- Mel Gibson was an excellent choice to play the role of Hamlet, his passion really brought out all of Hamlet's traits: the good, the bad and the insane. This made the movie much more enjoyable and Hamlet much more accessible. However it seemed during his monologues that he would try too hard to put too much emotion into his performance and it really made the pace of the movie drag at some parts.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was much better than reading the book in highschool! I usually don't like Mel Gibson but in my opinion he did a great job of being in character and portraying the Shakespearean feel. Most shakespeare films we watch are hard to follow , for example when titus andronicus switched backa and forth from modern day with soldiers and guns to ancient times with chariets and swords. overall Good movie!
ReplyDeleteI thoughtfully enjoyed this take on Hamlet with Mel Gibson. His character brought a very emotional and ravaging character to portray Shakespeare's revenge play. One of my favorite scenes has to be when Hamlet toys in the end in battle with Laertes, making a comical and intense quarrel between the two.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Zeffirelli's adapation of the classic Hamlet was really great. Not being a huge fan of Mel Gibson myself, I actually thought he was cast fairly well as the lead. Gibson was entertaining to watch and made the film much more enjoyable than i thought. Overall a good experience.
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson is the perfect Hamlet, a lot of people are having problems with the age of Hamlet in the film but I think we are forgetting that Hamlet is much older than we expect as an audience. In the play he is around 30 which is why the films portrayal of Hamlet is perfect, especially with Mel Gibson's mannerisms and intense acting.
ReplyDeletethis movie was great! Hamlet and Ophelia were played especially well by their actors. it was a very creepy story and very exciting.
ReplyDeleteone of the better revenge plays that we have watched. it keep me interested through out the move i liked how they portrayed hamlet as a pretty intellectual guy.
ReplyDeleteI found this film to be very interesting. The way Hamlet discovers how his father died and how he sets up the play to illustrate how his father was murdered. I did find Ophelia and her "love" for Hamlet to be quite confusing though. I think Mel Gibson did such a great job as Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI think Mel Gibson did a great job at playing Hamlet. The way he handles his emotions(when he is full of so many of them). I think Zeffirilli's film was amazing.
ReplyDeleteBottom line of this film is that knowing that Hamlet being a very eccentric, manic character, who better but Mel Gibson to play Hamlet. Hamlet struggles with orders he received from his dead father, and essentially is going crazy. Mel Gibson over and over again so efficiently portrayed these notions of Hamlet. His eyes wide open like a madman, yelling for no reason, and more. Mel Gibson did justice to the Character of Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is by far my favorite play from Shakespeare. I have seen both Zafirelli's and Branagh's version, and they are both extremely good. Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy always moved me and I really understood what he was trying to say. I love that speech because he really digs down into the reason why most people do not take their own life - which is because we do not know what lies beyond life. No one knows if there is heaven or hell, or if there is nothing at all. And that is what scares most people. So instead of committing suicide, we struggle through life, not really happy at all. That, to me, is so interesting and really gets me thinking about people in general.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is also one of my favorite stories to read; but when it came to watching the films of Hamlet, I didn't enjoy Branagh's version as much as I did Zafirelli's film. I felt that the character of Hamlet was played very well by both actors but that Branagh's version was to long, maybe even over done in some scenes. It felt harder for me to get in to and understand, but this could also be because I watched Zafirelli's version first. In Zafirelli's everything just seemed to flow easier for me, more so like the reading and it wasn't as long as the other version.
ReplyDeleteI agree with others when it comes to understanding Ophelia's love for Hamlet. In both films it was very hard to see where she was coming from. In Branagh's film though it is played by Kate Winslet, and I think she is just classic. She may have been the only part of Branagh's film that I enjoyed more.
ReplyDeleteI really like this version of Hamlet. I think that this movie was created and acted out really well. The only werid thing about this movie was how hamlet and his mother's relationship was not of ordinary. Overall, this movie was far a great movie to watch.
ReplyDeletetho play has no boundaries, the relationship between hamlet and his mother is very sexual. and hamlet thinks he can do anything he wants. mel gibson played it very well, he is very cocky
ReplyDeleteAlthough Mel Gibson did a good job as Hamlet, I feel as if Hamlet should have been played by a younger actor whom the audience did not take so seriously. The character of Hamlet seems to be portrayed as a riotous young prince, he also gives the impression of a young boy who is without discipline. Thus, in my opinion, Mel Gibson is too much of a serious actor to portray the adolescent prince.
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson did a really excellent as hamlet. He played the role very well which showed Hamlet's personality very well. The weird part was about Hamlet's relationship with his mother.
ReplyDeleteThis film adaptation of Hamlet was very dark, but the story as a whole is tragic. Mel Gibson did a wonderful job portraying Hamlet as the "madness" consumes him. The audience was able to believe in every action making this adaptation very well done.
ReplyDeleteI was not a fan of Hamlet. Although the director did an excellent job portraying the struggle between a man and himself, I did not think that Mel Gibson was the right person for this character. After sitting through the movie I was surprised that it didn't kill his acting career.
ReplyDeleteI was not a fan of Hamlet. Although the director did an excellent job portraying the struggle between a man and himself, I did not think that Mel Gibson was the right person for this character. After sitting through the movie I was surprised that it didn't kill his acting career.
ReplyDeleteI have never liked Hamlet in play or movie form. I can not connect with the story. I always thought of Hamlet as a wimp who wines. I always thought he should have just killed his uncle before he even married his mother. I also did not like how Ophelia was treated by him. The actress who played Ophelia did a good job in portraying her grief and instability.
ReplyDeleteThis film was descent. I really liked the plot of the film and the overall point. What i did not enjoy was the acting or the overall darkness of it. I think that Ophelias part in the play was well acted and she was my favorite character.
ReplyDeleteThis rendition of the film was very interesting. Overall the acting was well done, but I would say Ophelia really stole the show. She seemed crazier then the rest and Hamlet was done well, just not as well as Ophelia. Great rendition of the play by Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteI think Mel Gibson portrayed Hamlet very well in this film. He portrayed strong feelings of betrayal and resentment that, in my opinion, tied the film together and created a great screenplay.
ReplyDeleteI think this is by far the better version of Hamlet of the two. Mel Gibson does an amazing job of showing the insanity behind Hamlet and really shows you just how crazy he has gone.
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson may not have had his best performance in this film, but he was cast perfectly.
ReplyDeleteGibson plays Hamlet with a sort of intensity and restlessness you would expect Hamlet to have, and he is supported by an impressive cast.
I also think that the castle used in this film was a brilliant location, and really captures the essence of Hamlet.
This film was boring at first in the beginning, but after Hamlet sees his father's spirit and learns the truth about his father's death, it got more interesting. I found myself more drawn to the movie. I thought this film was cast perfectly. Mel Gibson did a really good job at portraying Hamlet and also did the other actors as well. Once again, Julie Taymor did a really job at directing this film. I thought that the setting of this place fit really well with the one as in the play. Overall, I enjoyed watching this film of betrayal and the seeking of vengeance.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this film was alright, it definitely was not my favorite film that we have watched in class. The director did not seem to make many artistic changes in the film. I thought that the casting for the film was done well. I also though that the movie could have been more violent at different parts in the film. The lack of violence in the film to me seemed to make the film less emotionally packed then the Hamlet is supposed to be. Helena Carter did a great job acting out how crazy Ophelia went after hamlet was sent away.
ReplyDeleteI enojoyed watching the movie i felt like all the actors did a great job at acting. Also this film wasnt as intense with the blood as the first one we watched so it made me like this one a bit better. For this film i didnt expect for every mian character to die so it was kind of shocking for me. Overall i think this movie was ok.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time I've seen this version of Hamlet and was able to pay closer attention to the delivery of the lines- besides Ian Mckellen's portrayal of Richard III, I think this film did the best job of delivering the material and Mel Gibson especially for his portrayal of Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the movie highlighted the hopelessness people feel when the lose a loved one. Hamlet himself seems to turn from distrustful and sad to almost mad. It was interesting to see how he started to not tolerate people as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI thought Mel Gibson did a very good job in this role as hamlet. He did a excellent job of expressing the emotion and passion in Hamlets speeches. I do have to agree with what has been said about his close age with his mother creating a strange effect, especially in the bedroom scene. Overall though i really liked this rendition of Hamlet, it is very well acted and portrays the play very well.
ReplyDeleteI thought Mel Gibson did a great job in this role. He has the kind of crazy personality that matches that of Hamlet. I love how he was able to capture the essence of Hamlet's insanity, yet the nesxt minute, be able to switch to Hamlet's minacle planning abilities.
ReplyDeleteI think that Mel Gibson playing Hamlet was perfect, it was like some sort of foreshadowing of how crazy he would become later on in life. In all seriousness though the movie was well done the characters they picked to play Hamlet, Ophelia, and the Queen were all good choices. They all brought the play to life in very different ways. Especially Helena Bonham Carter, she played a crazy Ophelia very convincingly. I had never read the play before but I got a good idea of what the play was about through the movie.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Mel Gibson did an excellent job as Hamlet. The first movies I ever saw him in was the Lethal Weapon series, which is far from any Shakespearean era. I also noticed recurring themes in this film as I did in other Shakespeare plays such as revenge and violence. I thought the entire set was beautifully captured and the actors were perfect. However, this was not one of my top favorite Shakespeare interpretations but I did enjoy watching it.
ReplyDeleteI actually really enjoyed this film. Mel Gibson is one of my all time favorite actors and he did a great job, it was intriguing to see him as a young actor. I was very amused to see that part where hamlet puts on a play to get a rise out of his uncle. The ending was also very dramatic as everyone dies. I was confused by the son and mother actions that took place?
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson is a really good actor! I remember the story of Hamlet from the tv show boy meets world ! I didn't know it was such a tragedy. Shakespeare did work on this one
ReplyDeleteMel Gibson for me made this movie, his performance was powerful and he did very well showing the differing emotions of Hamlet throughout the movie. The themes of anger, revenge and violence was a parth of this movie as much as any other Shakespeare tragedy and Zeffereli did a good job of capturing these emotions.
ReplyDeleteLike others have said before me, I was really surprised by Mel Gibson in this movie. I thought he did a really good job in portraying a troubled young man. The scene with Helena Bonham Carter in which he is hiding and waiting for her really showed how deranged he had become. Glenn Close also did well. It was interesting that they cast Gibson as her son when they aren’t that far apart in age but by the end it seemed completely fine because of the great acting.
ReplyDeleteIn this version of Hamlet, Hamlet is being played by Mel Gibson. I think Mel Gibson did a much better job as Hamlet than whoever played Hamlet in the other version which I had previously seen. Mel Gibson portrayed him as the distraught, confused, and furious young man as Shakespeare had intended. The only thing I found wrong was the closeness of age between he and his mother, but this is something easily looked past.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting to see Mel Gibson play a main role in a Shakespeare film, though I felt like he played the role greatly with passion and enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteMel Gibsons lead role and powerful acting skills made the movie much more interesting and enjoyable. He was able to portray Shakespeares thoughts and beliefs even in such a hard script as Hamlet. He did it very good justice and made it interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe transfer from Comedies to Tragedies that made it so difficult to digest this movie for me. I found Mel Gibson hard to watch as Hamlet because he tried to make it lighter an more humorous. I am also not so sure he played off the "madness" of Hamlet that I'm used to seeing being portrayed. All in all not a bad film, but one I would have to see again to appreciate more.
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