Zeferelli's and Branagh's "Hamlet"

Paper Summary:

The paper describes the adaptation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" by Franco Zeferelli and Christopher DeVore that stars Mel Gibson as Hamlet. The paper then looks at reviews of this film as well as of Kenneth Branagh's more accurate and longer version of Hamlet. The paper notes the praises and criticisms of each work and opines that the Zefferelli/Gibson version is a solid performance and an interpretation that is not to be dismissed. The paper also relates that both films were received with equal aplomb and it's best to judge them on their separate merits, as neither is a good reflection of the other.

Outline:
The Adaptation
The Reviews- Gibson vs. Branagh
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The 1990's brought a new Mel Gibson to our screen- this one was dark, brooding, had a tendency towards lunacy, was suicidal, had a penchance for violence but lived in Denmark and spoke Shakespearean prose. Franco Zeferelli saw in Gibson's performance as a suicidal cop in Lethal Weapon, a mirror of the troubled prince of Shakespeare's timeless play. This casting was controversial and brought out vehement protesters and backers.
"The original version of Hamlet - the one that Shakespeare wrote for performance at the Globe theatre- is almost four hours in length. Given the day and age it was performed in, it is highly unlikely that it was ever performed in its entirety. (Cartmell, 2000) Hamlet is double the length of MacBeth and it is the opinion of several scholars Shakespeare simply enjoyed the story, and wrote it as he wished to be, fully aware that it would need to be adapted due to stage considerations, light availability etc. (James, 1990)"

More papers on Zeferelli's and Branagh's "Hamlet":

• Comparison Essay # 110836 : "Zeffirelli and Branagh Versions of "Hamlet"
• Book Review # 112827 : "Individuation and Language: Hamlet and Iago"
• Analytical Essay # 31811 : "Appearance And Reality "Hamlet"

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