Michael Almereyda's "Hamlet"

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that, rather than distracting from Shakespeare's prose, the media of film heightens the emotive capacity of his plays. In furtherance of this argument, the 2000 production of "Hamlet" set in New York City is discussed, as it successfully employs various cinematic elements that both inform and deepen the characters and plot. It shows how analysis of the film's setting, cinematography, sound, motif, color, editing reveal film as a flexible medium adept at making Shakespeare accessible to a wide audience while preserving the authenticity of his work

From the Paper:

"Additionally, Almereyda's approach creates a contrast between the modernity on screen and the difficult Shakespearean language. During the opening soliloquy, Hawke's image is cuts to a video montage of a plane, explosions, and a monster. These two incongruous elements, the contemporary visual images and antique words, presented together achieve something that is distinctly Shakespearean. Edward Hubler, in his critical review "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark," writes, "A hallmark of Shakespeare's mature work is its simultaneity, the presentation of a thing and their opposites at the same time" (719). The idea that opposites do not detract from each other but rather unite each other through contrast into a state of near-wholeness is evident in Almereyda's film. Simultaneity is carried from the words onto the film itself through images, laboriously highlighting the timelessness of a human tragedy by presenting it in such an atypical style."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Almereyda, Michael. "The Rotten State of Denmark Corp." Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 8th ed. Eds. Lawrence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Longman, 2003. 825-828.
• Hubler, Edward. "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Critical Review" Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 8th ed. Eds. Lawrence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Longman, 2003. 718-725.
• Jorgens, Jack. "Shakespeare and Nonverbal Expression." Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 8th ed. Eds. Lawrence Benrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Longman, 2003. 726-736.

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