Comparing Bennetts Hamlet with Branaghs Hamlet Essay -- comparison c

Comparing Bennetts Hamlet with Branaghs Hamlet Many of Shakespeares works have been commute from stage to screen, none so more than Hamlet. Two of the most unique film appropriations of the play are to be found in Rodney Bennetts 1980 film and Kenneth Branaghs 1996 blockbuster. The 2 films share many parallels between them in both interpretation and method, however they also have marked differences in their respective approaches to the textbook. Perhaps the most unambiguous difference between these two versions is that Branagh uses the full unabridged text whereas Bennett cuts the play down by an hour or so Kenneth Branagh justifies his use of the full text on the BBCs website stating When you cut the play ... what often happens is that you compress a lot of very intense set pieces and it becomes unbearable to watch. You simply fail to take well-nigh things in because you need a breath. Another marked difference in the two versions lies in the focus of the two f ilms. Bennetts Hamlet focuses almost entirely on the character of Hamlet himself and the domestic tragedy that occurs around him. An example of this in the film how Derek Jacobi as Hamlet speaks directly to the camera while in soliloquy. This establishes a certain rapport between Hamlet and the viewer, as if he is speaking directly to them, this also makes the film seem more theatrical in a sense. Branagh de-centres the story from around Hamlet and focuses on the wider situation, particularly with regards to Denmarks political situation. In this appropriation Hamlet is merely one player among many. This interpretative decision is reflected in the casting of the film Kenneth Branagh takes the title role among severa... ...rbook vol.8 Hamlet on Screen, Ed.H. Klein & D. Daphinoff, Edwin Mellen Press, 1997 Sauer, David Kennedy. Suiting the Word to the Action Kenneth Branaghs interpolations in Hamlet, Shakespeare Yearbook vol.8 Hamlet on Screen, Ed.H. Klein & D. Daphinoff, Edwin Mellen Press, 1997 Wilmeth, Thomas L. Fortinbras on Film Safe Passage for the Prince, Shakespeare Yearbook vol.8 Hamlet on Screen, Ed.H. Klein & D. Daphinoff, Edwin Mellen Press, 1997 Audio Visual Bennett, Rodney. Hamlet, Shakespeare W., BBC Education, 1980 Branagh, Kenneth. Hamlet, Shakespeare W., Castle Rock Entertainment, 1996 Internet Resources The Filming of Hamlet - Text Interpretation. BBC Education, 15/03/02 http//www.bbc.co.uk/education/hamlet.html Cineaste Branagh Interview, Cineaste Film Review, 15/03/02 http//www.cineaste.com