Hamlet Movie Theater Analysis

In the movie “Hamlet” from 1990, the director takes some license in the telling, adhering less strictly to Shakespeare's original text, but at just 2 hours and 15 minutes, this version provides a short and passionate interpretation of the play.

This version of the play was filmed in a medieval castle, which created a darker mood, and this allowed for the characters to take on a much more realistic role, suggesting a classical “Hamlet.” The settings and costumes were all medieval, and very dark. The walls of the castle were built with stony gray bricks and the props within were either wooden or made of metal. The lighting was very dark, which adds a sense of mysteriousness and evil. The use of instruments like flute, lute, piano and medieval harp suggested tension, suspense and sadness. Hamlet's mood of depression is exemplified by his surroundings and the music. He is always in the dark, whether its hiding in the shadows watching others, or following his father's ghost.

The costumes were very elaborate and had a rugged feel. The characters were also dressed in dirtier clothing, especially Ophelia who wore worn. Hamlet differently was portrayed in a dramatic fashion. High-class characters wore fur coats and leather. The movie focused on the different social classes, and what role they played in ‘Hamlet”. The costumes symbolized the dissimilar lifestyles that Hamlet and Ophelia have, this adds to the overall movie by allowing readers to understand why Laertes thinks it’s a bad idea that Ophelia pursues a relationship with such a powerful prince. These costume varieties allowed the audience to actually understand the time period and how it effected how each character presented them selves. The overall primitive look also portrayed the darker mood of the movie, which was more exaggerated and violent.

Hamlet was portrayed in a dramatic fashion.

The actors work so hard to give the language clear and natural readings that they sacrifice much of its poetic sound. But this tinkering is in the cause of creating a drama that speaks easily and directly to our own age. In the end, the Physical elements and performance create different atmospheres, which change the representations of the various Hamlets, giving them different personalities and attitudes. Hamlet is strong, intelligent and safely beyond ridicule. He is a visceral Hamlet, tortured by his own thoughts and passions, confused by his recognition of evil, a Hamlet whose emotions are raw yet who retains the desperate wit to act mad. He is by far the best character in the movie, sometimes slick but always lucid and beautifully cinematic version of the play.