Something is Rotten in the State of BHS!

Out of the three versions we viewed in class, the version that I enjoyed the most would have to be Ken Branagh's 19th Century interpretation of Hamlet. The opening scene lured me in right away with the enticing and thrilling music. I find it unique how Branagh chose to open with the cemetery scene. I liked his approach using fast paced music and certain lighting that would for a brief moment highlight the guards' faces. I also found it interesting how Branagh would use an overlay of short scenes to add imagery to the dialogue. This really helped me get a better understanding for what occured in the beginning since the director started with the apparition scene right away. I love the camera angles that Branagh chose for his movie. In one of the scenes, the camera takes the perspective of the apparition overlooking the frightened guards. It's fascinating how he chose such an unusual camera angle, allowing the audience to take the position as the ghost for a split second. What I really enjoyed was the wedding scene right before Hamlet's first soliloquy. The drastic change in atmosphere and mood really heightened the effect of Hamlet's monologue on the audience. One second, you have an entire mass of people celebrating and taking part of a supposedly joyous wedding and in a flash, the party exits leaving Hamlet in a dark, solemn room all by himself. I think Branagh caught the concept of Hamlet perfectly but just added a little spice here and there.