Criticism for the Different Versions of Hamlet

Lauren Oliver's Hamlet
The whole scene seemed fake. The music was more like chasing music as if coming from a horror movie. The actor's voice was bland and boring. Although, the symbolism shown was intelligent and agreeable. The sea of trouble was literally presented (a cliff with the thunderous and troublesome sea.) I personally don't like black and white movies. Therefore, I dislike this version even more. No offense, Ms. M! :]

Franco Zefferelli's Hamlet
The setting was excellent. The catacomb was represented to show confusion and emptiness. I thought it was foolish to take out the music. Even though it was done to show the importance of the speech, it took out the dramatics which lessens one's (my) enthusiasm. I like how the actor brought some emotion particularly anger. It was brilliant that when he nears the tomb, it stands for his closeness to death! By the way, the actor was ugly! :P

Kenneth Branagn's Hamlet
The choice of setting was original and creative. You can tell that the mirror symbolizes his conscience. The music was a bit corny, but the way it built up was smart because it proved that his frustration increased. The knife that he pointed at the mirror seemed pathetic even though it was supposed to show that he wants to kill Claudius. In my opinion, he didn't look like Hamlet especially with that mustache. It reminded me of Hitler! :/



Michael Almereyda's Hamlet
The first setting was flawless because the room represented Hamlet's feelings. He's in a solitary room to show he's alone and practically suffocating from madness. The gun was shows that he's close to suicide. "To be or not to be" is constantly repeated to show that he's constantly questioning himself whether he should live on or cease to exist. The music playing was extremely significant, adding more anguish and insanity to the scene. However, I didn't understand the significance of the second setting. It was just a mere video store. The only thing significant about it was seeing the cover of the Lion King, which is an adaption of Hamlet. The actors emotions seemed truly suicidal.

The Winner is: Michael Amereyda's Hamlet
Amereyda's version was the best because this one brought out the most emotions unlike the others, which where stiff and almost monotone. The others were extremely boring. Unlike the dramatics from the other versions this one wasn't corny at all, and was the most realistic out of the 4.