Film Review Of Gregory Dor Hamlet On Film
Approaches to Drama: Portfolio Assignment 1
Film Drama and Review Writing: Hamlet on film
Gregory Doran (dir.), Hamlet (2009). [RSC production on film; David Tennant as Hamlet]
Gregory Doran’s adaption of Hamlet, puts a modern-spin on one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. Filled with scheming, betrayal, violence, and intrigue, the cast of talented actors including David Tennant (Hamlet), Patrick Stewart (Claudius), Penny Downie (Gertrude) and Oliver Ford Davies (Polonius) provide a refreshing and thrilling portrayal of the well known tragedy. As Gregory Doran chooses a modern setting of Hamlet, the audience witness a change in the styling of the characters and props used in the film. We see a casually dressed Hamlet in faded jeans and a colourful shirt, as opposed to a black gown as in Shakespeare’s original play. The use of swords as weapons have been replaced with guns and other machines in this contemporary adaptation. Although in this film Hamlet has been given a modern touch by Gregory Doran less emphasis is given to the aesthetics of each scene. For example, the black marble floor and dark walls in the opening scene give more …show more content…
Throughout the film as the surveillance cameras guide the audience through the castle. The only character who seems to notice them is Hamlet himself. Hamlet ripping the camera from the wall before announcing 'Now I am alone' at the beginning of the soliloquy was an excellent touch. However, some of the implications of having the cameras there does not seem to have been thought about very thoroughly. For instance, Claudius would have been able to see what Hamlet was plotting behind his back and perhaps the ghost if it showed up on camera. Although, if the ghost did not appear on the camera then it would of heightened the suspicions of Hamlet being
Film Drama and Review Writing: Hamlet on film
Gregory Doran (dir.), Hamlet (2009). [RSC production on film; David Tennant as Hamlet]
Gregory Doran’s adaption of Hamlet, puts a modern-spin on one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. Filled with scheming, betrayal, violence, and intrigue, the cast of talented actors including David Tennant (Hamlet), Patrick Stewart (Claudius), Penny Downie (Gertrude) and Oliver Ford Davies (Polonius) provide a refreshing and thrilling portrayal of the well known tragedy. As Gregory Doran chooses a modern setting of Hamlet, the audience witness a change in the styling of the characters and props used in the film. We see a casually dressed Hamlet in faded jeans and a colourful shirt, as opposed to a black gown as in Shakespeare’s original play. The use of swords as weapons have been replaced with guns and other machines in this contemporary adaptation. Although in this film Hamlet has been given a modern touch by Gregory Doran less emphasis is given to the aesthetics of each scene. For example, the black marble floor and dark walls in the opening scene give more …show more content…
Throughout the film as the surveillance cameras guide the audience through the castle. The only character who seems to notice them is Hamlet himself. Hamlet ripping the camera from the wall before announcing 'Now I am alone' at the beginning of the soliloquy was an excellent touch. However, some of the implications of having the cameras there does not seem to have been thought about very thoroughly. For instance, Claudius would have been able to see what Hamlet was plotting behind his back and perhaps the ghost if it showed up on camera. Although, if the ghost did not appear on the camera then it would of heightened the suspicions of Hamlet being