Background Check

Zeffirelli’s adaptation of Hamlet seems to be much darker, visually, than Branagh’s adaptation. This may have to do with the setting of the films, as one is based in the medieval period, while the other is in the Elizabethan period. In Branagh’s film, everything is more elegant. Not only is this portrayed through the setting and the imagery, but through the actors as well. Hamlet is always somewhat poised, even when he loses control. However, in Zeffirelli’s adaptation, the film is a lot grittier. The clothing is not elegant or elaborate; even the royalty doesn’t compare to that of Branagh’s time period. The buildings and furniture are also much dirtier; objects are made from stone when they would be made out of marble otherwise. The huge contrast of Hamlet’s black outfit against the white hall in Branagh’s scene is lost, as the scene in Zeffirelli’s film is much darker and the black blends in. The lighting really determines the mood well. Most of the scenes with lighter content take place outdoors, as the lighting is much brighter outside in this film.
An interesting perspective from Zeffirelli’s film is taken from looking at the clothing. Ophelia, for example, starts in a pure white gown that darkens as she loses her sanity. In Act Four, Scene 5, when Ophelia is singing while in the castle, I noticed that while she now has a dirty grey gown, Gertrude is wearing red and Claudius is wearing black. I believe Zeffirelli chose these colours on purpose as they certainly have significance when looking at each of the characters. Ophelia has been dirtied by those who used her, Gertrude has become impure and has betrayed her now-dead husband, and Claudius is the killer of his very own brother. By this point, all of this has become clear, and Zeffirelli chooses to emphasize this through the characters’ clothing. Even in Branagh’s film, Claudius wears black, Ophelia wear a tan straightjacket, and Gertrude wears a white blouse with a black skirt, indicating her taint. In both of the films, the directors use their setting to their advantage in order to subconsciously portray important points.