Month: June 2016
-
Loncraine’s Richard III: The WW2 Shakespeare Movie
As one of the other recent films who have attempted to somewhat modernize Shakespeare for the stage, Loncraine’s Richard III in 1995 actually seems to be a much more respectful modernization of Shakespeare than many consider Luhrmann’s 1996 Romeo + Juliet. From my experience as a person who was very critical of Luhrmann’s adaptation, I could tell…
-
Hamlet: A Scene Comparison
Hamlet: Act 3, Scene 4 For my blog post, I decided to compare scenes from Almereyda‘s Hamlet (2000) and Doran‘s Hamlet (2009), specifically focusing on Act 3, Scene 4. Both films are modern adaptations of the play, and Almereyda‘s Hamlet in particular takes place in contemporary New York City. The film strongly incorporates technology and uses visuals/imagery to illustrate the…
-
Almereyda’s Hamlet – A Film Review
Hamlet – the play in which (spoiler alert) almost everyone dies – gets the modern treatment in this 2000 Almereyda film. Elizabethan English muttered by Americans and set in modern New York initially seems “out of joint” and cringe-worthy. However, if you can get over this hurdle, you might be able to appreciate the clever interpretative…
-
Much Ado About Kenneth Branagh -A Film Review
Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 film, Much Ado About Nothing is an enthusiastic and boisterous retelling of Shakespeare’s comedic play. The film uses dramatic gesturing and a soundtrack that perfectly characterizes the emotions and tone Branagh seeks to convey in each scene. These tactics leave little for the audience to further imagine or interpret for themselves. With…
-
Hamlet Scene Study: Act 1 Scene 5 in Doran’s and Almereyda’s Films
Michael Almereyda’s Hamlet, released in 2000, and Gregory Doran’s film from 2009 interpret the source material in vastly different ways. In Almereyda’s retelling of the play, Ethan Hawke plays Hamlet, a brooding filmmaker in 1990s New York City. Doran’s Hamlet is more faithful to the original text; a made-for-TV version of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s…
-
Scene Comparison – Zeffirelli’s Hamlet (1990) and Almereyda’s Hamlet (2000)
I will be analyzing the following two scenes from Zeffirelli’s 1990 version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZQ5ryS-YvM) and Almereyda’s 2000 version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I81HGVdGzQc) of Hamlet. In Act 1 Scene 5 of Hamlet, Hamlet’s father comes back as a ghost asking him to take revenge on Hamlet’s uncle who killed his father and took the crown. The 1990 version uses a…
-
Hamlet – (Branagh 1996 and Almereyda 2000) – Scene Comparison Act IV Scene V
Kenneth Branagh holds (deservedly so) a place in the top tier of directors who have adapted Shakespeare’s plays for the silver screen. Branagh’s flamboyantly theatrical style is true to the origins of an Elizabethan stage. Branagh directed, produced, and acted in his critically acclaimed 1996 movie, Hamlet. The film recounts the entirety of Shakespeare’s play…
-
Baz Luhrmann Did His Job
In 1996 Baz Luhrmann released his rendition of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. He released his film with hopes to reach a younger audience. To achieve his goal he modernized the old play script, cast Hollywood hunks and did everything he could to appeal to the trends in the 90’s. However, engaging North America’s youth in…
-
Scene Comparison: Queen Mab’s Speech
Adaptations watched: Romeo and Juliet( 1968, Zefirelli) Romeo& Juliet(2013, Carlei) Romeo+ Juliet (1996, Luhrmann) Mercutio has always been my favorite character in Romeo and Juliet, and Queen Mab’s speech is one of my favorite scenes in all of Shakespeare. To me it has always brought to light Mercutio’s complex character, which is jovial, witty, and…
-
Act 1, scene 1; Romeo & Juliet 1996 and 2013
I decided to compare Act one, scene one of Shaskepeare’s Romeo & Juliet in the 1996 movie directed by Baz Luhrmann and Carlo Carlei’s movie in 2013. This scene introduces the feud between the Montague and Capulet, as well as the reason for Romeo’s melancholy. Luhrmann’s film interprets the play in a modern and comedic…