HAMLET MOVIE COMPARISONS
	After reviewing both version of the Hamlet movie (Kenneth Branagh 1996 and Franco Zeffirelli 1990) as well as Shakespeare’s original script, I am adamant about saying that both movies followed the original play very straightforward (albeit subtle plot inversions for cinematic effect).  Shakespeare’s original play provided a heavily implied setting, leaving much of the scenery to the readers’ imagination.  The 1990 adaptation of the play provided a more of a believable setting pertaining to the play: when reading the play my availability heuristic portrayed the setting in a stone, almost medieval style castle with torches, dungeons, towers, etc. which is exactly what the movie delivered.  Upon watching the 1996 rendition I found myself surprised at the German look and feel of the home, the setting almost seemed too modern for the play.  Aside from the different settings in the movies, both movies did a great job portraying the emotions of the characters, however again I think the 1990 rendition a better job.  Specifically, the scene in Zeffirelli’s movie I felt outperformed Branagh’s was the Queen’s recognition that Claudius has killed her (and tried to kill Hamlet).  In this earlier adaptation, the look of “I was all wrong” is perfectly portrayed by the actor. Regardless, both movies portrayed emotion in a powerful manner.  A last “quirk” I found with both movies involves Hamlet’s interactions with Ophelia and his mother.  In the 1990’s rendition, the scene where Hamlet scolds his mom about everything that she has done is overplayed – Hamlet should NOT have kissed her mom.  That said, the 1996 film showed Hamlet and Ophelia having a romantic relationship moments before he throws her down (in front of the hiding Polonius and Claudius).  Each movie had their differences.  One last quite major difference between the two was the inclusion of Fortinbras.  In the Mel Gibson movie, Fortinbras was never mentioned, while in the ’96 rendition, Fortinbras played a huge role at the end of the movie cleaning uo the disaster that had struck Denmark.  The Mel Gibson movie was not lacking the inclusion of Fortinbras, however, it was part of the original play and hence it should have had at least a mention in the film.  That said, the ’96 movie overplayed the takeover of Denmark by Forinbras.  Movie watchers were wondering why the King and the other noblemen havn’t noticed Fortinbras’s rapid approach at the castle, and why nothing more was done.  Of course, Fortinbras was just a plot device by Shakespeare, but it could have been better planned.  All in all, each movie provided a great portrayal of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, each focusing on particular aspects of the play to embellish.  Seeing both movies and being able to compare and contrast has been beneficial in my understanding and analysis of the play.