StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Hamlet Film Clips, Ethan Hawke and Mel Gibson - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Hamlet Film Clips, Ethan Hawke and Mel Gibson" states that the soliloquy is spoken by Ethan Hawke in a resentful tone while watching a video clip of his mother and his uncle, and as his thoughts race through his brain and as his anger seems to bottle up, he presses the fast-forward button…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.1% of users find it useful
Hamlet Film Clips, Ethan Hawke and Mel Gibson
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Hamlet Film Clips, Ethan Hawke and Mel Gibson"

Frailty, thy name is a woman” in a most forceful whisper. Moreover, the movement of Mel Gibson’s eyes illustrated very well the confusing thoughts that may be going on in his head.

Part 2:
Next, look at the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy from both versions (Act III). Again, compare the performance of the two actors. How do the settings in each reflect the tone of the words in the speech? What was your response to the way that each actor chose to portray the character of Hamlet in this key scene?
The soliloquy of life and death was portrayed by Ethan Hawke while using active TV monitors, thus resulting in a rather substandard Matrix-like version of Shakespeare’s classic. Ethan Hawke’s version of the soliloquy is rather unemotional and his voice never rises as he performs this part of the film. It somehow only slows down at the part where he speaks the lines “To die, to sleep/ To sleep: perchance to dream,” where he somehow alludes to the idea of dream and reality in the film The Matrix (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III.1, lines 64-65). Overall, however, Ethan Hawke’s performance was rather dry and his emotions were not only lacking in intensity but also in vigor.

On the other hand, Mel Gibson did a stunning performance of the soliloquy. His eyes, voice, and facial expression demonstrate the curious appearance of Hamlet himself. Moreover, he emphasizes some lines as he goes through the soliloquy. He momentarily raises his voice in the lines: “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time/ Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay/ The insolence of office and spurns” (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III.1, lines 70-73). Moreover, he also looks emotional in the lines: “And makes us rather bear those ills we have/ Than fly to others that we know not of?/ Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,” he somehow simply announces to the audience in written form the conscienceless man that he is to evolve into as the play progresses, but this is rather spoken very emotionally in the film (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III.1, lines 81-83). Unlike Ethan Hawke in the film, the character of Mel Gibson portrays a certain Hamlet who knows what he is saying in the context of the entire play.

Part 3:
Choose one other clip from any of the acts (either film version) and describe your response to seeing that scene translated from the page to the screen. Does it meet your expectations after reading the play? How did the director and actor(s) interpret the scene? What stood out to you most about the scene?

I choose Act I scene 5, where Hamlet encounters his father’s ghost. In the Ethan Hawke version, he sees his father just outside his apartment and lets him in, but I wonder why the father seems to act upset when in fact his son owes him nothing. There is also no clear indication that this particular scene was haunting and that there was a lot of body contact between them. On the other hand, Mel Gibson’s version was perfect because the king was really portrayed as a ghost or as something that disappears after they talk, and also as something that Hamlet can see but his mother cannot, as in the scene where Hamlet stabs Polonius by the curtain. Overall, the presentation in Mel Gibson’s version of the film perfectly conforms to the play as it is written, or at least better than how Ethan Hawke’s version does. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Hamlet film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Hamlet film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1471058-hamlet-film
(Hamlet Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
Hamlet Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/literature/1471058-hamlet-film.
“Hamlet Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1471058-hamlet-film.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Hamlet Film Clips, Ethan Hawke and Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto

Name: Course: Date: mel gibson's Apocalypto mel gibson's Apocalypto is a story narrated about the ancient Maya people and their classical history, a people who lived for more than a thousand years in a delicate tropical environment.... Largely, the film portrays gibson's skills in cinematic and storytelling; it portrays beautiful narration of events only possible through the Hollywood blockbusters.... However, the film by gibson does not indicate any critical relevance to the current world as the film deals too much with violence and blood, forgetting to pay attention to other details among the Maya people, which shaped their current cultural and social dynamics, though violence is part of today's social setting....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

A comparative analysis of Shakespeares Hamlet and Mel Gibsons Portrayal

The character of Hamlet, both in Shakespeare's play and in mel gibson's portrayal in the film, is a youth beset by injustice and indecision.... The character of Hamlet, both in Shakespeare's play and in mel gibson's portrayal in the film, is a youth beset by injustice and indecision.... gibson, to be generous, is at least 28.... gibson, to be generous, is at least 28.... Considering that both are the same character (for the sake of description they shall be referred to as Hamlet or gibson), there are a number of differences between the play and the version directed by Franco Zeffirelli....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Mel Gibson: Lifespan Development and Personality

mel gibson has experienced both the high points of life and the low points of life.... What drives a man with so much to behave so badly This essay will use developmental psychology, specifically lifespan development theory, to try and provide some understanding of mel gibson's behavior.... To this end, the essay will present a brief biography of mel gibson.... Finally, this essay will apply two theories of personality in an effort to illuminate mel gibson's inconsistent behavior....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Hamlet

ations; Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 film starring mel gibson and Michael Almereyda's 2000 version have been chosen to be brought under the eyes of close scrutiny.... In both versions of Hamlet's adaptation—Franco Zeffirellis 1990 film starring mel gibson and Michael Almereydas 2000 version, the directors, as well as the actors, have been very creative as far as interpreting the play is concerned.... Of course, the film medium is a form of literature, so, imagination also comes in handy....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Film Adaptations of Hamlet

The paper "Film Adaptations of Hamlet" compares adaptations of the Shakespearean tragedy by Franco Zeffirelli starring mel gibson in the lead role and the one by Michael Almereyda starring Ethan Hawke have taken some liberties with the plot, action, characters, and dialogues of the original play.... Zeffirelli sticks to the claustrophobic Zeffirelli sticks to the claustrophobic stone castles, ship, and meadows that are demanded in the play and sets the film in the time-space limits of the original, while Almereyda's Hamlet is set in 2000 New York, with the characters transformed into CEOs in the corporate world and students in the film school....
5 Pages (1250 words) Movie Review

Passion of Christ by Mel Gibson

This movie review "Passion of Christ by mel gibson" presents a highly controversial movie.... An analysis by Robert Jay Lifton, who is a visiting professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, even concluded that: "The problem of The Passion of the Christ goes far beyond the individual psyche of mel gibson, or even questions of biblical interpretation.... t is startling to watch it for its relentless, shockingly moving eroticized cruelty – prompting one to think if this is because it is loyal to the anti-Semitic conventions of 'Hitlerian" ideals or does gibson purposely challenges a certain religious sect (in this case the Christians)....
6 Pages (1500 words) Movie Review

Apocalypto by Mel Gibson

The film, directed by controversial Hollywood star mel gibson, takes a shot The paper "Apocalypto Directed by Controversial Hollywood Star by mel gibson" is a great example of a movie review on visual arts and film studies.... he film, directed by controversial Hollywood star mel gibson, takes a shot at a dramatized account of the fall of the Mayan civilization.... With the catchphrase, 'A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within' (Apocalypto), the film takes on a whole different route from chronologically sequencing events to make it a historical account because quite clearly, it is not....
2 Pages (500 words) Movie Review

Mel Gibson Skills as a Movie Director

This paper ''mel gibson Skills as a Movie Director'' tells that mel gibson can be described as one of the greatest actors and directors that ever existed in the film industry.... This particular presentation will focus on mel gibson's career as a director by evaluating the five movies he has directed to highlight his unique skill.... mel gibson was born in 1965 in New York.... gibson has directed several movies which include Braveheart, the passion of Christ, Apocalypto, Man without a face, and another which is yet to be released....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us