This reflects Hamlet’s sense of emotional starkness and state of isolation of his father’s death. The high key lighting and bright white snow contrast with Hamlet’s perpetually black attire. The environment unrealistically reacting to Hamlet’s personality draws a connection between Hamlet’s surroundings and his inner being.īranagh’s setting takes place in the late 19 th/early 20 th century, and favors brightly lit interiors, snowy exteriors, and vibrant colors over moody darkness and black and white photography. Hamlet is shown in a wide shot as the lights around him suddenly dim, leaving him alone in a spotlight. This connection is further enhanced when Hamlet excitedly declares his intention to himself to stage a play to test Claudius’ guilt. This helps make the dark setting an extension of Hamlet’s troubled and grief stricken psyche.

Olivier favors low-key lighting to create ominous shadows that fill the cavernous set. Olivier’s version is set in a gothic castle during the late middle ages/renaissance. The first noticeable difference between the two films is their cinematography and mise-en-scene. this post will be taking a look at how the two versions chose to adapt the play to the screen.

While it is debatable which version is the more successful movie, what is not debatable is that the two versions have a very different approach in adapting play. Both versions featured their director in the titular role, and both versions were highly acclaimed for offering a bold and cinematic take on the famous source material. While it has had numerous film adaptations, perhaps the most notable ones are the 1948 film version directed by Laurence Olivier, and the 1996 version directed by Kenneth Branagh. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and enduring plays.

Laurence olivier hamlet full movie