Introduction to Drama and Theater - Essay Example

Hamlet: A Film Comparison Since the dawn of the Hollywood era, a popular means of filmmakers to make money has been to re-create the favorite stories of literature into filmic productions. However, the ability of the film to provide an accurate depiction of the original text is almost always questionable. In many cases, the film adds in artistic elements of its own that may or may not help to inform the intended meanings contained within the book. In bringing Shakespeare’s classic story of Hamlet to the big screen and reset into a modern context, director Michael Almereyda is forced to reinterpret the role of Ophelia due to significant changes in modern women’s status, in the process forcing audiences to reassess their common assumptions regarding her role in the tragedy. Because of a widespread perception of Hollywood and cinema as a mere entertainment venue, movie producers consistently come up against the same problem of how to make their films appear authentic and valuable on a par with the literature they depict. “For the last two decades, academic criticism has predominantly viewed mainstream cinema as a sequence of emptily expensive, aesthetically impoverished spectacles” (Maltby, 1998: 22). In addition, the necessity of compression leads to a general sense of dissatisfaction with films attempting to bring text to screen as they become judged both for and against their adherence to the original. Yet the very act of realizing that any rendition of literature to screen is going to involve some degree of interpretation, in much the same way that the individual reader tends to interpret the text as they read it, paves the way for directors to present new ideas such as what is seen in Hamlet. Hamlet is a well-known story by now, being one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. Ophelia’s role in the play is that of a ‘puppet figure’ used by the more important protagonists. Her role as Hamlet’s love interest positions her as a perfect pawn for the men around her. Within the film and placed into a modern world, Ophelia would not be anywhere near believable if she were to remain as passive as she appears in the play. Ophelia here is seen to be rather talented in her photography with the same sort of dark artistic vision as is practiced by Hamlet in his filmography. While she is given no additional lines to speak other than what was originally presented by Shakespeare, her delivery of these lines is deliberately more defiant and questioning. Her first line in the play that originally seems so innocent and trusting, “Not more but so?” (I, iii, 11), is delivered with a sarcastic twist to the mouth and an uplifting of tone that denotes skepticism and doubt. This suggests that she has a mind of her own and her own opinions regarding what Hamlet’s intentions might be toward her. It also suggests that perhaps she has intentions of her own. Within this portrayal, she does no service to the queen. She is too independent for this, despite later events. Hamlet’s mistrust of Ophelia because of his mother’s treachery is palpable in Almereyda’s version of the story as he spends hours staring at her video-recorded face, focusing in on her eyes as if seeking her sincerity. Some of these other aspects dealing with Ophelia’s character are brought forward as well. Her quick wit is revealed in the same way as it is seen in the original play, but her intelligence is emphasized in the film by her constant association with books and learning. She demonstrates initiative when she attempts to arrange a meeting with Hamlet during Claudius’ press conference and her artistic side is brought even more into focus when it is seen that her selected meeting place is the Guggenheim museum. She is not the dutiful daughter of medieval times either as she lovingly and sorrowfully greets Hamlet in her darkroom after being told to stay away from him. She seems to attempt to warn Hamlet away from her as she begins to return the letters he sent to her, which she has obviously treasured. Hamlet does not seem to suspect her of being complicit in the machinations of her father and his uncle until he accidentally finds the wire on her as the two of them begin passionately kissing each other. Ophelia’s feelings in this scene are made much clearer than in the play as she eagerly responds to Hamlet and clearly detests what her father is forcing her to do in wearing the wire. Yet, because of his recent loss of faith in women and his uncle’s unexpected complicity in his father’s death, Hamlet’s immediate reaction to the wire is instant anger, rejection and hatred. Polonius’ charge to Ophelia in the play seems to be little more than a father giving his daughter instructions that he is supremely confident she will follow. The Polonius in the film does not seem so incredibly confident that Ophelia will do as she’s told. This is reinforced by the sullen, resistant way in which Ophelia listens to him, leaning away from him and rolling her eyes as he speaks to her. She is the quintessential teenage rebel who doesn’t dare to openly defy him, but lacks any sort of respect for him. That she obviously resents some portion of her father’s control is evident in the way in which she and Laertes greet their father’s return home before Laertes leaves for school, both furtive and quiet the moment he walks in the door and sharing between them whispered comments and significant looks as their father attempts to impart his words of wisdom. Polonius’ obsequious approach to Claudius and Gertrude is equally resented as Ophelia is dragged reluctantly by the hand behind him, again with significant rolls of the eyes and repeated attempts to retrieve her letters from Hamlet before he can hand them over to Claudius. When her attempts to stop the two men’s plotting fail, she wanders away from them, childishly putting her hands out to the sides as she balances along the edge of the pool as if throwing her hands up in exasperation. As she stares into the pool, her internal conflict is made clear as she envisions herself jumping in and covering her face underwater. This scene begins to suggest Ophelia was well aware of how she was about to be used, whether she liked it or not, and that there was no way she could avoid the inevitable choice she was going to need to make. In the play, Ophelia “is unaware that her elders are dangling her for their own purposes, she believes they are solely and sincerely concerned to restore Hamlet to his true state and to let her help him if she can” (Walker, 1948: 57). Ophelia in the film is not deceived by the actions of her elders. She is well aware that they are attempting to use her in some way to gain access to Hamlet’s inner thoughts and feelings and she obviously feels this is wrong. However, she doesn’t seem capable of finding any means of escaping the trap she’s been placed in. Like the Ophelia of the play, she is powerless to effect any significant change and can do little more than scream in her frustration to let her feelings be known. Because she is not able to escape the controls of her father, she is forced to betray Hamlet and is discovered, losing any chance that she might yet find a future with him. Following Hamlet’s violent rejection, she then loses her father violently and can no longer cope with the internal conflicts that have kept her silent so long. Her grief at so many losses in so short a time is overwhelming and she is found drowned in the Guggenheim fountain, the place she’d arranged to meet Hamlet when they were still in love. In bringing the original text, pared down for length, to the big screen and placing it within the modern context of New York in 2000, director Almereyda is able to provide new interpretations of old characters through the expedient of body language and tone of voice. Ophelia emerges as a character with a personality of her own. She has her own opinions, desires, hopes and dreams, all of which are thwarted by the actions of others more powerful than she. Although they are capable of forcing her to do their bidding through high surveillance and customary parental control, this Ophelia is not fooled into believing her elders know what is best nor is she as innocent as an isolated girl of the medieval Denmark might be expected to be. She is educated and capable of pursuing her own interests in her photography and art, yet she is confined within the world of high corporate intrigue. Her death is seen as the culmination of her frustration over not being able to express her own feelings and her grief at having lost both her father (as financial support) and her hoped-for lover through her enforced betrayal of him. While she remains a relatively weak character within the modern world as well as the old world, Almereyda’s Ophelia is a stronger, more active character than her more traditional predecessor. Works Cited Hamlet. Dir. Michael Almereyda. Perf. Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Sam Shepherd, Diane Venora & Julia Stiles. Miramax, 2000. Maltby, Richard. “Nobody Knows Everything: Post-Classical Historiographics and Consolidated Entertainment.” Contemporary Hollywood Cinema. Steve Neale and Murray Smith (Eds.). London: Routledge, 1998: 21-44. Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet.’ The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Alfred Harbage (Ed.). London: Penguin Books, 1969, pp. 930-976. Walker, Roy. The Time is out of Joint: A Study of Hamlet. London: Andrew Dakers, 1948. Read More

This suggests that she has a mind of her own and her own opinions regarding what Hamlet’s intentions might be toward her. It also suggests that perhaps she has intentions of her own. Within this portrayal, she does no service to the queen. She is too independent for this, despite later events. Hamlet’s mistrust of Ophelia because of his mother’s treachery is palpable in Almereyda’s version of the story as he spends hours staring at her video-recorded face, focusing in on her eyes as if seeking her sincerity.

Some of these other aspects dealing with Ophelia’s character are brought forward as well. Her quick wit is revealed in the same way as it is seen in the original play, but her intelligence is emphasized in the film by her constant association with books and learning. She demonstrates initiative when she attempts to arrange a meeting with Hamlet during Claudius’ press conference and her artistic side is brought even more into focus when it is seen that her selected meeting place is the Guggenheim museum.

She is not the dutiful daughter of medieval times either as she lovingly and sorrowfully greets Hamlet in her darkroom after being told to stay away from him. She seems to attempt to warn Hamlet away from her as she begins to return the letters he sent to her, which she has obviously treasured. Hamlet does not seem to suspect her of being complicit in the machinations of her father and his uncle until he accidentally finds the wire on her as the two of them begin passionately kissing each other.

Ophelia’s feelings in this scene are made much clearer than in the play as she eagerly responds to Hamlet and clearly detests what her father is forcing her to do in wearing the wire. Yet, because of his recent loss of faith in women and his uncle’s unexpected complicity in his father’s death, Hamlet’s immediate reaction to the wire is instant anger, rejection and hatred. Polonius’ charge to Ophelia in the play seems to be little more than a father giving his daughter instructions that he is supremely confident she will follow.

The Polonius in the film does not seem so incredibly confident that Ophelia will do as she’s told. This is reinforced by the sullen, resistant way in which Ophelia listens to him, leaning away from him and rolling her eyes as he speaks to her. She is the quintessential teenage rebel who doesn’t dare to openly defy him, but lacks any sort of respect for him. That she obviously resents some portion of her father’s control is evident in the way in which she and Laertes greet their father’s return home before Laertes leaves for school, both furtive and quiet the moment he walks in the door and sharing between them whispered comments and significant looks as their father attempts to impart his words of wisdom.

Polonius’ obsequious approach to Claudius and Gertrude is equally resented as Ophelia is dragged reluctantly by the hand behind him, again with significant rolls of the eyes and repeated attempts to retrieve her letters from Hamlet before he can hand them over to Claudius. When her attempts to stop the two men’s plotting fail, she wanders away from them, childishly putting her hands out to the sides as she balances along the edge of the pool as if throwing her hands up in exasperation. As she stares into the pool, her internal conflict is made clear as she envisions herself jumping in and covering her face underwater.

This scene begins to suggest Ophelia was well aware of how she was about to be used, whether she liked it or not, and that there was no way she could avoid the inevitable choice she was going to need to make. In the play, Ophelia “is unaware that her elders are dangling her for their own purposes, she believes they are solely and sincerely concerned to restore Hamlet to his true state and to let her help him if she can” (Walker, 1948: 57). Ophelia in the film is not deceived by the actions of her elders.

She is well aware that they are attempting to use her in some way to gain access to Hamlet’s inner thoughts and feelings and she obviously feels this is wrong.

Read More